Robert Kraft blasts Welker's agent

[moosekill]

Hope I didn't give you a heart attack. The word is insight, work on your reading and writing skills a bit; might help out in life.

Thank you so much for your help with my grammatical faux pas!! At MIT we spent more time worrying about math and crap and less time worrying about using the right word, I feel like such a BOB KRAFT right now. Perhaps if Bob had your help making those tough decisions he never would have blundered with A hole Wes Welker situation, just like I did when I used the wrong word!

in·cite
/in?s?t/
Verb
Encourage or stir up
Or perhaps I was making a slight play on words with my choice of incite.

 

[moosekill]

OH my, I meant the whole, not A hole. My bad.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

way to go Mr Kraft.

One question about consequences. If Wes was the Pat's first choice and Danny wasn't, how do you think that makes Danny feel? Granted he's getting paid, but as we have seen with Wes and others, ego's can be fragile.....just saying.....

 

[DaBronxPats14]

Ok now Agent tels his side. Welker is gone in Denver Whatever happened Happened. Welker isn't here so lets move on.

Wes Welker's agency says New England Patriots made "take it or leave it" offer - ESPN Boston

 

[FCB02062]

Something has bothered me for a few months now, and maybe someone can explain it to me. Why would someone be a fan of a team that they clearly hate? I'm sitting here reading all these negative comments about Kraft, and BB, and how they run the team, and it makes me wonder. Are these people only fans because they were born into a Pats family? Is it because they live in New England, and think they have to be a fan of the Pats? Is their life so full of crap they feel the need to complain about everything? Are they just stupid?

I just don't get it. If I was constantly annoyed by the decisions my team makes, I'd go find another team.

Clearly you don't understand the nature of being a Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics fan...we love our teams and we get royally pi$$ed off when a player, manager, coach, or owner does something with which we don't agree. We stew over losses for years, and we revel in Championships like no other fandom. The Patriots window is 3/4 closed, and many of us look at 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, and 2012 as missed opportunities to have another Super Bowl. Many of us feel it was organization decisions, whether it was releasing this guy, drafting this guy who sucked and got cut, or signing a 34 year old free agent pass rusher when there was a younger, more explosive - albeit more expensive - option available.
The fanboys and fantasy geeks who hopped on board the Pats train around 2001 will say "you guys are spoiled" - no, its not that, its the fact that most of us have endured so many painful losses that now is the time when we, as sports fans, COULD have laid claim to having the best football EVER...and many feel that the team cheaped out where it shouldn't have "traded down for value" - especially in the secondary or let asante samuel go among other things...my guess is the people who say "we're spoiled" or "go root for another team" didn't endure ray hamilton in 1976, bucky dent in 1978, too many men on the ice in 1979, Andrew Toney killing the Celtics in the 82 Eastern Finals, Bill Buckner in 1986, Magic Johnson's sky hook in 1987, and all the outright mediocrity and some suckitude from our teams after the Celtics won in 86. From 86 to 2001 when the Pats shocked the world, is a LONG time without ANY championship...so, when you experience 15 absolutely barren years as far as sports are concerned, maybe then you can point fingers at critical pats fans....

 

[RayClay]

Ok now Agent tels his side. Welker is gone in Denver Whatever happened Happened. Welker isn't here so lets move on.

Wes Welker's agency says New England Patriots made "take it or leave it" offer - ESPN Boston

The offer they never made was take it or leave it?

 

[Bella*chick]

Ok now Agent tels his side. Welker is gone in Denver Whatever happened Happened. Welker isn't here so lets move on.

Wes Welker's agency says New England Patriots made "take it or leave it" offer - ESPN Boston

Oh, so now there was an offer?

Gee, I really believe this guy now! He drips credibility.

 

[Don_the_patfan]

A few days back

Agent maintains Patriots didn't want Welker | Comcast SportsNet - CSNNE.com

The Patriots simply didn't want Welker is the contention. The two-year, $16 million offer the Boston Globe reported Welker having dangled during the 2010 season that would have covered Welker in 2011 and 2012 never happened, said Dunn.

No offer was ever made, Dunn contends. Period.

If that were the case, there was no two-year, $10 million offer plus incentives that could have pumped the deal up to $16 million.

That offer was reported by Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston, who wrote on Friday, "The last proposal from the Patriots was a two-year, $10 million pact that could have been worth up to $16 million with incentives (although in Welker's eyes a good chunk of those would have been tough to reach)."

If there were no offer, it confounds how Reiss would be able to report that the incentives in a non-existent offer were unattainable in the eyes of Welker.

And NOW (Agency who represents Welker)

New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

Specifically,both sides are clear that the Patriots made one offer to Wes Welker since the prior negotiations ended in July 2012. Both sides also agree that this two-year offer came just hours before the start of free agency despite discussions that began at the NFL Combine. Moreover, this lone offer was presented as a 'take it or leave it offer.'

I guess there wasnt an offer but now there was. Just a piece of advice to whomever is representing Welker at least get the story straight within the building first before you lie in public.

 

[Steve102]

Oh, so now there was an offer?

Gee, I really believe this guy now! He drips credibility.

I am convinced that the agent overplayed his hand, and is now struggling to make himself and the firm look better to prospective clients. It really seems to me that Kraft's statement during the lockout rings true.

"We could get a deal done in the next week if business people sat down on both sides and we tried to get the lawyers in the background,” Kraft said.

 

[BrickPat]

I think both the Pats and Welker's camp screwed up. Kraft was not the greedy and uncaring owner and Welker's veteran otherwise respected agent did not become incompetent overnight.

There is no clear cut good guy vs. bad guy. Both sides are now engaging in spin control and the fans will take sides based on their own bias or version they'd prefer to believe.

 

[Nunchucks]

I think both the Pats and Welker's camp screwed up. Kraft was not the greedy and uncaring owner and Welker's veteran otherwise respected agent did not become incompetent overnight.

There is no clear cut good guy vs. bad guy. Both sides are now engaging in spin control and the fans will take sides based on their own bias or version they'd prefer to believe.

I think it is quite clear what happened. The agent thought he could get more from the Patriots. The Patriots said they wouldn't pay the large sum. Agent went to FA, found offers were not large, Welker called to see if Patriots would take him back, but the Patriots had already moved on.

The minute Welker went to FA, was the minute the Patriots were done with him.

Welker had all of the "tampering" period" to find out his market value, he didn't figure it out apparently. If Welker's agent came to the Patriots on Monday afternoon with a deal similar to the Broncos, I suppose Welker would still be a Patriot. Instead, he forced the Patriots hand, because the Patriots were not going to wait around in FA for Welker.

 

[NgataTroublemaker]

As a neutral outside observer, it seems pretty obvious, even according to the supposedly-damning quotes provided, that the agent is referring to the period between 2010 and July of 2012 when he claims there was no offer. Then he says they were offered a single take-it-or-leave-it offer hours before FA. Their attempts to get an agreement at the maximum value of that offer (remove some of the difficult incentives) were rejected.

I don't see any discrepancy between the agent's quotes. Admittedly, I only started following this story during this offseason, so pardon any confusion.

 

[OhExaulted1]

Ridiculous.

1. The Patriots would be/were a joke of a franchise without Kraft.

2. #12 would be an insurance salesman married to Walmart checkout girl without the the Pats picking him at 199.

Nothing wrong with nailing a Walmart checkout girl. They get free bags if you want to put one over their head.

 

[grux]

Ok now Agent tels his side. Welker is gone in Denver Whatever happened Happened. Welker isn't here so lets move on.

Wes Welker's agency says New England Patriots made "take it or leave it" offer - ESPN Boston

So the agent:

1. Lied about there not being an offer. He was probably thinking the Pats would be tight lipped about the negotiation. Woops.

2. Never denies the Pats offer wasn't better than Denver's.

3. Settled for an offer that could possibly put Welker back on the market next year because of a flat cap. So, his client has to risk getting hurt and needs to put up great numbers in an offense that already has two very good receivers. I am pulling for Wes to have a great year and hope he stays healthy. If he doesn't, the market for a 33 year old slot receiver coming off a mediocre season isn't going to be good. Looks like Dunn is better at Russian Roulette than Poker.


Dunn misrepresented the slot receiver market and dragged his feet a little to long. The Pats had no choice but to move on or else no Welker or DA. Also sounds like We should have picked up the phone and called Mr. Kraft a little sooner. To bad because I wanted Wes to finish up his career with Brady.

 

[brdmaverick]

The part that I don't get is.....

If New England did offer a deal that had the potential for 2/16 and IF Welker gave them to match a guaranteed 2/12, why wouldn't they match?

After all, I'm sure the incentives that would have gotten Welker to 2/16 were attainable.

 

[shmessy]

The offer they never made was take it or leave it?

Game. Set. Match.

David Dunn just checkmated himself.

 

[BSR]

The part that I don't get is.....

If New England did offer a deal that had the potential for 2/16 and IF Welker gave them to match a guaranteed 2/12, why wouldn't they match?

After all, I'm sure the incentives that would have gotten Welker to 2/16 were attainable.

As Kraft, Reiss and others have already stated, they had already signed Amendola by that point. They had moved on after free agency started.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

This is not particularly complicated.

It’s like you are trying to buy a house and Wes is the seller and wants $500,000. You say “hey, I’ll give you $450,000, take it or leave it. And I mean that, since I need to know today. There’s another house I like. Its location isn’t as nice, but it’s still pretty good and it’s in demand”

Then Wes says no.

Wes then shops his house to 5 other buyers and the most he can get is an offer for $400,000. In the meantime, you made an offer for that other house at $400,000 and closed the deal.

Then Wes calls you and wants the $450K, or even 425K, or 400K. What do you do? You’ve already bought the other house.

You move on, wish each other the best, and regret that the timing was all screwed up on both sides.

It doesn’t make you cheap. It just didn’t work. Both sides took (from their points of view anyway) reasoned positions that just didn’t allow the deal to get done. That’s business.

Wes was my favorite Patriot, so it sucks. But we’ll muddle through somehow.

It's probably not wise, particularly on Kraft's side, to air this out in the press though.

 

[BingoBrown]

LOL!!

Welker was Bradys binky? Not from what I'm reading in this thread.Root for the laundry because in a few years #12 will
be gone as well.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

Psssst, hey Bobby you ain't no model franchise without #12.
God I wish Tom Brady had Gisele's balls and mouth. Someone needs to put Kraft in his place.

Put Kraft in his place? HES THE OWNER OF THE FRICKEN TEAM! lol... He is the end all, be all of that franchise. He is the owner, he makes all of the decisions and that is the way it is...

He put Tom Brady in his place, which he should have. Tom Brady works for Kraft, not the other way around. Kraft signs his checks.