Dan Graziano of ESPN reports that Patriots WR Julian Edelman‘s appeal of his four-game drug suspension will be heard Monday and he plans to mount a “vigorous defense” that will call into questions the NFL’s handling of his case.
Edelman’s suspension stems from a violation of the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. However, Edelman reportedly tested positive for a substance that wasn’t recognized by the NFL’s drug testers.
According to Graziano, this is one of two key issues at the center of Edelman’s appeal.
Interestingly enough, Graziano says that the other issue involves a mishandling of the documentation and delivery of Edelman’s test results. Sources have told Graziano that the NFL made mistakes in the manner in which those test results were handled during the investigation and Edelman plans to argue that he should be exonerated based on the mishandling of the evidence.
Edelman has reportedly hired Alex Spiro, a New York-based attorney who has previously represented NBA players, as his outside counsel.
Edelman, 32, is a former seventh-round pick of the Patriots back in 2009. He was in the final year of his four-year, $17 million contract when the Patriots signed him to a two-year extension worth $11 million and included $9 million guaranteed last year.
Edelman stands to make base salaries of $2 million over the next two years of the agreement.
In 2016, Edelman appeared in all 16 games for the Patriots and caught 98 passes for 1,106 yards receiving and three touchdowns. He also added 57 rushing yards, 44 kick return yards and 135 punt return yards for New England. Pro Football Focus had him rated as the No. 21 receiver out of 115 qualifying players that season.
We’ll have more regarding Edelman as the news is available.
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