PATRIOTSFANINPA

2 years ago it was Randy Moss who the team knew was not going to be playing here the following year so they traded him in a shocker in October.

Is this year going to have another one?...will Welker be traded on or near the deadline which would explain everything about why Edelman is getting so many early carries over him....perhaps in preparation of a larger role for Julian later this year?

Its possible,but I certainly am not ruling it out

The Pats are also low on draft picks next year and I can see them getting an early extra pick or two this way.

Patriots May Be Preparing Wes Welker For Trade: Fantasy Implications - SBNation.com

Sorry for another Welker thread,but my premise is a bit different than the others.

ctpatsfan77

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"Momentum was quickly snatched away by New England, who once again proved that any Patriot, at any moment, can make a play." —Inside the NFL, Packers v. Patriots

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pwes

I doubt it.

If he was traded would the Pats still have to pay his franchise salary? If not then the new team would and essentially would only have him for this season right? As such he'd be a free agent free to go elsewhere right? Or am I wrong?

If that was the case I can't imagine why anyone would want to trade for him. Esp when they don't know if he will actually work in their system.

PATRIOTSFANINPA

I am not sure about the franchise tag,actually no idea

If anything as Pats fans,we know one thing....The team and Belichick are unpredictable,no one saw it coming 2 years ago.

Jimke

The strategy of not playing Welker may backfire in a series of losses.
If the Patriots fall out of contention, they might very well trade Welker.

PATRIOTSFANINPA

But my question is...is there intent on already getting Welker prepared to be traded in the works by getting Edelman more into these games for more experience as the season progresses?

We all know Welker,nor Belichick would ever let on if it in fact was happening.

Unless the franchise tag stops this possibility,I can't say its impossible

However the Hernandez injury could derail those plans if they in fact were going to do something.

ctpatsfan77

For God's sake, can we please stop extrapolating, on the basis of three plays, that the Patriots were planning to keep Welker on the bench all day?

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"Momentum was quickly snatched away by New England, who once again proved that any Patriot, at any moment, can make a play." —Inside the NFL, Packers v. Patriots

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Palm Beach Pats Fan

For all the conspiracy theorists who are saying BB is grooming Edelman to replace Welker on the cheap,

don't you realize that Edelman is also playing on the last year of his contract?

That by giving JE so many more snaps, you would make him more expensive to re-sign, if saving $$$ was the big goal?

Wouldn't it make more sense, if BB thought Julian could do it next year, to bury Julian on the bench and squeeze every last drop of productivity out of Wes Welker before you sign Julian on the cheap, with no stats to justify a starter's contract, next year?

The conspiracy arguments just don't make sense.

Maybe they are playing the players that best fit the game plan and that are the most healthy and prepared to execute that game plan.

But I guess that's not juicy enough.

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Ivan

Ron Brace played the other day, see you later Vince, too old, too slow, a system NT, easily replaced by Ron Brace................................

MoLewisrocks

It was always my understanding that the only prohibition on signing a franchise player to a long term deal after the deadline related to the team who franchised him. I know Florio blathered to the contrary months ago, but he's often wrong. As I read the new CBA it seems to say the same thing. Depends on how you read these things. I'm asking around to see if someone with league sources can confirm or deny this. I can't think of an example, but that would likely be due to the fact that teams seldom trade that player let alone that late because you can't generally get anything that will help you this late and because most teams are at their own internal spending and or cap limits (and they would have to absorb the franchise hit at least momentarily).