Thanks, here’s that piece (Why The Patriots Should Let Wes Welker Walk).
It’s not really a surprise that Welker’s slowing down and I think given the number of concussions he’s had, it would be smart for him to retire. The Patriots did what they always do – let a player go a year too early rather than a year too late.
Could Welker have helped them in 2013? Probably. Would anyone want him over Edelman in 2014? Nope.
The only unfortunate part for the Patriots was that they paid Amendola what they probably should’ve given to Edelman. Now they’ve got some decisions to make on Amendola’s hefty salary.
We can’t forget how good Welker was for the Pats for so long. He redefined the slot receiver role to the point where everyone was looking for his clone and still are. But we also have to remember that Welker’s production was a huge function of the Patriots’ system that relies on the kind of routes he runs best.
There’s no surprise that Edelman has essentially slipped into that role and is putting up the same numbers.