New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has hailed wide receiver Julian Edelman for his performances this season.

The 27-year-old has established himself as the focal point of the Patriots' offense following injuries to Rob Gronkowki and Danny Amendola, and the off-season departures of Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez.

"Obviously, he's had a tremendous year for us," Belichick told reporters. "I don't really think we've seen a whole lot from Julian that we haven't seen before.

"There are a lot of things to like about Julian: his toughness, his speed, his quickness, his ability to run with the ball after he catches it, and break tackles, and be elusive and have good run skills in the secondary.

"He's a tough kid who can come in and block. He's smart. He's got versatility."

Edelman has made 96 receptions on the season for 991 yards and six touchdowns.