Welker vs. Branch (My 1st thread)
 

To me these two have similar games. How do you think they compare on these skills:

Speed
Quickness/Change of Direction
Hands
Toughness
Routes
Durability

My guesses:
Speed - Branch by a hair?
Quickness/Change of Direction - Branch again by a hair?
Hands - Even
Toughness - Welker
Routes - Branch He and Brady had it dialed in. Welker will be behind this year. Maybe next year.
Durability - Welker by a hair. The easy answer is Welker, but I think it's too early to say

Branch was a legit middle of the pack #1 (with Brady when he left). Welker won't be that this year, but in two years? (Welker is 2 years younger)

Re: Welker vs Branch (1st Thread)
 

Good question, I think there numbers will end up being about the same. Personally I think Branch is a more dynamic receiver who runs a little bit deeper patterns. Welker will do a lot of damage underneath and should get 50-70 catches this year.

Re: Welker vs Branch (1st Thread)
 

branch is a lot faster than Welker. Quickness would be branch slightly

not sure how your judging toughness.

Welker is quick in short space with route running and hands.
Branch was faster, just as quick if not a little quicker, with good hands and route running. Branch can also stretch the field and go deep while i dotn think Welker can because hes not a speedster.

acceleration would be Deion easily imo

if this was like a combine .. Branch would clearly win

attitude i might give to Welker..he fights for everything..underdog

Speed: Branch
Quickness/Change of Direction: Branch
Hands: ehh give it to Welker
Toughness: Not sure
Routes: Tie
Durability: Welker but he hasnt played as much as Branch so hard to tell
Acceleration: Branch
Impact: Branch
Kicking: Welker

Welkers not the type who will flash you with speed and stuff. Branch is flashier while Welker is 1 of those: Mr. Reliable although the way Branch played in post seasons..its tough to say that

Re: Welker vs Branch (1st Thread)
 

Speed: Branch. Wes runs a 4.7
Quickness, COD: Welker
Hands: Even
Routes: Even (Welker runs Extremly Crisp routes)
Durability: Welker

Re: Welker vs Branch (1st Thread)
 

they play different positions. i expect welker to be the slot guy and branch played on the outside.

I'd say at this point the Pats have better value with Welker for the money each is getting.

I have to agree with Biggles, it is tough comparing players that play different positions. If the Pats line Welker up on the outside, he may not get off the LOS, he doesn't look like the type physically to beat tough jams.
However if you line Branch up in the slot and ask him to go over the middle and sit down in a soft spot, He might not last half a game before being pounded by traffic.

I personally have never watched Welker run routes in any significant amount of detail, so I really do not know all that much about him.

However I feel that I knew Branch as a receiver and I really liked what he brought to the table as a short to intermediary receiver.

Re: Welker vs Branch (1st Thread)
 

Welker, imo, compares favorably with Troy Brown more than Deion Branch. Given the choice, I - and, I believe, the Patriots - would take Branch 10 times out of 10 and it wouldn't be close. He is a superior player. Welker fits the system well, though, and I expect solid production from him.

Re: Welker vs Branch (1st Thread)
 

Branch in basically everything! And by a decent margin as well.

Toughness, can't really tell because Welker hasn't played as much as Branch. But Branch never had alligator arms. He almost always caught the ball when he knew the hit was coming.

Re: Welker vs Branch (1st Thread)
 

Welker ran a 4.6 forty....but, did you know Welker had the fastest shuttle run at the compine. I think he beat the second quickest time by almost a second. I wan't to say I read that his time was somewhere in the high three second range.:eek:

Welker might be the QUICKEST guy in the NFL.