Julian Edelman?

You must be kidding, right?

How the heck can a little slot receiver, who has never even made a Pro Bowl, possibly get an MVP vote in today's NFL? Truth be told, Edelman isn't even the best player on his team. Only quarterbacks win the MVP in this new age of football.

Maybe so. It's pretty hard to overlook what Cam Newton has accomplished this year. More than likely he will get the league MVP, and rightfully so. Heck, you could even make a great case for Carson Palmer to win the exclusive award. Palmer had an exceptional season considering he did tear his ACL last year.

But let's dig a little deeper.

Let's look specifically at that middle word, "valuable." When we're talking about the MVP, it's not handed out to the best overall player or even the most gifted athlete, it's awarded to the player who was most valuable. If it were handed out to the best all around player, then J.J. Watt would be getting more recognition for the award. Now, I can't make the full case that Edelman should win the MVP award outright, but he should at least get a vote for recognition.

The New England Patriots are a perfect 10-0 this season when Edelman plays, including their postseason victory over the Kansas City Chiefs last week. On the flip side, the Patriots are a mediocre 3-4 without Edelman playing this year. That's pretty valuable, isn't it? Many Edelman doubters call him just a "product of the system" and "only a slot receiver" who fits in Bill Belichick's game plan. Yet somehow, someway the Patriots and Tom Brady had a losing record without him. Again, I honestly can't make the case for Edelman to win the MVP outright, but he deserves at least one vote for his significance to the Patriots.

Edelman had a perfect 2015, literally. The Patriots did not lose a single game in the calendar year going an unblemished 13-0 with him. Those 13 wins include the 10 victories of this regular season, and of course the three playoff wins from last year. Edelman was the one who made the game-winning touchdown grab against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 49. Let's also not forget that Edelman was the guy who made the incredible trick 51-yard pass play to Danny Amendola against the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs last year. Edelman was after all a quarterback in college at Kent State.

Overall, Edelman is 22-1 in the last 23 games he has played. It's too bad only quarterbacks get an official win-loss record, isn't it? In case you were wondering, that lone defeat was against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in November of 2014. The Packers won, 26-21. The Patriots have won their last 15 consecutive games that Edelman has started. Just as impressive, Edelman has not lost a single game at Gillette Stadium since January of 2014, the AFC Championship game against the Denver Broncos. The Patriots and Broncos are going to meet again under the same exact circumstances. Unbelievable, isn't it?

In case you were wondering, Edelman hasn't lost a single home game in the regular season since September of 2012, against the Arizona Cardinals. Unfortunately for him and the Patriots, they won't be playing at home anymore this season.

No wide receiver in NFL history has ever won the MVP award, not even Jerry Rice. Edelman won't be winning the award this year, but he should at least get one vote. You just can't ignore the significance he has on the field for his team, which is what the MVP is all about. If Edelman was simply a system slot player, the Patriots wouldn't struggle so much without him.

Follow Damon Salvadore on Twitter @DamonSalvadore1

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