Revisiting Wes Welker (Bye Week Edition)

[Joker]

That being said, he is one of the toughest football players I have ever seen play the game and someone who truly left everything on the field, and for that, I respect him and wish him nothing but the best.

Yes, I agree 100%...yet, I still wish he'd caught that ball in the 4th quarter of the Giant super bowl. That singular play sticks in my craw to this day. I admit, I'm a gigantic hypocrite when it comes to NFL football players. I expect near perfection from them when I. myself , am far, far from perfect.

I wouldn't mind it one bit if Wes retired and then joined the media HERE in the southern New England area. His wisecracking style would be a welcome addition to the ranks of the former player/celebs we already have.

• 

 

[Kontradiction]

I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Welker. The guy gave it 120% for the Pats when he was on the field and I suspect that one day soon, he'll show up at our TC ala Moss. That said, the Pats very clearly won this. Edelman is the younger and more superior player now and the Pats won a Super Bowl without Welker. I'd love to see what would have happened to him if he didn't get Manning'd though. Manning effectively took about 2-3 years off his career by my estimation with as many times as he got Welker laid out.

 

[RobertWeathers]

That being said, he is one of the toughest football players I have ever seen play the game and someone who truly left everything on the field, and for that, I respect him and wish him nothing but the best.

Yes, I agree 100%...yet, I still wish he'd caught that ball in the 4th quarter of the Giant super bowl. That singular play sticks in my craw to this day. I admit, I'm a gigantic hypocrite when it comes to NFL football players. I expect near perfection from them when I. myself , am far, far from perfect.

I wouldn't mind it one bit if Wes retired and then joined the media HERE in the southern New England area. His wisecracking style would be a welcome addition to the ranks of the former player/celebs we already have.

• 

This region would welcome back WW with open arms. I know I would.

 

[sieglo]

Brady has been better since Welker left. He used Welker as a crutch. Glad that the days of watching Tom force it to Wes are over.

 

[patsfan13]

Welker's agent screwed up, that said I Never get mad at players trying to maximize their value.


This is a business, BB tries to maximize the roster value and cuts players all the time who are trying to make a living and are good guys, see Tompkins this week. Not mad at BB either, he is doing his job.

I think that Welker has already taken too many hits, time to move on. I hope the damage isn't as bad as I fear. I hope he ends up in the Pats HOF. I would vote for him.

 

[Bill Lee]

Then there's the camp with Welker, Mankins, Wilfork, Milloy, Vinatieri, Branch...who were committed to maximizing their market value.

Willie McG and Ty Law also decided to go for the last few pennies on the dollar, no?

Vinatieri is the only one that went on and did well for himself. Made a new home in Indy and even won a SB. Of course, we drafted Gostkowski and he turned out pretty good too. But Adam was a cult figure here, and the most famous clutch kicker in NFL history for his time in Foxboro. If nothing else, I think he walked away from a lot of endorsement money in NE that he probably couldn't get in Indy.

Adam got what he wanted, a long career kicking inside a dome.

This whole chapter is the way the Pats do business, they make an offer and if you refuse it they move on to plan B...

The Pats are incredibly disciplined. They set a value and don't go over it.

However, once again, the BB brain trust did not overpay to keep him and turned out to be right after a bit of a rough start.

Rough, indeed.

Brady has been better since Welker left. He used Welker as a crutch. Glad that the days of watching Tom force it to Wes are over.

It was painful watching him try to force it to Amendola.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Brady has been better since Welker left. He used Welker as a crutch. Glad that the days of watching Tom force it to Wes are over.

I can't really prove it except for the 3 catches vs TN in the opener but I still think to this day that at the start of the 2012 season they froze WW out. They didn't do it specifically as a knock against WW but wanted TB12 to make the effort to integrate Lloyd and use JE some more.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Welker's agent screwed up, that said I Never get mad at players trying to maximize their value.


This is a business, BB tries to maximize the roster value and cuts players all the time who are trying to make a living and are good guys, see Tompkins this week. Not mad at BB either, he is doing his job.

I think that Welker has already taken too many hits, time to move on. I hope the damage isn't as bad as I fear. I hope he ends up in the Pats HOF. I would vote for him.

For WW, Pats had 2yr/$10m w/ a max to go to $16m on the table. His agent chose not to take it and rather more guaranteed $ from DEN. Oh well.

 

[obgod3]

Welker was great for the Pats and a favorite of mine. But I don't want him back. He is damaged goods and I don't want to see him with severe CTE after playing for the Pats. Which is probably inevitable already. I can just see the headlines now.

Welker is kidding himself, he should never walk in a football field again and if the people close to him need to protect him from himself.

I also believe that JE has become a better player than Welker was and I know this will strike up various opinions but this is my opinion. I don't think adding Welker to the team makes them better today.

 

[dannydyn]

... it still doesn't sit well with me that our consistent 100+ pass catching machine now has a value that teams won't even take a low risk chance at a one year signing of him.

He can thank horseface for practically finishing his career and turning his brain into marshmallow stryfoam...

 

[Concussion Protocol]

Brady has been better since Welker left. He used Welker as a crutch. Glad that the days of watching Tom force it to Wes are over.

True story. If you're going to force a ball into tight coverage, the potential reward needs to be more than a 6 yard reception.

 

[raduray]

Welker gave his all while he was here and was a significant contributor. He subsequently made a business decision (with which we may not agree, but we don't have all the facts) and moved on. No reason not to appreciate his contributions while he was here. He should be appreciated as much as the beloved Vince Wilfork who also moved on for business reasons.

 

[The Boston Patriot]

I think you're right about the way he signed over at Denver. It's why I am largely with you. However, my thick skull aside , I watched Welker catch A LOT of meaningful passes with the Patriots over quite a lot of years. Isn't that worthy enough of a little nostalgia considering only 2 years later we find out he appears to be auditioning side by side with mostly league flotsam just to get a job?? ((it is the bye week))

WW burnt his bridges, not the other way around. He ain't getting a job in NE again. Not happening.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Welker gave his all while he was here and was a significant contributor. He subsequently made a business decision (with which we may not agree, but we don't have all the facts) and moved on. No reason not to appreciate his contributions while he was here. He should be appreciated as much as the beloved Vince Wilfork who also moved on for business reasons.

Wilfork and Welker aren't in the same league. Wilfork didn't vanish in the biggest moments, that aside Wilfork just moved on and left it at that, he didn't run his mouth like Welker did. Welker became a crutch for TFB, we became a better team without him.

Wilfork will always be welcome back!

 

[Absurdly Metro]

I wouldn't mind it one bit if Wes retired and then joined the media HERE in the southern New England area. His wisecracking style would be a welcome addition to the ranks of the former player/celebs we already have.

Except, you know, he may not be sharp enough at this point, you know, to hold his own in live, on air conversation, you know?

 

[RobertWeathers]

True story. If you're going to force a ball into tight coverage, the potential reward needs to be more than a 6 yard reception.

In his time here WW averaged 11.1 per catch and pretty much led the league in YAC average.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Wilfork and Welker aren't in the same league. Wilfork didn't vanish in the biggest moments, that aside Wilfork just moved on and left it at that, he didn't run his mouth like Welker did. Welker became a crutch for TFB, we became a better team without him.

Wilfork will always be welcome back!

69 catches for 689 yards and 4 TDs in 8 playoff games is vanishing?

It is WW's fault that TB threw to him and was a "crutch"?

 

[Concussion Protocol]

In his time here WW averaged 11.1 per catch and pretty much led the league in YAC average.

Yes, so when the coverage was tight (which is what I remarked on), there is no YAC, hence a much shorter average.

 

[Snake Eyes]

69 catches for 689 yards and 4 TDs in 8 playoff games is vanishing?

It is WW's fault that TB threw to him and was a "crutch"?

https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/welker4.jpg

 

[RobertWeathers]

Yes, so when the coverage was tight (which is what I remarked on), there is no YAC, hence a much shorter average.

OK. So is that a knock on WW or an observation about WRs in general?