Welker and Jules are very different receivers in terms of what they did.
Jules has had 2 good seasons as a receiver since he joined the team in 2009. 92 and 105 receptions. 1 season over 1000 yards. In his defense, he has needed to make himself into a receiver, and has done that impressively. Jules showed his potential in 2009 with Welker out when he caught 6 passes in the Baltimore blowout in 2009. He has 51 receptions in 10 playoff games with 4 TDs with 529 yards (53 yards per game). In 2011, he had no receptions and did kick returns. He averaged about 93 yards per game in the playoff games this year, with 109 yards and a TD in the biggest game of the year.
If there is a knock on Jules, it is his health. 18 games missed in 6 seasons. Hopefully what we see now is what stays, because you cannot contribute from the tub/sidelines.
Welker joined in 2007. He missed 3 games during that period. He had 100 or more receptions every season except for 1, and that year was comparable to Jules this year - his second best year statistically. He had 37 TDs for the Pats (Jules has 14 TDs in his career). He averaged about 110 receptions per year and 1100 yards with the Pats. His 'lousy' postseason numbers? 92 receptions for 686 yards and 4 TDs in 9 games (76 yards per game). He had 11 receptions for 103 yards in the 2007 loss to the Giants (sounds a little like Jules's heroic performance last game, for those claiming he comes up small in big games), averaging 71 yards per game with 2 TDs in the 2007 run. Everyone remembers the non-catch in the 2012 Super Bowl, but forget he caught every other pass thrown his way that game. How many of those were 3rd down conversions, the sort that end drives if missed?
I get it. Jules is on the team now and Welker isn't. Welker is now a shell of what he was, I submit because of all the heavy lifting he did for the Pats in taking shots up the middle while holding onto the ball and getting all the 3rd down conversions he scored over the years. Was Belichick blind 2009 through 2012, and simply overlooked Jules in practice because he had some man crush on Wes, or did he view Welker as the better receiver? Do you honestly believe Belichick was surprised by Jules in 2013, having kept him on the team since 2009?
It is not necessary to exalt one player by stepping on another. Both were Patriots, and the numbers speak for themselves. Anyone re-writing history by believing Welker wasn't a huge part of what got the Pats to the title games and kept them in those games should probably review the ESPN box scores, look at the drive summaries, and count how many third down passes were thrown and caught by him. If you want a larger task, do that for the regular season games and ask what happens if those catches were not made on third down.
Better? I say different but both great. Jules just had a great run, and a slightly better post-season than Welker had in 2007. I love Jules's fight and intensity. The fact he is a converted QB and career Patriot makes him a compelling story. But starting with the basic fact that Jules has contributed 1/3 the TDs Welker contributed to the Pats, the stat representing the goal of any offensive drive, I would say it's a little early to bash that contribution.
He also has the intangibles teams dream about, and he comes up big in big moments. So I'll take Welker as the clearly superior slot receiver, and Edelman as the superior football player.
