What is going on with the New England Patriots and Wes Welker? Well… – NFL.com

Of all the numerous Welker takes this one from Ian Rapoport seems to hold the most water for me.

The Patriots, because they are good, have the luxury of experimenting. They can tinker. Last year, my view on the ever-changing secondary — bringing guys in off the street, using receivers — was that it was all about finding the right mix for the players. They needed to know if Devin McCourty could play safety, for instance, and whether Sterling Moore could really play (he could). The Patriots could do all of that, knowing their offense would provide a cushion and they could still win. That’s exactly what happened. That’s how I see the Patriots doing things right now. Trying to find out if really, once and for all, Edelman can be Welker. Because they know what they have in Welker. And if they don’t see what they are looking for in Edelman, it’s easy to slide Welker back in there. But it’s Year 4 and they have no idea if Edelman can take the mantle. It’s time to find out.