Rappaport: Welker still waiting for the Pats' first offer

[ALP]

If the Patriots let Welker walk only to sign Cruz I have a feeling they'll end up regretting this move deeply. Cruz will command more guaranteed money, a longer contract and would cost a first rounder. Welker has outproduced him for the last 2 seasons, and is pretty much a sure bet to outproduce him in the next 2. Why the hell would the Patriots part with a first round pick to get a guy who plays the same position, but doesn't have any chemistry with Brady or any knowledge of the system? That would be crazy.

b/c he's younger, faster, bigger?

its like putting wes in a bigger body, that is also fast, and 5 yrs ago...deadly

if we do sign Cruz, and he pans out, he will either match or surpass welker's contributions to this team

the catch there is "if" he pans out

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

he will be back with pats..just like amendola..there really isn't a market for him

 

[Joker]

in related news...my final offer to Catherine Zeta-Jones has not garnered a response as of 9:30...hard to believe there's a glut in the market for personal body slave/man toy out there...I think she's just making me sweat....

 

[Danger Zone]

I strongly disagree.

We need a deep threat in ADDITION to Welker.

Look at how good he is when every team plays us close. Now imagine Welker when teams have to actually respect the deep ball.

 

[supafly]

I strongly disagree.

We need a deep threat in ADDITION to Welker.

Look at how good he is when every team plays us close. Now imagine Welker when teams have to actually respect the deep ball.

I think they should just keep things the same as last season, with Welker and Llyod. Additions could be made through the draft and some lower/middle level vet signings, one of which would include Gibson or Avery. That would seem to offer a viable option at improvement for reasonable money.

As far as your comments on the deep threat, Welker played with Moss from 2007 thru early 2010, so I don't know how much different he'd be, but the offense itself could be better this time around with having the 2 TE's to take advantage of mismatches.

If we're going to lose BOTH Welker and Llyod, then I would have liked to see them go after someone in the higher tiered bracket to replace some of the problems and use that cap room as an offset. The main problem I see is that none of Wallace, Harvin, or Jennings is worth their asking price, so that really limits their options. Bringing in Amendola and one of Avery/Gibson, along with a high draft pick and some smaller signings like Edelman + vet competition may be a reasonable idea, although it would surely equate to a downgrade. At the very least money would be saved though.

 

[supafly]

in related news...my final offer to Catherine Zeta-Jones has not garnered a response as of 9:30...hard to believe there's a glut in the market for personal body slave/man toy out there...I think she's just making me sweat....

If you're going to go for it, then go for it. Bring in a candidate in her early to mid 20's and up your offer a bit.

Better to get rid of Zeta-Jones a year too early than a year too late...

I'd go on about making a "splash" but I'd be getting off topic a bit too much

 

[mgteich]

The open question is whether we can afford to sign Welker and upgrade Lloyd.

I think they should just keep things the same as last season, with Welker and Llyod. Additions could be made through the draft and some lower/middle level vet signings, one of which would include Gibson or Avery. That would seem to offer a viable option at improvement for reasonable money.

As far as your comments on the deep threat, Welker played with Moss from 2007 thru early 2010, so I don't know how much different he'd be, but the offense itself could be better this time around with having the 2 TE's to take advantage of mismatches.

If we're going to lose BOTH Welker and Llyod, then I would have liked to see them go after someone in the higher tiered bracket to replace some of the problems and use that cap room as an offset. The main problem I see is that none of Wallace, Harvin, or Jennings is worth their asking price, so that really limits their options. Bringing in Amendola and one of Avery/Gibson, along with a high draft pick and some smaller signings like Edelman + vet competition may be a reasonable idea, although it would surely equate to a downgrade. At the very least money would be saved though.

 

[supafly]

he will be back with pats..just like amendola..there really isn't a market for him

I'm guessing that Welker will be settling for around 7 million aav, and Amendola about 5 million aav. Hartline's 6 million aav falls directly in the middle of the two.

How far apart that is from Welker's demands remains to be seen, but those who have been pounding the drum for his "reasonable" 4/40 deal the whole time seem to be way off.

I'm wondering if some team doesn't step in with a 3/25 deal with guarantees in the 15-16 million dollar range and sweep him away?

 

[supafly]

The open question is whether we can afford to sign Welker and upgrade Lloyd.

If worse comes to worse than they should just at least retain Welker, keep Lloyd another year and add a high round draft pick. That at least provides us with a chance at upgrading the WRs without breaking the bank.


I think the question may be much closer to "what does Belichick see Welker's value as?"

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

in related news...my final offer to Catherine Zeta-Jones has not garnered a response as of 9:30...hard to believe there's a glut in the market for personal body slave/man toy out there...I think she's just making me sweat....

She didn't like your numbers from the combine.

 

[Joker]

maybe it was the "Hung Like A Shrimp" tee shirt that threw her off....anyway...back to this scintillating "Welker still waiting!!!!!!" thread....reminds me of the existential piece of work by Albert Camus...Waiting For The Dough"...:hungry:

 

[Ive_Killed_People]

She didn't like your numbers from the combine.

Yup,I heard it was his 'measurables'......if you know what I mean

 

[billdog3484]

If we get neither Welker nor Amendola

If this happens I, and I'm sure mostly everybody here, would be very unhappy. Lets just look what has unfolded.

Welker and the Patriots have been unable to strike a deal. It's been a couple of years now and they can't seem to come to neutral terms. Rappaport and garguerian or whatever her name is said talks stopped. I understand things are fluid and change from minute to minute and we don't have many facts. However we do know Wes is free to go where he pleases. So lets assume he signs elsewhere and doesn't give us chance to match

Now lets go to amendola. I say him bc looking at the free agent pool he seems to me to be the only guy out there with the skill set and ability to replicate welker. If welker signs elsewhere are we going to get in a bidding war for him. My sense no since that's not how we operate.

So now these guys are gone. What now? We certainly aren't getting a welker and moss for a 2nd and 4th like in '07. Looking at the free agent pool there really isn't a great option out there. 2013 NFL Free Agents - Free Agency Update - Rotoworld.com

We all know Edelman. But he's injured all the time and can we trust the guy as a reliable option? There really isn't anyone out there.

The draft. We all know our history with drafting receivers. And even great receivers usually don't do well as rookies.

So we really are playing Russian roulette here with our receiving corp. I hope we are able to sign one if these two quickly . I don't think I can handle another season with a ancient Troy brown, reche Caldwell, Doug Gabriel, Jabari gaffney, etc

How many more years do we have of Brady being elite with a chance for a Super Bowl every year. I am a defense first person but I do understand the importance of a good receiving corp

 

[Froob]

So what's going on with Edelman, Amendola, and Woodhead? Maybe Rooney needs to make a new rule :snob:

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

I'm guessing that Welker will be settling for around 7 million aav, and Amendola about 5 million aav. Hartline's 6 million aav falls directly in the middle of the two.

How far apart that is from Welker's demands remains to be seen, but those who have been pounding the drum for his "reasonable" 4/40 deal the whole time seem to be way off.

I'm wondering if some team doesn't step in with a 3/25 deal with guarantees in the 15-16 million dollar range and sweep him away?

Well amendola has 2 teams looking into him right now per rapoport

 

[supafly]

Well amendola has 2 teams looking into him right now per rapoport

Both want to remain nameless, not coincidentally. I think both are in play for either one of these players.

 

[Brady6]

The open question is whether we can afford to sign Welker and upgrade Lloyd.

Today was a tremendous win for the Patriots IMO if another team was going to come in and offer Welker a big contract it would of happen today. Now I see him back on a 2/16 contract which is what we've offered all along.

 

[supafly]

Today was a tremendous win for the Patriots today. IMO if another team was going to come in and offer Welker a big contract it would of happen today. Now I see him back on a 2/16 contract which is what we've offered all along.

Actually, the 2/16 offer was for an extension to his last remaining year of his deal and would have put his aav for the next 3 yrs at approx. 6 million or so.

They later lowered their offer to an undisclosed amount, so I'm wondering what the current offer stands at?

Either way, I agree that you have a great point that no one came in and offered him something today to sweep him away.

 

[Brady6]

Actually, the 2/16 offer was for an extension to his last remaining year of his deal and would have put his aav for the next 3 yrs at approx. 6 million or so.

They later lowered their offer to an undisclosed amount, so I'm wondering what the current offer stands at?

Either way, I agree that you have a great point that no one came in and offered him something today to sweep him away.

I think he has a specific skill set that is not in play everywhere. He is the best slot receiver in the games but if you don't have a QB capable of making those passes and reads to a slot receiver it doesn't really matter if he is heaven sent. I don't think more than a handful of QB's could make the reads without throwing a handful of pick 6's right now. It's underrated how much understanding underneath coverage comes into play with someone like Welker.

 

[mgteich]

No one has made a huge offer to Welker. Welker might accept an approximately equal amount from another team. There is no real reason to believe that Welker would like to stay under whatever the patriots wish to pay.

Actually, the 2/16 offer was for an extension to his last remaining year of his deal and would have put his aav for the next 3 yrs at approx. 6 million or so.

They later lowered their offer to an undisclosed amount, so I'm wondering what the current offer stands at?

Either way, I agree that you have a great point that no one came in and offered him something today to sweep him away.