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

[nickagneta]

To Roy, regarding the throw:

The throw was where it had to be. So many times QB's throw to a spot and its up to the receiver to be in that spot and prepared to catch the ball. This was one of those times.

Sometimes those throws are over the outside shoulder and to the sideline to avoid being intercepted or touched by opposing players.

You are assuming here that Welker was faced the proper way to begin with. Possibly a very bad assumption. Welker ran a go route and its tough to tell whether he was supposed to run a post or fade or straight go. If Welker was supposed to run the fade, he should have been turned in the other direction and that means Brady threw the ball EXACTLY where it was supposed to be. Actually if that is the case, Brady's throw is perfect.

No one can knows, except for the players on that team, what route Welker was supposed to run or what way he should have been facing. And even if he was supposed to run a go or post, that catch is still not only where Welker was, but extremely catchable. What Welker had to do was not that difficult. Its a catch made fairly easily by players going all the way to down to Pop Warner football. Actually see that catch every single week at the local Everett High football game. Fairly common catch, to be honest.

BTW, if Welker saw the ball going over his outside shoulder, the other very basic thing he didn't do that receivers are taught from early on is you turn and look over the other shoulder and catch the ball. You don't twist around in mid stride. Its a tough thing to be disciplined enough to do but Welker has before. He made a mistake and dropped a ball. It happens.

[Lightskinsmurf]

What's the status on jake ballard. Is he set to play next year?

[Donoghus]

A)  Even if it did make the Pats "too easy to gameplan", the correct solution isn't geting rid of the player, the correct solution is changing your own gameplan to counteact this.

Maybe, but Brady will throw where Brady wants to throw. And when he has Amendola instead of Welker in the slot, he may be less inclined to go there. As great as TB12 is, there is clear favoritism in where he delivers the ball.

Not sure this is true as much as Welker is the read that is constantly open. Brady has his primary, secondary and sometimes tertiary reads and then checks down to the slot receiver. He does this amazingly fast, maybe faster than anyone in the league.

Welker is an elite, fantastic, amazing slot receiver knowing exactly how to properly find his place between the secondary and linebackers and stopping in the open spot. He's better at it than anyone. But he's thrown to so much because he is the safety valve on over 80% of the Pats throwing plays. And he is the primary read on probably the other percentage of plays.

Branch was that way for many years as well. Thing is it took years for Branch, Welker and Brady to develop that rhythm and trust and now that has to start over. If Amendola's hands are as good as his stats and he stays healthy, I think it will mitigate the loss of Welker.

Welker had similar stats to amendola before he came to new england didn't he?

Amendola's numbers are way better than Welker's when he came to the Pats in '07.

Bill Barnwell of Grantland wrote a pretty good article on the trade this morning.

[nickagneta]

I have said it in this thread before. I agree with koz. The main concern should be the defensive secondary and the offensive line and a bona fide pass rusher(though maybe Jones or Hightower can develop into that).

I'll take Amendola as a replacement for Welker. Now go sign Talib. His presence was huge last year.

[boscel33]

I have said it in this thread before. I agree with koz. The main concern should be the defensive secondary and the offensive line and a bona fide pass rusher(though maybe Jones or Hightower can develop into that).

I'll take Amendola as a replacement for Welker. Now go sign Talib. His presence was huge last year.

I agree, Talib (or similar) is a must and the CB market is beginning to move.

Look at Welker prior to being a Pat.  Now look at Amendola.  you'll see that Amendola has had a slightly better beginning. 

Let's move on from it, and re-stock the D.  People forget that we were less than two minutes total from having two more superbowls.  The D is what failed them.

[Roy H.]

What Welker had to do was not that difficult. Its a catch made fairly easily by players going all the way to down to Pop Warner football. Actually see that catch every single week at the local Everett High football game. Fairly common catch, to be honest.

You and eja must be witnessing some of the best Pop Warner football games in the world.  Where are these kids in college and professional football, when guys are able to hold onto high and outside passes pretty infrequently?

I do agree that if Welker screwed up the route, it's on him.  I noted that above.  However, I haven't heard any suggestion that that's the case.  Indeed, the coverage seemed to have the outside throw defended much better than the inside one.

[nickagneta]

What Welker had to do was not that difficult. Its a catch made fairly easily by players going all the way to down to Pop Warner football. Actually see that catch every single week at the local Everett High football game. Fairly common catch, to be honest.

You and eja must be witnessing some of the best Pop Warner football games in the world.  Where are these kids in college and professional football, when guys are able to hold onto high and outside passes pretty infrequently?

I do agree that if Welker screwed up the route, it's on him.  I noted that above.  However, I haven't heard any suggestion that that's the case.  Indeed, the coverage seemed to have the outside throw defended much better than the inside one.

Its such a common catch because its such a common mistake made by receivers. If the ball is over the outside shoulder turn in stride and catch the ball. But sooooooooooooo many kids and even pros just go back to their instincts. They don't want to take their eyes off the ball, turn, relocate the ball and catch it. So they keep their eyes on the ball and twist and try to make a much more difficult catch than if they had done otherwise.

You actually see the same thing in baseball from outfielders quite a bit too. Proper form is to read the ball and run to it in the proper body positioning even if it means taking your eyes off the ball for just a mini second to adjust.

BTW, being a fairly new dad Roy, do you get out to see much Pop Warner or high school football? This is really kind of a common thing to see in younger kids when the ball isn't right to them on a longer type throw.

[rutzan]

the real truth of the matter is that "The Patriot Way" just took a big hit...Brady, Bruschi, Brown, Wilfork and Welker are cut from the same cloth...don't you think players just noticed what the pats did to one of their own...when #12 is gone...players will remember how arrogant the pats are with their own players...ne won't be the destination it is now...the pats are worth $1.6B...they lowballed welker by $2M...that' .125%...don't you think welker is worth .125% when brady himself calls welker the "heart and soul"...you never replace those players...hrs after welker signs...pats guarantee amendola $10M...that's methodical, pre-meditated and thought out in advance...they knew they lowballed welker...and...before that...kraft comes out saying he wants welker to be "a patriot for life"...kraft is a two-faced liar...like Capt Jean Luc Picard..."Make it so"...kraft if you really meant it..."Make it so"...i guess the "heart and soul" didn't mean to much...but that .125% did...what a cheapskate...

[nickagneta]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT6XziIQ5RI

Here's the play straight from the beginning. The direction of the route appears to be a fade and the outside was wide open.

[nickagneta]

...what a cheapskate...

Say what you want about Kraft but the man invested all his own money to not only buy the Pats but also the stadium and land around the stadium and has built a state of the art stadium and entertainment area down there in Foxborough.

Kraft is a lot of things. I'm not sure its fair to call him cheap. A tough businessman. A bottom line financially type of guy. Yeah he's those things, but not cheap.

[Cman]

...what a cheapskate...

Say what you want about Kraft but the man invested all his own money to not only buy the Pats but also the stadium and land around the stadium and has built a state of the art stadium and entertainment area down there in Foxborough.

Kraft is a lot of things. I'm not sure its fair to call him cheap. A tough businessman. A bottom line financially type of guy. Yeah he's those things, but not cheap.

Nick, rutzan just hates the Pats, plain and simple. Why bother taking the bait?

[Cman]

I have said it in this thread before. I agree with koz. The main concern should be the defensive secondary and the offensive line and a bona fide pass rusher(though maybe Jones or Hightower can develop into that).

I'll take Amendola as a replacement for Welker. Now go sign Talib. His presence was huge last year.

I agree, Talib (or similar) is a must and the CB market is beginning to move.

Look at Welker prior to being a Pat.  Now look at Amendola.  you'll see that Amendola has had a slightly better beginning. 

Let's move on from it, and re-stock the D.  People forget that we were less than two minutes total from having two more superbowls.  The D is what failed them.

Yes, yes, and yes.

And nice to see you again boscel, its been a while, no?

[nickagneta]

...what a cheapskate...

Say what you want about Kraft but the man invested all his own money to not only buy the Pats but also the stadium and land around the stadium and has built a state of the art stadium and entertainment area down there in Foxborough.

Kraft is a lot of things. I'm not sure its fair to call him cheap. A tough businessman. A bottom line financially type of guy. Yeah he's those things, but not cheap.

Nick, rutzan just hates the Pats, plain and simple. Why bother taking the bait?

Ahhhh, didn't know that.

[kozlodoev]

...what a cheapskate...

Say what you want about Kraft but the man invested all his own money to not only buy the Pats but also the stadium and land around the stadium and has built a state of the art stadium and entertainment area down there in Foxborough.

Kraft is a lot of things. I'm not sure its fair to call him cheap. A tough businessman. A bottom line financially type of guy. Yeah he's those things, but not cheap.

How is Kraft a "cheapskate" when the Pats can potentially pay more for Amendola than for Welker. You may not agree with the football decision, but I don't think money was an issue in this case.

[Lucky17]

Don't bother reading Bill Barnwell's "article" on Grantland why this was a smart move by Belichick. I'll summarize for you:

1. Amendola's stats are better than Wes Welker's before he was traded to the Pats, and look how great Wes turned out!
2. Belichick has been right on everything before, so no worries, mon.