Julian Edelman responds to DeSean Jackson’s posts, Nets sign Jamal Crawford and Michael Beasley, other sports news

DeSean Jackson’s comments earlier this week have fueled backlash from many sports figures and fans, but Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman took a different route.

“I know he said some ugly things, but I do see an opportunity to have a conversation,” Edelman said in a video he posted through Instagram.

Edelman said he would like to visit Washington, D.C.‘s United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture with Jackson, and have an “uncomfortable conversation” to provide more education on the issue.

“This world needs a little more love, compassion and empathy,” Edelman said.

Edelman described his religious experience as unusual because he adopted Judaism later in life.

He remembered being called a slur during a game in 2011, and noted similarities between the Jewish and Black communities as both have been attacked by “the ignorant and hateful.”

“There’s no room for antisemitism in this world,” Edelman said.

» READ MORE: Eagles’ DeSean Jackson apologizes for anti-Semitic posts, says he’ll ‘do better’ and ‘educate myself’

None of the remaining NBA teams have suffered the volume of loss of players as the Nets during the season’s postponement. On top of already being without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn learned that Wilson Chandler, Taurean Prince, DeAndre Jordan, Nicolas Claxton, and Spencer Dinwiddie will not be playing in Orlando.

This forced Brooklyn to examine the free-agent market, where they found two of the most popular guys available. According to Shams Charnia of The Athletic, the Nets are signing forwards Jamal Crawford and Michael Beasley to help fill roster spots.

Simply put, the league is a better place with Crawford. The crafty veteran six-man scored 51 points at 39 years old in his last game more than a year ago, but still remained unsigned for most of this season. Players around the league have called for his signing and were happy to see him ink a deal with the Nets.

Beasley entered the NBA after having one of the best freshmen seasons in college basketball history at Kansas State. His NBA career hasn’t lived up to the hype, but he can still score points in bunches.

Beasley averaged 13.2 points in just 22 minutes per game two years ago with the Knicks. He played 26 games with the Lakers last season, where he averaged seven points and 10.7 minutes.

Off-court problems have held Beasley back at times, and he will have to serve a five-game suspension once he officially joins the Nets for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy last year.

Ezekiel Elliott has been one of the NFL’s best running backs ever since he entered the league in 2016. He’s had 1,358 touches and 7,024 yards from scrimmage through four seasons, but one coach thinks he isn’t the same player.

“Very few breakout runs, doesn’t look as strong anymore,” an anonymous coach told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Feels like he’s about 60 to 70 percent of what he was.”

Elliott did have just four runs of more than 20 yards last season. His longest was 33 yards, but he still averaged 4.5 yards per carry. That’s right on par with his career average of 4.6 yards, so when Elliott saw the comment, he didn’t agree.

If last season was a sign of Elliott slowing down, then a lot of other running backs would like to be slowing down.

Elliot ran for 1,357 yards and 12 touchdowns, and this was after holding out most of the preseason, only showing up about a week before the season started.

It’s still a little too soon for those comments.