Wes Welker signs with Denver Broncos / Amendola to Pats (Merged)

[nickagneta]

NE fans are funny. A guy gets 100 catches a year for five years in a row and it's never been done before but it's bc of the system?

Absolutely its because of the system. The man is talented, no doubt. He's a great receiver. But if he ain't playing in NE, he isn't getting the ball thrown to him to be able to catch it 100 times for 5 years.

Why hasn't anyone caught 100 passes a year for New Orleans and Brees or Green Bay and Rodgers? They throw it a bunch and get tons of receiving yards every year? Its because their system isn't the West Coast/dink and dunk system. They are both more of a passing downhill type passing system.

Don't get me wrong. Welker would still have put up some nice numbers somewhere else and if in the right place have had some great years. But he has produced as prolifically as he has because of the system and because of the QB he played with.

[Roy H.]

Welker is the reason we don't have one more superbowl ring.

Wait... you say this a couple of sentences after calling other people's arguments "laughable"?

You're pinning the lack of another ring on the guy who catches 110 balls per season, because he could make a very difficult catch where he was off-balance / falling backward?

If we're blaming one guy for not making a very difficult play, maybe Tom Brady should be called out for the reason the Pats don't have 3+ more rings.  After all, if he'd played mistake-free football, the Pats would never lose in the playoffs.

To me, that's not a compelling argument.  Without Welker, the Pats wouldn't have even sniffed the Super Bowl in the first place.

[Lightskinsmurf]

Welker is the reason we don't have one more superbowl ring.

Wait... you say this a couple of sentences after calling other people's arguments "laughable"?

You're pinning the lack of another ring on the guy who catches 110 balls per season, because he could make a very difficult catch where he was off-balance / falling backward?

If we're blaming one guy for not making a very difficult play, maybe Tom Brady should be called out for the reason the Pats don't have 3+ more rings.  After all, if he'd played mistake-free football, the Pats would never lose in the playoffs.

To me, that's not a compelling argument.  Without Welker, the Pats wouldn't have even sniffed the Super Bowl in the first place.

Yes, I am. I don't give a darn how many catches you catch in the REGULAR SEASON and I don't care how pretty your stats look. If you miss the most important catch of the whole season then who the hell cares? If welker catches that pass that hit him square in the hands, a catch he makes 99 times out of 100 *HIS WORDS* then we win the superbowl, PERIOD.

I disagree with your last sentence too. Brady likes to go to welker alot, that doesn't mean we don't have other guys capable of catching alot of the passes he makes. Welker is NOT worth overpaying for. The drops are becoming more and more consistent. You can choose to ignore that if you want.

[KGs Knee]

I really hope Welker does go to Denver.  Once he's gone, Pats fans will see how important he was.

And as I always say, anything bad for the Pats, is a good thing in my eyes.

[Lightskinsmurf]

I really hope Welker does go to Denver.  Once he's gone, Pats fans will see how important he was.

And as I always say, anything bad for the Pats, is a good thing in my eyes.

Welker could catch a thousand passes in denver and Id still say the patriots were smart to not overpay to keep him.

[Fafnir]

Welker is the reason we don't have one more superbowl ring.

Wait... you say this a couple of sentences after calling other people's arguments "laughable"?

You're pinning the lack of another ring on the guy who catches 110 balls per season, because he could make a very difficult catch where he was off-balance / falling backward?

If we're blaming one guy for not making a very difficult play, maybe Tom Brady should be called out for the reason the Pats don't have 3+ more rings.  After all, if he'd played mistake-free football, the Pats would never lose in the playoffs.

To me, that's not a compelling argument.  Without Welker, the Pats wouldn't have even sniffed the Super Bowl in the first place.

Yes, I am. I don't give a darn how many catches you catch in the REGULAR SEASON and I don't care how pretty your stats look.

Are you going to apply that same rubric to Brady? Or is that reserved for players who "might" be leaving?

[Donoghus]

Welker is the reason we don't have one more superbowl ring.

Wait... you say this a couple of sentences after calling other people's arguments "laughable"?

You're pinning the lack of another ring on the guy who catches 110 balls per season, because he could make a very difficult catch where he was off-balance / falling backward?

If we're blaming one guy for not making a very difficult play, maybe Tom Brady should be called out for the reason the Pats don't have 3+ more rings.  After all, if he'd played mistake-free football, the Pats would never lose in the playoffs.

To me, that's not a compelling argument.  Without Welker, the Pats wouldn't have even sniffed the Super Bowl in the first place.

Yes, I am. I don't give a darn how many catches you catch in the REGULAR SEASON and I don't care how pretty your stats look. If you miss the most important catch of the whole season then who the hell cares? If welker catches that pass that hit him square in the hands, a catch he makes 99 times out of 100 *HIS WORDS* then we win the superbowl, PERIOD.

I disagree with your last sentence too. Brady likes to go to welker alot, that doesn't mean we don't have other guys capable of catching alot of the passes he makes. Welker is NOT worth overpaying for. The drops are becoming more and more consistent. You can choose to ignore that if you want.

Well, I think that's way oversimplifying things too.  The guy has been a key gog in the Pats offense going back to 2007.

Sure, he's had his drops but he's also been a very productive member of the offense year in & year out.

I want him back but I also don't think they should break the bank for a guy who plays the slot position and will be 32 years old on opening day.  Slot guys can be found.  The question is what production a replacement would get and I sure as heck don't think it'll be 100+ catches.

[nickagneta]

Welker's dropped passes are extremely over emphasized by people. He had a similar amount to Calvin Johnson and Brandon Marshall and other receivers that have the ball thrown to them that much. Sorry but if you throw a ball at a receiver 175-200 times a year, expecting less than 9-10 dropped passes just is not realistic and that's all he had.

[Fafnir]

I really hope Welker does go to Denver.  Once he's gone, Pats fans will see how important he was.

And as I always say, anything bad for the Pats, is a good thing in my eyes.

Welker could catch a thousand passes in denver and Id still say the patriots were smart to not overpay to keep him.

What's overpaying for him? How much salary is too much?

[Kane3387]

Don't get me wrong. Welker would still have put up some nice numbers somewhere else and if in the right place have had some great years. But he has produced as prolifically as he has because of the system and because of the QB he played with.

I think Welker would have put up similar numbers in other places, but my point was that when a guy is "productive b/c of the system" then it's making it sound like he cant find similar success in other places. I don't believe that to be true.

While he might not break the record books for every other team in the NFL I think he could go to any other team and be a pro-bowl caliber WR. In NE Denver if he is healthy and Manning is healthy he will catch around 100 balls and be in the conversation for the pro-bowl.

NE gave up a 2nd and 7th for him to acquire him from miami. That's value. You don't give that up unless you are getting a highly regarded player back.

Welker is the best WR at finding the soft spot in the defense and moving the chains. He is literally like a 5'9" TE in this regard on the same level of a Jason Witten and Tony Gonzalez.

Basically he is a security blanket playing the slot. Kind of rare and security blanket guys can be pretty productive anywhere b/c they get open and the QB will always look for them when they are in trouble.

[indeedproceed]

The drops are becoming more and more consistent. You can choose to ignore that if you want.

They actually measure drops, and this is true. Welker's drop rate of 10.28% is actually well above his 3 year average previous of 8.8%

10.28% is still better than Victor Cruz (and many other high profile wide receivers), but its below Welker's usual performance.

[Kane3387]

Welker's dropped passes are extremely over emphasized by people. He had a similar amount to Calvin Johnson and Brandon Marshall and other receivers that have the ball thrown to them that much. Sorry but if you throw a ball at a receiver 175-200 times a year, expecting less than 9-10 dropped passes just is not realistic and that's all he had.

Yeah his are just more magnified b/c he consistently plays on big stages.

[Donoghus]

Welker's dropped passes are extremely over emphasized by people. He had a similar amount to Calvin Johnson and Brandon Marshall and other receivers that have the ball thrown to them that much. Sorry but if you throw a ball at a receiver 175-200 times a year, expecting less than 9-10 dropped passes just is not realistic and that's all he had.

Pretty much.

[Lightskinsmurf]

Welker is the reason we don't have one more superbowl ring.

Wait... you say this a couple of sentences after calling other people's arguments "laughable"?

You're pinning the lack of another ring on the guy who catches 110 balls per season, because he could make a very difficult catch where he was off-balance / falling backward?

If we're blaming one guy for not making a very difficult play, maybe Tom Brady should be called out for the reason the Pats don't have 3+ more rings.  After all, if he'd played mistake-free football, the Pats would never lose in the playoffs.

To me, that's not a compelling argument.  Without Welker, the Pats wouldn't have even sniffed the Super Bowl in the first place.

Yes, I am. I don't give a darn how many catches you catch in the REGULAR SEASON and I don't care how pretty your stats look. If you miss the most important catch of the whole season then who the hell cares? If welker catches that pass that hit him square in the hands, a catch he makes 99 times out of 100 *HIS WORDS* then we win the superbowl, PERIOD.

I disagree with your last sentence too. Brady likes to go to welker alot, that doesn't mean we don't have other guys capable of catching alot of the passes he makes. Welker is NOT worth overpaying for. The drops are becoming more and more consistent. You can choose to ignore that if you want.

Well, I think that's way oversimplifying things too.  The guy has been a key gog in the Pats offense going back to 2007.

Sure, he's had his drops but he's also been a very productive member of the offense year in & year out.

I want him back but I also don't think they should break the bank for a guy who plays the slot position and will be 32 years old on opening day. Slot guys can be found.  The question is what production a replacement would get and I sure as heck don't think it'll be 100+ catches.

This is exactly, exactly my stance. I'm not saying I don't want him back under any circumstance. I'm saying hes not worth overpaying for and we will be just fine without him.

We don't need a new slot receiver that catches 100 passes. I don't care how the passes get divided up as long as the catches are being made who cares?

[Fafnir]

Welker's dropped passes are extremely over emphasized by people. He had a similar amount to Calvin Johnson and Brandon Marshall and other receivers that have the ball thrown to them that much. Sorry but if you throw a ball at a receiver 175-200 times a year, expecting less than 9-10 dropped passes just is not realistic and that's all he had.

Welker's catch rate last year was 67%, which is still elite.

He's just a victim of his own superb seasons previous where it was around 70% and a memorable failed catch in the postseason