Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com believes that the Patriots and wide receiver Wes Welker can work out a reasonable deal to keep the all-pro in New England.
“If I had to project, I think two years at $16 million would be something the team might be agreeable to, but I would imagine that would fall short of Welker’s hopes,” Reiss wrote.
Welker had the franchise tag placed on him last offseason and made $9.515 million this season. Using the franchise tag for the second-straight season would come with a 20 percent increase. He totaled 118 receptions for 1,354 receiving yards with six touchdowns.
Due to his price tag and the fact that Welker turns 32 this May, it’s hard to see the Patriots throwing a lot of money at Welker to keep him in New England as this would be something the Patriots typically don’t do. While Welker has made a name for himself working out of the slot, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if the Patriots opt to let him go and re-sign Julian Edelman to be his replacement.
It’s anticipated that Welker will test the free agent waters. We have him listed as the No. 10 best available player in our Top 50 Free Agents list.
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Patriots should re-sign Welker for two more years. Look how durable he is, and how well he works with Brady. I don’t see Edelman matching Wes’ numbers.