I agree that we should likely keep all of the WR's that we currently have, all for different reasons of course. I will also not be slightly opposed to bringing in another vet, regardless of what the labor situation brings. Belichick gets paid very good money to assess that situation, and if he thinks another vet could fill a role or challenge someone, then so be it. IF someone had to go b/c that so-called vet exceeded any expectations, then that is just a bonus. If I personally had to make the choice now, instead of then (which is hard to do, considering that we don't know 'said vet's' skillset--I would choose Deion Branch. I would rather replace a vet with a vet, and save the younger/cheaper players such as Edelman, Price, and Tate (all for different reasons).
I also agree that Slater is on the bubble, and can/should be replaced as a ST. This team added even more ST players through the draft, and I am sure that one can save a spot by offering a dual role as a positional player AND gunner, even if there's a step or two dropoff from Slater's ST play. Regardless, saving an extra spot will be a priority, as it should be.
I will argue on behalf on Welker's case, in that he is extremely important in this offense, and I do not feel as though that can be 'easily' replaced--as some posters claim. Edelman is a fine backup WR, who offers other aspects such as a very good PR, but he is no Wes Welker. I certainly hope that Welker and the Pats can agree on an extension, and would see no reason why that isn't a high possibility--and even a high priority. I do not want to lose Welker, and feel as though he had a remarkable yr last year, especially considering his injury in January. So far, he has been everything we want in a player on this team. Those who see him 'on the downside' etc should re-think their position immediately, and re-asses his importance on this offense. His chemistry with Brady is amazing, and likely cannot be duplicated (IMO).
That said, I also am very anxious to see Price with some increased reps. If anything, I could see Tate and Price battle it out should Tate not continue to show growth, or should Price open some eyes in camp. They both can offer some of the same skillsets that can be compared, as opposed to say--Tate vs Edelman, who are 2 very different players. Both Tate and Price should be able to contribute by running more intermediate routes, along with some longer ones at times. Both are fast, and could be on the same wavelength in ST play. Of course Tate likely has the upper hand on this battle due to last yr's reps that Price did not get + his KR skills, but if Price shows anything (and/or) Tate doesn't show enough, I could see these 2 as the likely battle for WR3.
