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

[TheReaLPuba]

All I know is if you're a title contender you can't hurt your team for the sake of the future.

Losing Welker is going to be huge because no other offensive player can STAY HEALTHY.

Brady is great and one of the best QB's of ALL TIME but he still needs people to get open to throw it to.

Plus losing his bestie will no doubt have an impact not only on his performance but his confidence as well.

[kozlodoev]

Dov Kleiman ‏@NFL_RealUpdates
#Patriots have offered WR Wes Welker a 4-year, $32 million deal while the #Broncos are offering Welker a 4-year, $35 million deal.

Welker supposedly  checking whether Pats should match. Just do it and get it over with.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

If this happens, I can see some potential parallels with Ray Allen.  A guy who has been a very productive player but feels underappreciated and thinks he hasn't been given the security he deserves, and then departs to leave for a rival.

Speaking as a regular Joe who's never made big bucks, I still fail to see how $7-9M a year (the range in which the Pats' offer to Welker is believed to be) isn't enough "security," or enough to "take care of your family." So I think the Welker situation is more about how valued he feels.

The way I see it, if you like the coach you play for, the teammates you play with, and you're getting paid millions, why look anywhere else?

Does Welker feel slighted? Is that the problem? Sure, he's taken some heat for dropped passes, but I think the New England fan base generally loves and appreciates him. Brady wants him to stay. I'm sure Belichick does too. So what's the problem?

[nickagneta]

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 fins 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 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.

5'9" security blanket wide receivers need quarterbacks that can make their reads exceptionally fast and make decisions faster in order to properly use that security blanket enough to be as prolific as Welker has been.

I will agree to disagree with you. Without Brady and the system, Welker would have been very good but he would have had to found the perfect other spot to put up the numbers he has here the last 5 years.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Dov Kleiman ‏@NFL_RealUpdates
#Patriots have offered WR Wes Welker a 4-year, $32 million deal while the #Broncos are offering Welker a 4-year, $35 million deal.

Welker supposedly  checking whether Pats should match. Just do it and get it over with.

Cosign. What's $3 mil in the grand scheme of NFL salaries?

[Lightskinsmurf]

What are you guys predictions? Does he stay or does he go?

[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.

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

I agree. Its over-emphasized.

All receivers drop passes. if you drop 9-10 passes a year and have the ball thrown to you 175-200 times a year, you are still in the elite area of being able to catch a ball.

[kozlodoev]

Dov Kleiman ‏@NFL_RealUpdates
#Patriots have offered WR Wes Welker a 4-year, $32 million deal while the #Broncos are offering Welker a 4-year, $35 million deal.

Welker supposedly  checking whether Pats should match. Just do it and get it over with.

Cosign. What's $3 mil in the grand scheme of NFL salaries?

Actually it's substatntial (NFL salaries are lower than NBA ones). But spread over 4 years it's not so much.

I'm a little baffled though how this relates to reports from yesterday that "the two sides are not close". Is it a case where Welker thought he'd get considerably more in the open market, and now that he sees he won't, he's trying to squeeze a bit extra from the Pats?

[Cman]

There's a decent chance Welker will not play for the Pats. Pats took a risk and it looks like they may come up on the losing end. But that's business. I just hope this gets resolved soon so Pats can move on to other priorities.

[kozlodoev]

Daniel Paulling ‏@DanielPaulling
Per Adam Schefter, former #Patriots WR Wes Welker has agreed to terms with #Broncos. Just what Peyton needed.

See ya on Oct 7th.

[Donoghus]

Dov Kleiman ‏@NFL_RealUpdates
#Patriots have offered WR Wes Welker a 4-year, $32 million deal while the #Broncos are offering Welker a 4-year, $35 million deal.

Welker supposedly  checking whether Pats should match. Just do it and get it over with.

If that report is true, its just a matter of whether or not Welker feels spited enough by the Pats to turn and sign with the Broncos. 

Honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if it happens & he heads to Denver.

[Donoghus]

Daniel Paulling ‏@DanielPaulling
Per Adam Schefter, former #Patriots WR Wes Welker has agreed to terms with #Broncos. Just what Peyton needed.

See ya on Oct 7th.

And there ya go.

[Lightskinsmurf]

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

I agree. Its over-emphasized.

All receivers drop passes. if you drop 9-10 passes a year and have the ball thrown to you 175-200 times a year, you are still in the elite area of being able to catch a ball.

If one of those drops didn't cost the patriots a superbowl then Id be fine with that. Either way, I don't want the patriots overpaying for a 32 year old slot receiver when they have so many other needs.

[kozlodoev]

Daniel Paulling ‏@DanielPaulling
Per Adam Schefter, former #Patriots WR Wes Welker has agreed to terms with #Broncos. Just what Peyton needed.

See ya on Oct 7th.

And there ya go.

Elway tweets it's a 2-year deal. Really confused right now, they must be paying him something like $13 million per I guess.


edit:

Adam Schefter@AdamSchefterWes Welker lands a two-year, $12 million deal from the Broncos. Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Wes Welker. Have fun, Peyton.

Wait, WHAT?!?!

[badshar]

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4740878/schefter-welker-agree-with-broncos

Receiver Wes Welker has agreed to terms with the Broncos, the club announced.

John Elway tweeted: "Excited to have Wes join the Broncos. His production & toughness will be a great asset!"

More on this to come.

Well, he just pulled off a Ray Allen.