Offensive snaps: Where’s Welker? – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN Boston

Receiver Wes Welker’s reduced workload stood out. After playing in 89.2 percent of the team’s total offensive snaps in 2011, he split time with Julian Edelman. Welker had a quiet game (3 catches for 14 yards) and this type of plan – and his playing time – makes one wonder if it’s the potential beginning of a less Welker-centric attack.

I wasn’t planning on commenting on this whole Welker storyline but an IM conversation with Frenz sparked my agitation enough that I had to chime in. These are the sorts of things you have to expect when there’s no a lot to complain about with your team.

So, a few points. The offense now has two primary pieces: Gronk and Hernandez. Clearly this is supported because they played all the snaps. Those two players can do a pretty good job at dominating the center of the field, something that Welker also excels at.

In 2011, there was no X wide receiving threat, thus the strengths of the Patriots wide outs were somewhat redundant to Hernando and Gronk. Welker and Branch also excelled in the middle of the field. The end result was a team that could dominate the short passing game in the middle of the field but struggled outside the numbers and deep.

Enter Brandon Lloyd, and the Patriots now have a legit X wide receiver who can challenge defenses on the perimeter. So it’s really Lloyd who ate in to Welker’s snaps a bit, and I’m not really sure why anyone is complaining about that.

Can anyone tell me why we’d want to go back to throwing to Welker constantly and getting him lit up multiple times per game? Welker is the definitive slot receiver, and not having to depend on your slot wide receiver to perform outside and deep is a luxury not a constraint.

Ultimately the Patriots will be a better offense without having to constantly lean on Welker, and Welker will be a better, and possibly, healthier player at the end of the year without having to take all the extra abuse.

Let’s not forget Welker still played almost double the snaps Edelman did, and just 14 less than Lloyd. Is the attack going to be less Welker-centric? Sure, but that’s a good thing for everyone involved.

As I see it a drop in Welker’s receptions will signify a better balanced offense, and one that will be more difficult to defend.