The goal is to build the best possible team; it is not to build the best possible rotation at any specific position. Of course, it is not optimal to get rid of good players and replace them with lesser ones, unless such a move is accompanied (thanks, perhaps, to freed up money) by an improvement elsewhere that is a bigger improvement than the loss you just felt.
Which brings us to Welker and the receiving corps. Clearly, by any measure, he was a monster while he was here. Perennial pro-bowler, those 6 years of production from 2007-12 were off the charts great. I'm a big Welker fan and wish he was still here. But is it necessary to have a singularly great receiver? Here's a list of past SB champions and their leading receivers:
2012 - Bal - Boldin - 65 rec, 921 yds
2011 - NYG - Cruz - 82 rec, 1536 yds
2010 - GB - Jennings - 76 rec, 1265 yds
2009 - NO - Colston - 70 rec, 1074 yds
2008 - Pit - Ward - 81 rec, 1043 yds
2007 - NYG - Burress - 70 rec, 1025 yds
2006 - Ind - Harrison - 95 rec, 1366 yds
2005 - Pit - Ward - 65 rec, 975 yds
2004 - NE - Givens - 56 rec, 874 yds
2003 - NE - Branch - 57 rec, 803 yds
2002 - TB - K.Johnson - 76 rec, 1088 yds
2001 - NE - T.Brown - 101 rec, 1199 yds
2000 - Bal - Sharpe - 67 rec, 810 yds
1999 - StL - Faulk - 87 rec, 1048 yds
1998 - Den - R.Smith - 86 rec, 1222 yds
1997 - Den - Sharpe - 72 rec, 1107 yds
1996 - GB - Freeman - 56 rec, 933 yds
1995 - Dal - Irvin - 111 rec, 1603 yds
1994 - SF - Rice - 112 rec, 1499 yds
1993 - Dal - Irvin - 88 rec, 1330 yds
1992 - Dal - Irvin - 78 rec, 1396 yds
1991 - Was - Monk - 71 rec, 1049 yds
1990 - NYG - Meggett - 39 rec, 410 yds
1989 - SF - Rice - 82 rec, 1483 yds
1988 - SF - Craig - 76 rec, 534 yds
1987 - Was - Clark - 56 rec, 1066 yds
1986 - NYG - Bavaro - 66 rec, 1001 yds
1985 - Chi - Payton - 49 rec, 483 yds
1984 - SF - Craig - 71 rec, 675 yds
1983 - Oak (LA) - Christensen - 92 rec, 1247 yds
1982 - Was - STRIKE SHORTENED SEASON
1981 - SF - Clark - 85 rec, 1105 yds
1980 - Oak - Chandler - 49 rec, 786 yds
1979 - Pit - Stallworth - 70 rec, 1183 yds
1978 - Pit - Swann - 61 rec, 880 yds
1977 - Dal - Pearson - 48 rec, 870 yds
1976 - Oak - Casper - 53 rec, 691 yds
1975 - Pit - Swann - 49 rec, 781 yds
1974 - Pit - Lewis - 30 rec, 365 yds
1973 - Mia - Briscoe - 30 rec, 447 yds
1972 - Mia - Warfield - 29 rec, 606 yds
1971 - Dal - Garrison - 40 rec, 396 yds
1970 - Bal - Hinton - 47 rec, 733 yds
1969 - KC - Garrett - 43 rec, 432 yds
1968 - NYJ - Sauer - 66 rec, 1141 yds
1967 - GB - Dowler - 54 rec, 836 yds
1966 - GB - Taylor - 41 rec, 331 yds
Only three times has a SB champ had a receiver catch 100+ passes. Only five times has a SB champ had a receiver catch 90+ passes.
The average leading receiver for these SB champs (minus 1982, when they played just 9 games) put up these stats: 66 rec, 949 yds.
During the new passing rules era (2004-2012), the average leading receiver for the SB champs put up these stats: 73 rec, 1120 yds.
Welker, as a Patriot, averaged these stats: 112 rec, 1243 yds.
In other words, while it's of course great to have great players, and for the money I wish Welker was here instead of Amendola, this just goes to show that not only is it possible to win a SB without a single dominant WR, it's usually the case that teams win without such a stat-producing phenom. I'm not saying they win *BECAUSE* they lack a stat-dominant WR; I'm saying that they win because they are great teams, and they don't NEED a stat-dominant WR. Thus the Patriots, if they assemble a great team, certainly will not need Wes Welker, or any other individual receiver, putting up gaudy numbers.
Which brings us to Welker and the receiving corps. Clearly, by any measure, he was a monster while he was here. Perennial pro-bowler, those 6 years of production from 2007-12 were off the charts great. I'm a big Welker fan and wish he was still here. But is it necessary to have a singularly great receiver? Here's a list of past SB champions and their leading receivers:
2012 - Bal - Boldin - 65 rec, 921 yds
2011 - NYG - Cruz - 82 rec, 1536 yds
2010 - GB - Jennings - 76 rec, 1265 yds
2009 - NO - Colston - 70 rec, 1074 yds
2008 - Pit - Ward - 81 rec, 1043 yds
2007 - NYG - Burress - 70 rec, 1025 yds
2006 - Ind - Harrison - 95 rec, 1366 yds
2005 - Pit - Ward - 65 rec, 975 yds
2004 - NE - Givens - 56 rec, 874 yds
2003 - NE - Branch - 57 rec, 803 yds
2002 - TB - K.Johnson - 76 rec, 1088 yds
2001 - NE - T.Brown - 101 rec, 1199 yds
2000 - Bal - Sharpe - 67 rec, 810 yds
1999 - StL - Faulk - 87 rec, 1048 yds
1998 - Den - R.Smith - 86 rec, 1222 yds
1997 - Den - Sharpe - 72 rec, 1107 yds
1996 - GB - Freeman - 56 rec, 933 yds
1995 - Dal - Irvin - 111 rec, 1603 yds
1994 - SF - Rice - 112 rec, 1499 yds
1993 - Dal - Irvin - 88 rec, 1330 yds
1992 - Dal - Irvin - 78 rec, 1396 yds
1991 - Was - Monk - 71 rec, 1049 yds
1990 - NYG - Meggett - 39 rec, 410 yds
1989 - SF - Rice - 82 rec, 1483 yds
1988 - SF - Craig - 76 rec, 534 yds
1987 - Was - Clark - 56 rec, 1066 yds
1986 - NYG - Bavaro - 66 rec, 1001 yds
1985 - Chi - Payton - 49 rec, 483 yds
1984 - SF - Craig - 71 rec, 675 yds
1983 - Oak (LA) - Christensen - 92 rec, 1247 yds
1982 - Was - STRIKE SHORTENED SEASON
1981 - SF - Clark - 85 rec, 1105 yds
1980 - Oak - Chandler - 49 rec, 786 yds
1979 - Pit - Stallworth - 70 rec, 1183 yds
1978 - Pit - Swann - 61 rec, 880 yds
1977 - Dal - Pearson - 48 rec, 870 yds
1976 - Oak - Casper - 53 rec, 691 yds
1975 - Pit - Swann - 49 rec, 781 yds
1974 - Pit - Lewis - 30 rec, 365 yds
1973 - Mia - Briscoe - 30 rec, 447 yds
1972 - Mia - Warfield - 29 rec, 606 yds
1971 - Dal - Garrison - 40 rec, 396 yds
1970 - Bal - Hinton - 47 rec, 733 yds
1969 - KC - Garrett - 43 rec, 432 yds
1968 - NYJ - Sauer - 66 rec, 1141 yds
1967 - GB - Dowler - 54 rec, 836 yds
1966 - GB - Taylor - 41 rec, 331 yds
Only three times has a SB champ had a receiver catch 100+ passes. Only five times has a SB champ had a receiver catch 90+ passes.
The average leading receiver for these SB champs (minus 1982, when they played just 9 games) put up these stats: 66 rec, 949 yds.
During the new passing rules era (2004-2012), the average leading receiver for the SB champs put up these stats: 73 rec, 1120 yds.
Welker, as a Patriot, averaged these stats: 112 rec, 1243 yds.
In other words, while it's of course great to have great players, and for the money I wish Welker was here instead of Amendola, this just goes to show that not only is it possible to win a SB without a single dominant WR, it's usually the case that teams win without such a stat-producing phenom. I'm not saying they win *BECAUSE* they lack a stat-dominant WR; I'm saying that they win because they are great teams, and they don't NEED a stat-dominant WR. Thus the Patriots, if they assemble a great team, certainly will not need Wes Welker, or any other individual receiver, putting up gaudy numbers.