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Yahoo! Sports’ Jason Cole on M&M: Wes Welker ‘realizes this is the best place for him to be’ 03.05.13 at 1:47 pm ET
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Yahoo! Sports writer Jason Cole, who posted a story Tuesday morning indicating that Wes Welker has “mild disdain” for the Patriots because of how the team limited his role in the offense in the early part of last season, joined Mut & Merloni on Tuesday afternoon to talk about the situation.

Wes Welker (83) caught a slip screen on his way to a first-half TD. (AP)

Wes Welker appears likely to re-sign with the Patriots, although he hasn’t forgotten how his role was diminished at the start of last season. (AP)

Although Cole’s article suggests that a new contract for Welker will not be as easy as some thought after Tom Brady renegotiated his deal and freed up some money for the team, he said ultimately he expects Welker will be a Patriot when the 2013 season begins.

“He’s probably going to stay, because he realizes this is the best place for him to be,” Cole said. “Even if that costs him a little bit of money vs. what he can make somewhere else, you’d make the good choice and stay with a team that knows you well, is going to pay you decently and is going to give you every opportunity.

“Is he a little bit concerned about how things could go here in the future? A little bit. But I think that that’s going to get outweighed by the fact that playing with Tom Brady is the best option for him.”

Cole said the Patriots learned early last year how difficult it is to replace Welker, a rare case of Bill Belichick failing to prove a point.

“With the Patriots it’s always about who’s in charge, who’s the boss here. And that’s OK. That’s how Bill does things,” Cole said. “And I know that another part of this was they wanted to get [Aaron] Hernandez to take over more of that role so that they were ready to move on from Wes.

“And they also had a belief that Brandon Lloyd could be that guy. Because remember, Brandon Lloyd is Josh McDaniels‘ guy. That was the guy he ‘discovered’ when he was in Denver and turned him into a legitimate receiver. And it took an entire season for everybody to realize that Brandon Lloyd is just a guy. Pretty good, but he’s not a game-breaker, he’s not a game-changer. He’s not that consistent. You need to have Welker over there for the consistency. And as much as you might want to funnel the ball more to a guy like Hernandez and [Rob] Gronkowski, they get hurt.

“So, what do you want to do here? You need to have Welker, you need to have him over there catching a hundred, 110 balls a season and moving the chains along and doing that job.”

Added Cole: “I think that at the beginning of last year there was a distinct feeling within the coaching staff, ‘OK, we can set it up to move along, to move to somebody else.’ And then they discovered no, they really can’t, Welker’s still the guy.”

To hear the interview, go to the Mut & Merloni audio on demand page. For more Patriots news, visit the team page at weei.com/patriots.

Read More: Brandon Lloyd, Jason Cole, Tom Brady, Wes Welker Print  |  Bark It Up!  |  Digg It
  • rabble rousers

    Opinions are worthless and everybody has one. Wait for Pats to make some noise.

  • Backfromthedepths

     which they never really do. i cant see them signing or bringing in a big name player in his prime. maybe an old veteran type guy. but no real game changers. wish they would though.

  • Grygor_c

    This just in ….Colts Saturday is retiring on Thursday. ……………Next stop HOF.

  • Joe

    this guys opinion?   thats why weei is aweful reporting.   this “make up a story writer” has absolutley no insight to the patriots…none

  • Mikedavis25

    After Brady signed the extension, you knew there had to be some sort of understanding about Welker.

  • Fab4ever

    Yep…he was a good one…

  • Mikedavis25

     I hear that..

  • Bruinman86

    That’s your opinion.

  • Bruinman86

     And a pretty cool guy as well.  Does Kraft show up to his retirement party?

  • Bob_Ryan

    Cut Lloyd now & get Mike Wallace!

  • Tommy12

    Keep WW. Cut Lloyd and bring in Boldin. They’ll never sign a guy like Wallace. I also wouldn’t mind Gholston from the Niners, he’s a legit player.

  • Anonymous

     Wes, you were disrespected here. Time for you to grab for the brass ring. See what other teams have to offer.

  • NewPats_24

     Boldin SUCKS! He killed the PATs in playoff cause he was covered by Arrington…who sucks even more!!
    Boldin had 65 receptions and 4, yes FOUR touchdowns on year. He just torched PATs and Browns.

  • Innovator

    Please,,no Lloyd…He doesn’t create separation,,can’t beat the press,and for some reason,he doesn’t get the yards after the catch that he used to…He’s a 4.9 million dollar cap relief if his roster bonus isn’t picked up…Isn’t it obvious he SHOULDN’T be back?!!!  For the love of God,can Belichick PLEASE draft a cornerbacks nightmare type of threat that will actually be productive for us…He passes on these type of players every year…

  • Innovator

    For the money Boldin’s going to ask for,we’d be better off getting someone who can threaten downfield warranting double coverage….Boldin is more of a posession tough guy right now,though effective…..Did Boldin say he was retiring if he wasn’t going to be in Baltimore next year? maybe i heard wrong.

  • Bhdyer20

    Bring in Boldin?  He is under contract with the team that just won the Super Bowl so how do they do that?

  • Fab4ever

    While we’re at it, let’s bring in Adrian Peterson, Victor Cruz, JJ Watt and Clay Matthews…How ’bout those Red Sox?

  • Peter Griffin

     This just in…. Who gives a WTF?!

  • Peter Griffin

     You babbling butt-head. Now…..YOU EAT THE POOP!

  • Peter Griffin

    Regular season is when you earn your checks & the playoffs are when your build your legacy.

  • Peter Griffin

     Get off his rod will ya? Theirs kids around.

  • Wmeritz

     The understanding is that Welker will shop himself and take the best offer out there. Whats not to understand!

  • Mikedavis25

     Ahh, Mr. Sunshine chimes in….

  • Boring Media Hype

    Looks like the media is backing off the hype…gee, that surprises me!!!

  • Schwank

    Mild disdain….ok this guy is stirring the pot and likely twisting his words a little.  I’d probably say the same thing if I was Welker ….looking ….I’m sure it was strange to him.  Dial it forward.  Presume he signs…..ya think they’re going to ignore after they pay him???? Duh.  Non issue …. the writer is stirring the pot.

  • Schwank

    I see a Lloyd comment below…..my 2 cents…..what do they have until…..March 12th?? before the bonus kicks in?  Whatever the date, they will explore the FA market if they get someone better and a reasonable price, they may let him go.  I’m certain they won’t let him go with no alternative.  If they do keep him it’s because there was no reasonable alternative.  Then they will likely try to develop someone from the draft also.  I don’t see them walking a tight rope by cutting Lloyd with no reasonable alternative replacement insight and simply hoping to find someone in the draft. 

  • PatsBruinsSoxCeltics

    Welker will get traded for a 1st rd pick

  • Wmeritz

     What I am saying surely rings true.Why would Welker or for that matter anyone else in his position not explore the market to exact the maximum number of dollars for perhaps his last professional contract.

  • Tommy12

    I had heard he was a free agent. He may not be the fastest or best, but he makes big catches over the middle, and this team needs guys to make plays not have great regular seasons and then choke ( Wes Welker ) in the big games.

  • http://twitter.com/actiontoyxpress ATX

    Hes worth more than that.

  • Pucchi8780

    This just in Ryan Mallet and Brandon Lloyd to Arizona for Larry Fitzgerald

  • Finmacisaac

    come on people just let Bill do his thing 

  • Pats Homer

    This is Welker’s game; he moves the chains!Obviously freakishly durable for his size, unlike the tight ends and this is a HUGE positive. He is one to convert on 3rd and long like money in the bank. He is not a guy to take it to the end zone, they gang up on him and overwhelm him there. doesn’t frequently get to the red zone, from what i see, either. His playoff/superbowl, big money recieving attempts are definately a liability from a winning standpoint and a negotiating standpoint. On the other hand, there is noone who can go down the middle and get his reception per centage for short yardage completion. I say keep him if he’ll compromise, and then CHANGE his function in the playoffs. This guy can’t be THE guy to have all the pressure of the offense to seal a big money game, he’s failed at that. He comes up “short.” Get rid of llyod and acquire a guy who CAN have a better per centage of pressure catches at, in red zone, end zone for the playoffs.

  • football wizard

    What, you think your the first guy advocating for top notch corners? i’ve been scraeming on the board for two years, here and everyone said nooooooooo, that’s not our priority. I knew a little sumpthin, it turns out, look at the past two seasons.

  • nhsoxfan

    Volmer, Woodhead, and Talib add far more value to the TEAM than overpaying for Welker.  Welker is waste of money.  

  • nhsoxfan

    why? this keeps being said.  Brady’s contract was about adding 30million to his pockets.  If anything Brady signed the deal for his own insurance in the chance that the Pats have to rebuild while he is still playing.

  • nhsoxfan

    But when it comes to the big game he either throws out his knee or drops the ball  Those are the facts.  Dan Marino would trade all his passing records and staggering numbers for a ring.

  • Andrew Morency

    Before Pats and Brady, Welker was average..we shall see. Based upon some of Jason Cole’s recent articles, looks like Welker isnt only one with mild distain for Pats…thats what happens I guess when you win

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