Gronkandez

Another possible translation: You didn't offer me a long term deal so I'm going to play it safe so I don't get injured. I'll be there when the games count.

shmessy

This isn't Fenway.

Players who are present don't get to make that call in Foxboro.

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"They (Patriots) may be the greatest team ever" - Chris Mortenson, January 18, 2005 on espn.com

Pujo

As in, Welker is refusing to play? I'm pretty sure Belichick would suspend him in a heartbeat for that.

Gumby

I'm not the best tea-leaf reader; but it seems to me if he is toeing the party line with saying 'a personal situation'; it wasnt really his choice to not be on the field at all.

I'm sure he didnt want to play 60 min (what vet would); but my impression of welker is he wants to be in the mix pre or real season. my impression is he is unhappy (about not playing) but a team guy and not gonna grouse about it to anyone but BB.

Big-T

He would have been on the first plane to some perennial loser team like St Louis never mind suspended if he refused to play!

The Gr8est

I wonder if it is possibly related to Gronk, and now Ahern getting long-term deals while Welker was unable to?

These extensions don't just happen out of the blue; maybe for us fans , but you've gotta think the players have an inkling.

Maybe Wes' feathers are a bit ruffled?

I'm not trying to start anything, but I think it would be understandable if he wasn't a bit hurt, regardless of whether his age and health play a legitimate role in the different situations.

__________________
Those who beat their swords into plowshares will end up plowing for those who kept their swords in the first place! - Anonymous internet poster


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Gumby

maybe he is jealous and wishful; but 'feathers ruffled' I doubt. As soon as the Tag deadline passed he KNEW THE DEAL. He cant be touched (contract wise) until the season is over.

The fact that someone else (younger and still under contract for several years) got their extensions AFTER THAT DATE is not really relevant to him. Guys do contracts all year long and the pats were going to do something with their cap room. How many guys did they sign in the last month - was Welker's feathers ruffled that they signed stallworth, gaffney and fells? that was also use of cap room.

If those extensions were done before the DL; maybe he could see that as the pats spitting in his eye. BUT that is not the case.

I think a lot of folks try to imagine slights on welkers behalf (maybe just to show how much you admire him as a pats player) for no reason.

TyronePoole

BB was just on WEEI and was asked something along the lines of "coach, Welker didn't start against the bucs and when asked said it was a personal issue and to ask you about it, so asking you is he likely to start against the Giants and if not is his status in jeopardy for opening weekend?" BB basically replied that he didn't know and that it was a personal issue with Wes that he wasn't going to get into. I have no idea what this could be

MoLewisrocks

You're like a bunch of teenage girls and this is reminicent of Brady's body language debates.

He got dinged in practice last week and was held out of the final practice according to several in the media as a precaution which likely led to not playing as another precaution. He wasn't ever dangled as trade bait. He probably mis spoke and meant it was a personal decision of Bill's why he didn't or whether he plays. He's making more than either of the kids this year. He's not jealous. One of them settled for $16M guaranteed, the other took less although with some future roster language that nets him more. He participated in every practice this camp save that last one in Tampa. Maybe it was purely precautionary or maybe it was a test for Edleman which he flunked.

TyronePoole

BB just said it was a "personal issue for Wes" and not an injury on the radio about 25 minutes ago