Wes Welker to the Buccaneers?

[michael89156]

Wes Welker reportedly won't be franchised by Patriots

 By Marc Sessler
Around the League Writer   NFL.com
Published:  Feb. 17, 2013 at 10:07 p.m.

Have we seen the last of Wes Welker with the New England Patriots?

A source with intimate knowledge of the team's thinking told Ron Borges of the Boston Herald that the Patriots "are simply not going to put an $11.4 million franchise tag" on the 31-year-old wide receiver.

Borges argues Welker has worked himself into a corner, and he's right. With little leverage in the situation, Welker isn't about to receive a better offer than the fully guaranteed two-year, $16 million deal he turned down in 2011. By signing his franchise tender last May, Welker veered off a path that helped previous players get paid.

Players who carried contract demands to the brink in New England -- Richard Seymour, Asante Samuel, Vince Wilfork and Logan Mankins, for example -- were among those awarded open-market value by the team. Welker squelched that opportunity by agreeing to his one-year, $9.515 million tender last spring. Contract talks went south soon after.

Unless he bends, Welker is no guarantee to return in 2013. With Brandon Lloyd due a $3 million option bonus on top of a $1.9 million base salary, it's conceivable Tom Brady could be throwing to a cast of new faces next season.

Welker has been invaluable in New England, and it's strange to imagine this offense without him, but let's not forget who these Patriots are -- unsentimental. They're willing to shed players before anyone sees it coming. Unwilling to mortgage the future based on what has come before.

Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.






2013 NFL Free Agency Rumors: Wes Welker to the Buccaneers?

By Sander Philipse on Feb 17, 7:52p



Chris Trotman
 


The biggest free agent come March 12 may be Wes Welker, the slot receiver who has terrorized NFL teams for years on end now. He'll be on the list for a number of teams looking for a very good slot receiver, and the Buccaneers don't have one of those right now. Tiquan Underwood was decent but not great last season, and there was evidence of a lot of miscommunication between him and Josh Freeman -- he looked like a very raw player. It wouldn't be hard to improve on Underwood, and Welker would certainly be an improvement.

That, at least, is what Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune thinks the Bucs should and will do. Here's what he said on WHNS-FM 98.7 with The Sports Babe, via JoeBucsFan.
 

"Here is something to think about: I think the guy they will target is Wes Welker as a slot receiver. That's the one thing they don't really have," Cummings said. "If they pitch Wes Welker as a slot receiver, a very dependable slot receiver, they can leave [Vincent] Jackson on the outside and leave Mike Williams on the outside and all of a sudden you have to worry about three very dynamic receivers on that offense."
 

This seems exceedingly unlikely, though, for a number of reasons. For one, the Buccaneers don't really have a separate slot receiver position. Their receivers line up all over the formation by design, and you'll frequently see Vincent Jackson in the slot. This is not a function of not having a good slot receiver, but a function of the offense: receivers need to be able to play everywhere.

Second, Wes Welker's strengths would fit poorly with Josh Freeman. Welker functions best when he's playing with a very accurate quarterback, who can get him the ball in space and in stride, on the run. Meanwhile, Josh Freeman has accuracy issues and is best with a receiver who has a wide catching radius and who can consistently make contested catches. That's exactly what Wes Welker does not do, and it's exactly what a big tight end could do.

Finally, there's the simple issue of money. The Bucs are already in talks with Mike Williams on a new contract, and Vincent Jackson is one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL already. Sinking more money into the receiver position would appear to be a poor long-term decision, especially so given the fact that Welker's 32 already, and investing big money in players over 30 is rarely a smart idea.

I would expect the Bucs to try to address the receiver position in some way, through the draft or free agency. But Welker seems like an exceptionally poor fit.




http://www.bucsnation.com/2013/2/17/3999292/2013-nfl-free-agency-rumors-wes-welker-to-the-buccaneers

[BucsBay]

Welker can play the outside too. That, among other reasons, is why he is worth 20 -22 for 2 years.

[DeltaBuc5]

That would be a waste of money...

Welker is infamous for failing under pressure.

[SWAGGANEER]

Welker can play the outside too. That, among other reasons, is why he is worth 20 -22 for 2 years.

Might as well go get Mike Wallace if you're going to pay $10+M a year...

[Oracle]

If the Bucs signed Welker, they would finally have a leader on the roster.

[TampaBucks05]

Yes, because Carl Nicks & Vincent Jackson are not leaders.

[The Franchi5e]

I'd love having him for a couple years but I think they'll go after somebody younger. Probably somewhat early in the draft. Definitely need another receiver or two added this summer though because Underwood and whatever else is behind him is barely NFL active roster quality.

[Dy-nasty D]

IMO, not a good fit. Freeman's short-passing isn't accurate enough to make Welker effective. Brady made Welker the success he is.

I'd like to see Benn take the slot position.

[chace1986]

2 years - $14 mil...1st year fully guaranteed.

Anything more than that...well, he can take his talents elsewhere.

[BucNY]

Yes, because Carl Nicks & Vincent Jackson are not leaders.

Joseph is a terrible leader as well, lol

[BucNY]

Back to the OP, I wouldn't mind Welker for 2 years about 13 million. More than that and I'm concerned with it.

[GameTime]

2 years - $14 mil...1st year fully guaranteed.

Back to the OP, I wouldn't mind Welker for 2 years about 13 million.

complete garbage.  give that exact contract to dwight freeney.  offer it to anquan.  even mike wallace.  (still a waste to me for a 3rd WR making 7 mil) but a slot receiver who doesnt go downfield?  ugh.  ive come to grips with the idea of an early WR in the draft, fine with that.  but a old, small, 1-dimensional slot guy that was made by probably the best QB of all time?

[dexmonkey]

NOOOOOOOOOOOO

waste of money for a guy who works in a perfect system with tom brady as his qb

[Bucsfan x]

Pass, w/o Brady he is average.

[Benchwarmer#1]

If the Bucs signed Welker, they would finally have a leader on the roster.

Lmfao... guys look! The idiot got banned again.