Wes Welker...I'm confused

[Sicilian]

OP, you're confused because this has become the single most overblown story in the history of Patriots media. When stories get overblown, they rarely make sense, but it doesn't matter because it's more interesting than talking about the failures of the Red Sox.

 

[DocHoliday]

Whether or not you agree with the assessment of the Welker situation, I think anyone can (and should) agree that you should give some reps to Edelmann:

1.) See what you have just in case Welker won't be here
2.) To develop him further
2.a) to keep Welker fresh/healthy as he gets older
2.b) When injuries happen, you don't have to drop your game plan
2.c) If Welker is being covered by double team or a lockdown defender you still have a player to take up the slack

I don't understand why everyone has to make this about some dastardly narrative. Why don't you want more weapons?

The only issue right now is if it's costing us games. Whether they cost us the Arizona game is debateable, but so long as Welker is not taken out when it matters most I don't see any reasonable reason to whine about this.

 

[BSR]

Whether or not you agree with the assessment of the Welker situation, I think anyone can (and should) agree that you should give some reps to Edelmann:

1.) See what you have just in case Welker won't be here
2.) To develop him further
2.a) to keep Welker fresh/healthy as he gets older
2.b) When injuries happen, you don't have to drop your game plan
2.c) If Welker is being covered by double team or a lockdown defender you still have a player to take up the slack

I don't understand why everyone has to make this about some dastardly narrative. Why don't you want more weapons?

The only issue right now is if it's costing us games. Whether they cost us the Arizona game is debateable, but so long as Welker is not taken out when it matters most I don't see any reasonable reason to whine about this.

I think the above should be obvious to everyone but strangely it isn't. I'd also add that the two receivers have different skill sets and may be on the field when you are trying to attack different defensive alignments.

Instead people want to come up with silly theories about phasing out players being paid $9m.

The thing that really concerns me currently is the number of reps guys like Welker and Gronk are getting now while Edelman and Hernandez are out. You need to keep these guys fresh both in game and for the season and that will mean spelling them on occasion.

 

[SeymourTrophies]

Apparently, Denver was under the impression Welker was traded before their matchup with the Pats because they did not gameplan for him in any way.

My favorite reason to bench Welker was that Edelman was a better blocker. Welker is no slouch blocking, as we all saw when he sealed the edge on a big play in the Denver game. His blocking has always stuck out to me, and I will never forget him blocking a Giants player out of the play on Maroney's TD in the 16-0 game. If Welker sees more pine once AHern is back, I think it's more of a condemnation of Hernandez as a blocking TE than it is of Welker in any phase.

 

[PP2]

No one is disputing that Welker was not playing much early on. What is being disputed is this ridiculous notion that Belichick did so to make the team less reliant so we can transition to an offense without Welker next year. It keeps getting repeated and it's absurd.

Let's hope that's the case, but the only thing that prevents this being an absurd notion is that there's no conceivable explanation for him being held out so much in game 1, and this is further reinforced by his remark that he was happy to stick it in BB's face. As Bedard says, this remark was pretty much unsolicited, and out of the blue.

 

[PP2]

Whether or not you agree with the assessment of the Welker situation, I think anyone can (and should) agree that you should give some reps to Edelmann:

1.) See what you have just in case Welker won't be here
2.) To develop him further
2.a) to keep Welker fresh/healthy as he gets older
2.b) When injuries happen, you don't have to drop your game plan
2.c) If Welker is being covered by double team or a lockdown defender you still have a player to take up the slack

I don't understand why everyone has to make this about some dastardly narrative. Why don't you want more weapons?

The only issue right now is if it's costing us games. Whether they cost us the Arizona game is debateable, but so long as Welker is not taken out when it matters most I don't see any reasonable reason to whine about this.

Have you counted the number of snaps Welker has played lately?

 

[DocHoliday]

Have you counted the number of snaps Welker has played lately?

.... That's the point. With Edelman injured Welker must play all his normal snaps.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

No one is disputing that Welker was not playing much early on. What is being disputed is this ridiculous notion that Belichick did so to make the team less reliant so we can transition to an offense without Welker next year. It keeps getting repeated and it's absurd.

In my mind, it's no more absurd than the other theories/explanations. They're all absurd to me really. Unless it was a disciplinary thing, that's about the only understandable theory

 

[PP2]

.... That's the point. With Edelman injured Welker must play all his normal snaps.

Only Brady, Gronk, and Lloyd played more snaps than he did on offense.. that can be scarcely considered "keeping him fresh."

 

[Patriots Nation NY]

Do you guys ever get "welkered" out? Seriously .. Truth is .. we do not know, we will never know ..

 

[DocHoliday]

Only Brady, Gronk, and Lloyd played more snaps than he did on offense.. that can be scarcely considered "keeping him fresh."

Are you reading my post? The point was that with Edelman playing, Welker can play less.

Now that Edelman is injured Welker must play all snaps. Of course Welker now has a ton of snaps. Edelman can't take any if he's injured.

 

[goheels22002]

I'm not interested in what you think constitutes "common sense." The fact is Welker did not start in game 1 and only came on strong when Hernandez got injured. As far as we know, Welker did not have any injuries, lingering or otherwise hidden, otherwise the number of snaps he was in wouldn't have spiked when Hernandez went out.

I agree. I also think that Welker didn't start initially because the Patriots were playing the Titans and they were installing the hurry up. The first couple of games it looked like the Patriots were going to Lloyd often to get him integrated into the offense for later in the season.

 

[Deus Irae]

Are you reading my post? The point was that with Edelman playing, Welker can play less.

Now that Edelman is injured Welker must play all snaps. Of course Welker now has a ton of snaps. Edelman can't take any if he's injured.

This would make a hell of a lot more sense if there weren't other WRs on the roster. Since there are other WRs on the roster, though, it makes essentially none.

 

[wistahpatsfan]

Tempest in a teapot drummed up by rabid local sports radio because there are now TWO of them competing for ratings.

When the Pats are playing well, there's not enough to talk about. "Pats played great! They kicked the ______'s arse! YEAH!" does not make for good ratings. No Ochocinco. No Randy Moss. What else can we stir up?

If the O-line wasn't run-blocking well, we'd all be freaking out (with sportsradio's help) about what's wrong with Ridley or why Brady's throwing so many INT's.

 

[IllegalContact]

the idea that welker is or was being phased out is nonsense

the slow start and lack of playing time was likely attributable to being a healthy absent for training camp, and the fact that he was not playing early could have just as easily had to do with being in game shape, or more likely, providing the appearance of principle in the idea that if you don't practice, you don't play.

It is ridiculous to think that the pats would pay 10M to someone they are phasing out.

if that was the case, they would have moved him for a day 2 pick

 

[Deus Irae]

Why do you feel they screwed up? Do you have a link to a story, or some sort of behind the scenes knowledge that makes you believe they screwed up? I mean, something credible, not gossip.

1.) Team play suffered

2.) The immediate improvement when the situation reverted and the team game planned appropriately for the new personnel sets.

edit. Im not starting a p*ssing contest with ya about it. Im seriously wondering if you've heard something, because all i've heard for the past month, has been based on speculation.

Not a problem.... Here's what we know, and I won't include reporter 'hearsay' or 'interpretation' about the preseason

• Belichick and McDaniels are both on record pumping Edelman's tires
• Welker hardly got any time at all in the exhibition games, and he didn't catch even one pass during that time
• The discussion of "formations...." by McDaniels was completely consistent with the substitution work in game one
• Welker's snap totals were down significantly in game 1
• Welker was running decoy patterns to start the season, while Edelman and Hernandez were getting Welker's old routes
• Welker wasn't getting run in game 2 until Hernandez went down
• Welker is healthy enough to be catching 13 passes in a game
• The running game is able to function quite well with Welker in the lineup

If I've missed any pertinent points, it wasn't on purpose.

 

[DocHoliday]

This would make a hell of a lot more sense if there weren't other WRs on the roster. Since there are other WRs on the roster, though, it makes essentially none.

Since no other WR is ready or able to effectively play Welker's routes, your observation is irrelevant.

 

[Deus Irae]

Since no other WR is ready or able to effectively play Welker's routes, your observation is irrelevant.

Branch can, and often has, run those same routes.

 

[DocHoliday]

Branch can, and often has, run those same routes.

Branch is catching a ball a game. Nowhere near as effective as Edelman at this point in his career.

As a change of pace guy you'd want Edelman.

 

[signbabybrady]

1.) Team play suffered

2.) The immediate improvement when the situation reverted and the team game planned appropriately for the new personnel sets.



Not a problem.... Here's what we know, and I won't include reporter 'hearsay' or 'interpretation' about the preseason

• Belichick and McDaniels are both on record pumping Edelman's tires
• Welker hardly got any time at all in the exhibition games, and he didn't catch even one pass during that time
• The discussion of "formations...." by McDaniels was completely consistent with the substitution work in game one
• Welker's snap totals were down significantly in game 1
• Welker was running decoy patterns to start the season, while Edelman and Hernandez were getting Welker's old routes
• Welker wasn't getting run in game 2 until Hernandez went down
• Welker is healthy enough to be catching 13 passes in a game
• The running game is able to function quite well with Welker in the lineup

If I've missed any pertinent points, it wasn't on purpose.

• Welker missed somwehere between 3 days and a week of camp (for what I believe was a death in the family).

You left this out and I think it is a something that is being missed.

Also you might want to include this

• Edelman has a great training camp and beats out two Vets Branch and Gaffney for number 3 WR

The reason I think those are 2 key points is so I can now throw my opinion in the mix. And to try and keep it somewhat fact based I will just say it this way.

What seems more likely Wes was being punished and Edelman being rewarded or the Patriots are paying Wes 9 mil to be the back up for one year while they prove they can replace him?

Now I full realize that my opinion is just that as I dont have the facts but I would contend it is much more logical to think he was being punished rather than phased out.