Dare to speak against New England

[Diesel]

In the past year, Wes Welker started off last season with questions regarding the near end of his contract. Classic, classy Welker tells all that he'd like to retire a Patriot. I'm pretty sure it has been clear to everyone that Welker wanted to stay with New Englad. He just wanted to be paid like the producer he has been. The super star producer he has been. Par for the couse for any NFL player that has earned his right to star status and put in hard work every season, and every off season. Never an altercation. Never a DWI. Never beating his baby Mama's. Never head butting his girlfriend. Welker puts his gameface on every day. Every game.

As time went by, it was getting more and more apparent Welker wasn't going to get any where near the money he, and many others, believe he is worth. In fact, the pompous Patriots never stuttered. They made it clear, if not exactly in these words, that this offense, this team can live without Wes Welker. Of course the media had to do their job and ask Welker how he felt about the public snub, and Welker said something along the lines of "It's a businesss", and "I'd like to stay but its not my decision, ultimately".

But then the great and powerful Bill Belicheck and the high and mighty New England Patriots force Welker into a 1 year deal, much like you might give a child no breakfast the following day after the child tried to take one more cookie than he was allowed after dinner the night before.

So Welker plays out his final season in New England, with his tail tucked between his legs. 122 receptions the year before. Brady's favorite target. Only now, the great and powerful Bill Belicheck and the pompous Patriots have to teach Welker a lesson. A public lesson. So that no player ever question the might Patriots again. The Patriots don't need Wes Welker to win. They can start J.Edelman in his place and still win! They can always have A.Hernandez to take Welker's place without a hitch. Without a hitch. Uh, wait. MAYBE NOT.

I truly hope the Patriots continue to NOT use Welker, just to publicly punish him for such a ridiculous reason. For wanting what he deserves, and wanting to STAY a Patriot. I hope these Pats fall all year long, playing Julian Edelman over Welker and as Welker goes to a new team next year, I am eager to see the fire in his eyes again. This is childish and foolish and an outright stupid decision by New England, and it makes me happy to see a public lesson NOT getting the
result that the hangman would like.

[TR]

Patriots don't need Welker and never won a title with him...he is a product of their system and a great slot receiver but far from a true Number 1 WR. Welker at age 32 is replaceable and no exception to the Patriots way.

[Route C]

Truth is Marc, Welker walked in on Belichick and Brady one evening in a "meeting room". Even though he promised not to tell there's just so much paranoia after Spygate that they had to keep him under their control.

[Diesel]

Patriots don't need Welker and never won a title with him...he is a product of their system and a great slot receiver but far from a true Number 1 WR. Welker at age 32 is replaceable and no exception to the Patriots way.

So, how's that working for them in 2012? Seems a little Welkerless to me.

I totally disagree with you. If you followed Welker in his last year with Miami, you'll remember he was definitely under the radar. If Welkker played his career out anywhere else besides New England, his stats would have been less, but not the impotance of having him on the field. He is a GREAT route runner with GREAT hands. Mike Furrey was a product of a "system". Wes Welker is a great wide receiver, no matter what jersey he wears.

[Diesel]

Truth is Marc, Welker walked in on Belichick and Brady one evening in a "meeting room". Even though he promised not to tell there's just so much paranoia after Spygate that they had to keep him under their control.

Jeff, I believe it!

[Coach JP]

Diesel, how many NFFC teams do you have him on?

You can try to cover it up, but you subtlely hit all the points you need to hit. Welker was under the radar, the Patriots and Welker combined to make him a superstar and paid him over $15 million in the process, including a 9 million dollar contract this year. For about 5 years of work, that's a great deal.

The reason why New England is so successful, and why others struggle as a franchise, is because of this Wes Welker situation. You want the Patriots to overpay for a 32+ year old wide receiver as of 2013, when receivers have a history of declining after 30? You want them to waste all their money, when they have two absolutely dominant, impossible to guard young tight ends who would demand the world if you let them go to free agency? No smart team is capable of locking up that kind of money in WR/TE, and every team in the NFL would sign Gronkowski and Hernandez before Welker. If not, they are probably not a good franchise.

Poor Welker only became an elite WR and made millions when he was with the Patriots, I feel so bad for him. This is a business, and anyone who would say they'd rather have Welker long term over Hernandez and Gronkowski can join the rest of the fans in the 5-11 business. They used each other equally, and now Welker will be able to move on and make an extra 10-20 million with some other team. It's not like the Patriots did nothing for Welker.

People don't realize that for the first time in Welker's career with the Patriots, there is a legitimate running back to take away from his production. Welker was the perfect 'running' WR, whose receptions were essentially runs. Watch the Patriots, they run a lot of balanced formations now and twin TE/three TE sets. Edelman is a better blocker than Welker so he is not going to see the 90% of snaps anymore that he used to get.

It's all about schemes. Welker is better suited for a different scheme than what the Patriots run right now. Look what happened when Aaron went down and the Patriots needed to switch to their older schemes, Welker had 11 targets.

[Tom Kessenich]

Welker's the greatest slot receiver in NFL history in my opinion. If you watched him play with Miami before he went to New England you'll see he's not just a product of the Patriots' system. He was flashing all the signs of talent with the Dolphins he would later show with the Patriots. He just didn't have Tom Brady throwing to him in Miami.

All that being said, I think he's about to be traded. Belichick isn't hesitant to part ways with even his top-line players. He's done it before and it definitely appears like he's about to do it again.

[Diesel]

I'm glad Tom has seen what I've seen. Even before New England.

There is no argument on what Welker has been paid in the past. What I'm seeing is the Patriots 1-Not paying Welker what he is still worth, and 2-Not trading him and 3-Not using him they way he haas shown he can DOMINATE doing.

If they are planning on trading him, then it all makes sense. But right now, it looks as if they are putting Welker in the corner for trying to disrupt the class.

[Coach JP]

There is no argument on what Welker has been paid in the past. What I'm seeing is the Patriots 1-Not paying Welker what he is still worth, and 2-Not trading him and 3-Not using him they way he haas shown he can DOMINATE doing.

1 - They can't pay him what he's worth. They don't have that kind of money , and history is not on a WR's side over the age of 30. Franchise him, hopefully trade him, or let him walk and get paid elsewhere. It's one season, Welker is fine making 9 million.

2 - Still up in the air

3 - What'd they do yesterday? They changed schemes and he saw 11 targets. If what your saying is true, Edelman would've played the entire game while Welker got benched even after Hernandez went down. Welker is not suited for a power run game, and the Patriots were trying to add that wrinkle to their offense.

[The Franchise]

They were preparing for life without Welker. They just locked up both TE's and went out and got Lloyd who can play out wide and keep defenses honest. It doesn't make sense to pay top money for a slot receiver if you feel you can develop one that can do pretty much the same thing. It's business and it's about being flexible financially now and in the future for the Pats.


Born and raised a Pats fan I follow them very closely. I like Welker, but with that said he is not as clutch and automatic as he used to be. Example: Superbowl. Doesn't get separation like he used to and drops passes he never used to.