ATLANTA — As the Rams and Patriots get set to go against one another on Sunday, New England wide receiver Julian Edelman praised his former teammate, cornerback Aqib Talib.
"The respect for Talib is huge. I've played against him and I've seen it firsthand playing with him. He's a funny guy. I love him. But this Sunday, I won't," Edelman told assembled reporters on Wednesday. "But he's a very savvy player. He's got that long arm — he's just overall, athletically, he's gifted."
Talib played with the Patriots for the second half of the 2012 season and all of the 2013 season, when Edelman was in his fourth and fifth seasons in the league. The New England wideout brought up the same story as quarterback Tom Brady did at Opening Night on Monday.
"I remember when he first got here, we almost put him at receiver," Edelman said. "And then he's got the years of experience in big games, performing in high-pressure situations that you better be bringing your A-game or he's going to make you look silly."
While Talib is more of an outside corner, Los Angeles' slot corner — who Edelman will likely work the most against — is another familiar face.
Nickell Robey-Coleman spent the first four years of his career with Buffalo, squaring off against New England twice a year.
"He's a tough, feisty, quick guy. He's got a lot of savvy," Edelman said of Robey-Coleman. "He plays hard — he plays real hard."
Robey-Coleman said on Thursday that he and Edelman have similar playing styles, albeit on different sides of the ball.
"I think he's aggressive. I think he's more aggressive than people really think he is, you know? I like his style and how he blocks. You know, he reminds me of myself on defense a little bit," Robey-Coleman said. "So we're both going to be playing with chips on our shoulder. Then, I don't even think it's going to be so much about the matchup a little bit — it's just going to be like two aggressive guys scrapping, going at it all night, four quarters. So I think it's going to be fun. It's going to be a fun battle."
