Manning to Welker? Da Fuq?

When I said that The Patriots should not re-sign Welker, it was for these reasons: #1 The money would be better spent reinforcing the D-line and D-backfield, #2 Being the #1 Offense had not yielded the proper results to justify the money because Welker had not made the biggest catches when needed, and #3 Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman could both be signed for less money than Welker alone.

Ruthless, yet efficient.
However, when I said we shouldn't sign him, I didn't expect him to end up with a conference rival. I probably should have seen it coming, but I just didn't put it all together. He was the jewel of the free agent class, and it is no wonder that he would land with an elite QB. BUT for less than 10 Million/yr?!? How did we let him walk?

No doubt, Manning and Welker will be a dynamic duo over the middle, and Demaryius Thomas will reek havoc along the deep sideline. The Broncos are poised for a 2007 Patriot type year, and have easily become the favorite to win the AFC. How did we let that happen for 6 Million/year?

Still, Belichick did what he had to do. Even with the extra money from the Brady contract, I think that there would be too much money invested in the Offense. Then again, we had offered him 5yrs/40M (8/yr). Why were we not able to match 2yrs/12M (6/yr)?

This team needs a defensive backfield more than it needs a passing Offense. I said on January 22nd that Welker is not worth 10 Million, and I stick to that number. However, we're not talking about 10 Million... we're talking about 6 Million...

I have serious reservations about seeing him suit up with Peyton. The Broncos have an above average Defense, and certainly a far better pass D compared to The Patriots. For Denver, Welker could very well be the piece that puts them over-the-top.

Still, The Offense will not fall apart without him, Brady will continue to operate at a high level. I still expect us to be in the top 7 Offensively, but we might not be miles ahead as the #1 Offense. The fact is that the Offense needs to take a step back so that the Defense can take a step forward.

No matter what the reason, Belichick needs to use that money aggressively. It is time to start signing Defensive players that will make an immediate impact. Names like Dwight Freeney, Charles Woodson, and Ed Reed spring to mind. I desperately want a veteran leader to come in and be successful.

DEs Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett, Osi Umenyiora, Richard Seymour,  

DBs Sean Smith, Aqib Talib, Brent Grimes, Derek Cox, Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, Cary Williams

Just names for now, but there are quite a few guys available at these key positions. It is imperative to make a move in free agency to improve the team right now. As much as I agree that letting Welker walk was the correct move, The Patriots did not get better (on paper) today.

EDIT- When I wrote this article at first, I thought it was 2 yrs at 12 Mil per year. This actually blows my mind so much that I just assumed that the offer was more than 10 Million per year.

Comments

Popular Posts