PATRIOTSFANINPA

I think if trade is ever a possibility in Bill's mind they will look at a few things in the next few weeks.......

1) What type of trade offer can they get?...they won't get anything if they don't franchise him again next year and just let him go...If a stunning trade offer is presented for a team in dire desperate need of a WR for the rest of this year then it could affect plans.

2) How Edelman will play in the next few weeks...if he stumbles and looks like crap or gets injured as he is prone to,then it can also affect trade plans and they just let Wes finish the year out.

3) How long will Hernandez be out?...If its found out that he may be out longer than expected then that also changes things

4) Gronk,Lloyd's health as well may be a factor


There can be lots of issues to keep a trade from happening,even if a trade was an intention......but we don't even know if that is even a possibility.

PATRIOTSFANINPA

In case you didn't see it,read your post which is #6 in the Moss debacle ...

Rumor: Moss to Vikings?

Dragda

Thanks for that! Somehow I missed the thread, but people who live outside an internet-based forum openly wondered if Moss would be cut or traded after his presser. If I recall, we didn't have long to sit and wonder as they pulled the trigger quite quickly. I don't think the Welker situation compares because he is being a good company man during all this (at least publicly).

supafly

You cannot speculate about Welker here at patsfans. It's breaking one of the golden, unwritten rules.

To be honest I would be very disappointed if they did trade him, because the team would suffer greatly.

Since the thread I started a few wks ago, we have seen many WR's go, Hernandez get hurt, and the offense stumble--and that is WITH Welker here.

I do not think that they are currently prepared to deal with his absence at this point in time.

In a best case scenario, we tie Welker up for another couple of yrs on a fair deal when the season's over. He obviously is still the bread and butter of the offense.

That said, I of all people can certainly respect your thought that there are pros to doing so, but in this particular case there are just too many cons.

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Patiently waiting to defend the next "bubble" player in this summer's training camp.....

PATRIOTSFANINPA

Yes,we do know Wes is being a professional...something that Moss found hard to do in front of the camera,but nobody knows if any hostility lies between closed doors.

That isn't the Patriot way and with the exception of Adalius,it almost never is.

supafly

I think your post is well thought out, looking at various angles of the potential.

The quoted part of your statement is what I would disagree with though, as we have to weigh the following:

--In an absolute BEST case scenario, we would get a 2nd round pick for Welker, possibly a 2nd and something like a 5th in addition.

vs.

--The fact that we will likely get a 3rd or 4th rd compensation pick in 2014 for his departure in free agency next year.

To me it's a 3rd/4th in 2014 (pretty much guaranteed) as a comp pick VS. a 2nd or 2nd + 4th/5th right now.

Since we are not currently prepared to be without Welker's services at the moment, I would go with the comp pick which will be a round later and a year later = 3rd in 2014 as opposed to 2nd in 2013.

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Patiently waiting to defend the next "bubble" player in this summer's training camp.....

PATRIOTSFANINPA

I,like all of us don't want to lose Wes,this year,the next or the year after.

But if we do,then the team should be compensated well...Wes is a special player who should not come at a bargain trade.

BradyFTW!

Not sure why anyone would trade for a guy who's playing under the franchise tag. Furthermore not sure why the Patriots would tag Welker, go into the season with him, integrate him into the offense, use him fairly extensively, and then trade him. It makes no sense on any level. He's not going to be traded.

If the Pats just let him go after the season, they'll probably get a third rounder anyway (assuming that they don't sign a ton of free agents, which they probably won't) - how much more than that is another team going to pay for a 30+ WR playing under the franchise tag whose skills are highly dependent on chemistry with his quarterback?

Also, one of the main reasons why the Pats traded Moss was because, at the time, he simply wasn't a good receiver. He was not making the Patriots a better team by being on the roster- whatever injury he was dealing with had robbed him of both his speed and his leaping ability, and he was never physical enough for size to be his leading strong point. Welker is still highly effective in his role, so any comparison between the two is deeply flawed from the start.

nekromantique

i figured before the season that the pats might try to trade welker, since he almost definitely wont be with them next year, and he could bring in a good return.

i dont think that the limited playing time correlates to that at all (youd want to play him more, to showcase).


however, if theyre going to make a 'big' trade...welker would be the guy.

supafly

If you're insinuating that Welker would receive a 1st rounder in trade compensation, you're fooling yourself greatly IMO.

A 2nd rounder would be the most we'd get, unless they somehow were able to get a 2nd + something in the later rounds too, which is possible.

Welker and his slot role (not underestimating it) isn't going to get a 1st rd pick from anyone. It may have happened a couple years ago, it probably would have happened a few years ago, but not now.

So many people tend to overvalue their players and what they may be able to get in compensation, and although many are on board with a more realistic view of a 2nd OR at best a 2nd + later round in addition, there are still some who tend to think that he'd command a 1st round pick.

1st round picks are reserved for the most elite/young players of the NFL, and although Welker is an enormous talent, he falls short of that label.

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Patiently waiting to defend the next "bubble" player in this summer's training camp.....