Peter King has the understatement of the month

[PatsFaninAZ]

Let's not absolve the Dolphins too much. They gave the guy a second round tender where they could have given him a first round round tender for a few hundred thousand dollars more. If the Dolphins were smart and knew what they had in Welker, they would have either given him the highest tender (a first and a third compensation) or matched the Pats' offer. There was no poison pill with Welker's contract, it was just that the Dolphins didn't have a lot of cap room and decided it wasn't in their best interest to sign Welker and not make additions elsewhere. They were wrong.

The Patriots absolutely would have put a poison pill in any RFA offer. The trade avoided the need to do that. They never made an offer. It was a trade only. I think that if there had been no poison pill, the Dolphins definetly would have exercised ROFR to keep Welker out of the division. I'm certain of it, actually. Actually, what likely would have happened if the Patriots hadn't been ready to use the poison pill is that Welker would have signed with the Vikings -- the Dolphins might not have matched in that case.

I agree, though, that $500k would have gone a long way at the middle tender. I wonder if the Patriots would have given up a 1st for Welker. Probably not my gut tells me.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

The Patriots absolutely would have put a poison pill in any RFA offer. The trade avoided the need to do that. They never made an offer. It was a trade only. I think that if there had been no poison pill, the Dolphins definetly would have exercised ROFR to keep Welker out of the division. I'm certain of it, actually. Actually, what likely would have happened if the Patriots hadn't been ready to use the poison pill is that Welker would have signed with the Vikings -- the Dolphins might not have matched in that case.

I agree, though, that $500k would have gone a long way at the middle tender. I wonder if the Patriots would have given up a 1st for Welker. Probably not my gut tells me.

When they had two . . . they just might have. But I'm glad it didn't come to that.