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Greg had long felt that they were headed for divorce. He says the 2012 season as it unfolded may have saved the team from itself. I hope he's right.
I also think what Greg's sources had to say about the game plan for AZ is as close as you will come to backing up what Gasper said. They were angling to move on until no one else they were sky high on could effectively answer the bell.
As for the drops that bother some here to no end...
Marriage between Wes Welker and New England Patriots looks strong - Patriots - Boston.com
I also think what Greg's sources had to say about the game plan for AZ is as close as you will come to backing up what Gasper said. They were angling to move on until no one else they were sky high on could effectively answer the bell.
Sometimes things happen for a reason. Maybe 2012 was that way for Welker and the Patriots. Because right now, it’s a lovefest between both sides.
While everyone else got hurt and missed games, Welker was there.
“To be able to go out there and do it week after week against all the different coverages, all the different matchups that we see and all that, it’s a real credit to Wes’s ability but also his toughness and his durability because he’s taken a lot of hits out there,” coach Bill Belichick said.
As for the drops that bother some here to no end...
Welker was fourth in the league with 166 targets. Of the top-10 targeted receivers, only Welker called the middle of the field his offense. Calvin Johnson (14 drops), Brandon Marshall (13), Steve Johnson (11), Demaryius Thomas (11), Reggie Wayne (10), A.J. Green (10), Larry Fitzgerald (five), and Roddy White (four) are boundary receivers. They have much less to worry about, and Brady said that explains the greatness of Welker.
“He’s fearless. I think that’s No. 1,” Brady said. “To run across the middle of the field full speed while looking at the quarterback . . . you know, just think about that. There are 240-, 250-pound guys in there that are looking to take his head off, and he’s just fearless. That’s a very rare gift. It’s hard to comprehend a lot of the time. There are a lot of things going on there in the middle of the field on a down-by-down basis and what he’s able to do with his body, I think that’s what I admire most.”
You get the feeling now that Welker remaining with the Patriots beyond this season could happen. If anyone — inside or outside the organization — was guilty of pegging Welker as too old, just a slot receiver, a product of the system, not a good enough run blocker, or whatever other box you can think of, Welker seemed to bust through all of those. Not that Welker would boast of proving his doubters wrong.
“I played with a lot of great players, whether that was Kevin Faulk or Randy Moss or Rodney Harrison, but Wes has been truly the greatest teammate you could possibly have,” Brady said. “His commitment to the team, his selflessness . . . When Wes clears out on a route, he clears out the route better than anybody I’ve ever seen. He knows he’s not getting the ball, but he almost takes as much pride in that as he does on the 6-yard option route to get open. That’s everything you need to know about Wes, you know? That’s the best part about him. Whatever you need me to do, that’s what he’s going to do. He does it every day in practice, and I feel that’s what has always set him apart.”
Marriage between Wes Welker and New England Patriots looks strong - Patriots - Boston.com