There were catches on Sunday that Amendola made that the current version of Welker couldn't make and didn't make last year. But he might have made them in previous years. The 2012 version of Welker dropped a lot of passes. The 2011 version of Welker didn't drop any (at least until the Super Bowl).
People think the 2013 version of Welker is the same as the 2007 version. His hands and speed are not like they used to be. He is still a great WR, but he is showing some signs of age. The pass he dropped and John Harbaugh should have challenged last week was a catch he would never drop in the past.
I wanted Welker back and I thought it was a bad move not trying harder to re-sign him, but people refuse to admit that he is showing some signs of age and he isn't the dependable catcher he once was. But he is playing this week which is more than Amendola can say.
Sounds like you're trying to have it both ways. My view, without a lot of rhetoric and "qualifiers," is that, whatever might or might not have transpired during the contract negotiations, we would be better off with Welker than Amendola. What is your view? Welker or Amendola? Pick one.
Danny Amendola's Future Value, as you suggest in another post, might indeed be greater than Welker's and he might end up in Canton, but for now, this is what the numbers say:
Amendola: 18 Games Started, 206 Receptions, 1,830 Yards, 8.9 Yards per reception, 7 TD's.
Welker: 82 Games started, 777 Receptions, 8,647 yards, 11.1 Yards per reception, 40 TD's.
This is really not a comparison in which I am interested in investing much energy until Amendola puts in a few more seasons in which he plays more than a dozen games. Until then, Welker over Amendola is kind of a slam dunk for me and we just have to make the best of the current situation, which is that we're dependent on a very talented receiver who has trouble staying on the field for an entire game, let alone an entire season.
I do agree that Amendola isn't much good on the bench.