Rappaport: Welker still waiting for the Pats' first offer

[Froob]

Just heard on the radio that sources familiar with Welker's train of thought are reporting that Welker is planning on retiring.

 

[Kontradiction]

A partially logical explanation is that Welker's side said talk to the hand this year. They are going to test the market and then sit down with the Patriots since last year they took the tender and then sat on their hands waiting for a long-term offer before the July deadline.

I think he ought to do that. It won't take long to find out what kind of years and guaranteed money is out there. Teams interested in Welker had the three-day period to speak with his agent. Welker can quickly rule teams in or out based on his preferences. Any major offer will be leaked in the next 72 hours and Welker can play that off the Patriots.

It's going to come down to the guaranteed money. The only two teams with enough money to blow him away that have a good QB and are also competitive are the Colts and the Bengals. Denver doesn't have enough cap space and Lurch has two similar receivers in the stable.

I think he finds out that he's wanted, but teams have more pressing issues than slot receiver. I believe he'll be back but not until he's sucked the very life out of the posters on this message board.

Denver will have enough cap space once Dumervil goes bye-bye.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Just heard on the radio that sources familiar with Welker's train of thought are reporting that Welker is planning on retiring.

Makes sense. He seemed to be deep in thought in that picture of him in the Pitt airport yesterday, in that other thread. That was him, wasn't it?

 

[dales804]

Bob Kraft is giving the fans a real snow job. The last offer for Welker was
2 years at 6 mil. per year. It had been reduced from 2 years at 8 mil. per year. Welker is supposed to grovel and accept the first offer. When
Welker signs with another team at 5 P. M. today, Kraft will shed a few crocodile tears and claim the Patriots did their best to keep him.

So do you believe every rumor related to Welker that we've heard or just the ones that put the Patriots in a negative light?

 

[condon84]

If Rappoport is getting bad info, he's getting it from Welker's people, so they're probably just upset at the offer they currently have.

It's really not hard to believe that BB hasn't offered Welker a contract. Other teams most likely view Welker's success due to the system we have in place and Brady throwing him the ball. It's prudent for BB to let the market set itself for Welker.

 

[tonyto3690]

Just heard on the radio that sources familiar with Welker's train of thought are reporting that Welker is planning on retiring.

I am 100% sure this is not true.

He desperately wants to win a ring and has been devastated every time we failed to do so, especially when we got close. And he has been waiting for this pay day for 5 years.

He's not going to just walk away from the opportunity to make tens of millions of dollars when he finally gets the chance.

 

[DaBruinz]

You can run deep routes out of the slot. Cruz does it all the time.

No, he doesn't. If he did it "all the time" then he'd have the same stats or better than he did his previous year.

Oh.. Gronkowski and Hernandez run those "deep routes" out of the slot also. Usually called a SEAM route.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I am 100% sure this is not true.

He desperately wants to win a ring and has been devastated every time we failed to do so, especially when we got close. And he has been waiting for this pay day for 5 years.

He's not going to just walk away from the opportunity to make tens of millions of dollars when he finally gets the chance.

Sunday was the start of DST. Did you check the battery on your satire detector?

 

[JackBauer]

No, he doesn't. If he did it "all the time" then he'd have the same stats or better than he did his previous year.

To be fair, this logic isn't sound.

He was tied for the most 30+ yard receptions in the league, with 8.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Sunday was the start of DST. Did you check the battery on your satire detector?

In Tony's defense, most satire detectors are very confused right now.

 

[Jimke]

So do you believe every rumor related to Welker that we've heard or just the ones that put the Patriots in a negative light?

I think BB has rabbit ears when it comes to Welker. Gronkowski can make
an ass out of himself and get away with it. Welker remarks on Ryan's foot fetish and BB is ticked off. Welker will have the last laugh after 4 P. M.

IF this post is true, Bob Kraft is a hypocrite plain and simple.

 

[DaBruinz]

The Patriots have arguably the slowest collection of offensive skill players in the entire league, so that's not surprising. The fastest straight line speed guy we have is probably Aaron Hernandez, and he ran a 4.64 40 in 2010.

There is speed (straight line 40 with no pads) and there is football speed.

Julian Edelman ran a 4.52 at his Pro Day in 2009.
Shane Vereen ran a 4.49 at his combine in 2011.

Others of note:
Kamar Aiken ran a 4.49 last year
Jeremy Ebert ran a 4.38 last year

It's about FOOTBALL speed, not just speed.

 

[Steve102]

The amount of mis-information that is reported is staggering. I can see TFB and WW on some beach making it all up like a couple of stoner kids.

TFB: dude, I just tweeted Curran it was a done deal.
WW: i just sent Albert Breer an email that said how pissed I was at the team.
TFB: nice. wait, wait, wait... let's send the guy from Yahoo one that says "unnamed sources say you're gonna go play with Peyton..."
WW: *ding* way ahead of you, dude...
TFB: wait, you're not gonna...
WW: no bro...relax.... check this one: I have yet to receive an offer...
TFB: send it! send it!
WW: and it's true, right? MY AGENT has the offer, not me!
TFB: Classic! You want another beer?
WW: you bet!

 

[Uncle Rico]

Michael Giardi ?@MikeGiardi
I'll say it again: the Pats & Welker have maintained a dialogue & aren't all that far apart. But this biz abt no offer is strictly semantics

 

[DaBruinz]

To be fair, this logic isn't sound.

He was tied for the most 30+ yard receptions in the league, with 8.

Actually, Jack, if you bothered to look at Cruz's 2011 stats, you'd see that the logic was very sound. You'll notice that his number of 30+ yard receptions dropped for him from 2011 to 2012 despite him catching more passes. Also, he lost 6 yards per reception from 2011 to 2012.

 

[Deus Irae]

@mikereiss @espnboston Read that Pats haven't made 1st offer to Welker yet, assuming he means of entire offseason. Is this true?

https://twitter.com/LougleIt/status/311518489758289921

@LougleIt Lou, there is an offer on the table for Welker right now. If Pats hadn't gone that far, there would be an understandable uproar.

https://twitter.com/MikeReiss/statuses/311520518551519233

 

[RodThePat]

Actually, Jack, if you bothered to look at Cruz's 2011 stats, you'd see that the logic was very sound. You'll notice that his number of 30+ yard receptions dropped for him from 2011 to 2012 despite him catching more passes. Also, he lost 6 yards per reception from 2011 to 2012.

30+ yard receptions out of the slot often means the player is breaking out big runs after the catch. That could easily vary from season to season, so it's no surprise both his yardage and YPC totals went down from 2011. Hell, remember that 99 yards catch and run TD he had against the Jets in 2011? How much did that single play inflate his totals? It couldn't reasonably be expected for him to make that kind of play year after year, but in 2011 he made many plays like that. That was a special season to him, 2012 was merely a good one. That's why I think his 2012 production is a better reflection of his ability than his 2011 one.

 

[tatepatsfan]

First, as others have mentioned, there are so many contradictory rumors flying about, they almost all have to be disregarded.

Second, even assuming this is true, it's probably nothing more than semantics. For example, they could have almost all terms worked out, but no actual offer on the table. An offer may not be an offer until it's complete. Or for another example, to take another theory/rumor floating about, the Pats could have given Welker the green light to entertain offers from other teams, and then report back to the Pats with his demands.

Bottom line, I'm not buying any rumors, but rest with my gut (in proper Stephen Colbert fashion) that he's one of Brady's closest friends, a key contributor to this team, has Kraft's blessing, and isn't going anywhere.

 

[Bhelmet]

YAY! - more RIDICULOUS Wes Welker rumors.

 

[RodThePat]

There is speed (straight line 40 with no pads) and there is football speed.

Julian Edelman ran a 4.52 at his Pro Day in 2009.
Shane Vereen ran a 4.49 at his combine in 2011.

Others of note:
Kamar Aiken ran a 4.49 last year
Jeremy Ebert ran a 4.38 last year

It's about FOOTBALL speed, not just speed.

So a third down back, two guys who didn't even step on the field and a player who sees most of his play time on special teams and was a defensive back for most of the 2011 season are our fastest skill players (and even then, only one of those guys ran a sub 4.49 forty). That about makes my point.

Sure it's about football speed, but does any one out of Ridley, Gronk, Hernandez, Welker and Lloyd play significantly faster than they timed? Which of those guys is a threat to take it to the house every time they touch the ball? I'd actually give you Vereen, and I hope he sees more playtime in 2013, but come on, this offense is full of good players, but not many dynamic ones.