Why Pats Will Be Just Fine Without Wes Welker



Brady will no longer have his pal to throw the ball to, but as long as he's
pulling the trigger on those passes the Pats will be just fine.


Hello Patriots fans!

Still bumming over the fact that Wes Welker has left the team (for Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos no less)?

Pissed off at Bill Belichick for letting Welker walk because he couldn't pony up an extra $2million for a guy who's been a loyal soldier throughout his five years with the team?

Do you feel bad for Tom Brady (who is probably still sobbing on Gisele's shoulder) who restructured his contract so the team could re-sign Welker only to see the team allow him to walk?

Relax! The Patriots will be just fine.

Here's why:

1. We've seen this tale before
Remember in 2006 when Belichick sent Brady's favorite receiver at the time (Deion Branch) to Seattle? Or in 2010 when he traded Randy Moss (another Brady favorite) to the Minnesota Vikings? Remember the outrage you guys felt back then? I thought so. Looks like things didn't turn out as terribly as you thought they were at the time. Which bring us to...

2. It's the quarterback stupid!
Unless your name is Calvin Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald today, receivers are more luxury than necessity. Just look at all the receivers that continue to either get unto the open market or get traded over the past few seasons. It all comes down to the guy throwing the rock, and the Patriots have one of the best in Tom Brady. How good is a receiver really going to be if his quarterback can't get him the ball? Today's NFL is all about the quarterback. If you have a special one, then it really doesn't matter who the receivers are because the quarterback is going to make him look good. Anyone knew who Wes Welker was before he hooked up with Brady? Believe me, the offense will be fine as long as Brady is behind center.

3. Nothing personal just business
Last season, thanks to the franchise tag, Welker counted for about $10 million against the salary cap. Had he been franchised again it would've went up above $11 million - way too high for a slot receiver! The Broncos are guaranteeing all of Welker's 2 year - $12 million deal, which is still a lot. Now with that money off the books the Patriots have several more options. Such is the business of the NFL. It's a cutthroat league and you can't mix your emotions into that. The best teams in the NFL are usually the ones who fans would think are the cold-blooded ones (like the Patriots, Giants, Steelers for example) who don't hesitate to get rid of players who have been loyal to them, rather than the ones who seemingly love to overspend on veteran players coming off their prime years (like the Redskins or Cowboys).

4. Hello, my name is...
Meet the new Wes Welker, which sounds almost identical to the old one. He's a undersized (though slightly bigger) white receiver who was undrafted coming out of Texas Tech. Besides being slot receivers they can both good punt returners. Sounds eerily similar right? Well say hello to Danny Amendola! And as Patriots fans will find out, his game is very similar to the guy that left. He's the reason why the Patriots didn't break the bank to re-sign Welker because they already had him in their back pocket (5-years $31 million but only $10 million of that is guaranteed). In essence the Pats got a younger version of Wes (27 compared to 31) at a cheaper rate. There are concerns about Amendola's ability to stay on the field and of course he lacks Welker's experience and chemistry with Brady. But he's a tough guy (he was back on the field just 3 weeks after breaking his clavicle), as reliable hands, and has been in Josh McDaniel's offense. He might be somewhat unknown now but wasn't Wes Welker in 2007? The feeling here is that Amendola will thrive playing with Brady, like the

5. Always better to sell early
Guess who dropped the most "catchable" passes in 2012? That's right good old reliable Wes! You may not have noticed but Wes Welker (at 31) was already (albeit slowly) beginning to slow down. Any good businessman know that it's better to get rid of something one year early than one year late. The Patriots got Wes Welker's best years, now it's time for time to get someone else's.

6. No more room in the middle
The Patriots offense continues to evolve from a "spread you out with 4 wide receivers" offense to a "tight end-centric" offense. That means you need at least two tight ends on the field as much as possible. Both tight ends are every bit as good in the slot so that leaves Welker as the odd man out. Amendola (who's faster than Welker) can play on the outside.




He might be cold-hearted but he's no dummy!

Yes, it's messed up what the Patriots did to Welker! But once the fans take the emotions out of the equation and look around, they'll see how these things happen all the time. This is what happens in the National Football League! And as much as you think of Belichick as a jerk, if there's one consistent theme with him is that he will always do what's best for the team. About the only part of this saga which should disturb you is that he is now joined your conference rival who also happens to have an elite quarterback of their own. But Belichick understood that. Welker did come back and gave the Pats a chance to match - which they didn't. So perhaps there's something the coach sees or knows that we don't.
Let's all just stay tuned.

Because the same people who are burying the Patriots now will the same ones praising them after they win their usual dozen or so games and clinch their division next season.