Welker and New England aren't getting back together
Initially I, as well as many other NFL fans and analysts, thought that now former Patriots receiver Wes Welker was holding firm to his free agency right but would ultimately end up re-singing with the New England Patriots because of the success that Welker and Tom Brady have had in years prior. Prior to Welker's major move, reports were surfacing that Welker's camp and the Patriots organization were nowhere near reaching an agreement on a new contract for Welker. Yesterday, Welker proved many of our initial predictions to be false when he reached an agreement to sign a 2 year deal with the Denver Broncos for $12 million with an additional $150,000 in incentives for each year he catches more than 90 passes. Among the other stats I've previously mentioned about Wes, the following just add to the list and lay out the caliber of player the Broncos are receiving.
- Welker has an NFL record 5 seasons with a minimum of 100 receptions. In all 5 of those seasons he has also caught at least 111 passes (Those 90 passes don't seem too unattainable now do they?)
- Recorded 389 first-down receptions since 2007 which is only 3rd on the list behind Reggie Wayne and Roddy White.
- 1 out of 4 players to be selected to participate in the ProBowl each of the last 5 seasons (along with Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, and Joe Thomas)
It was an unconfirmed but pretty credible assumption that Tom Brady had taken less money in his recent re-signing contract with the Patriots so that the organization would have money available to re-sign with his favorite receiver, Wes Welker. Reports say that in light of the news of losing Welker Brady is "beyond enraged". The Patriots were not willing to pay Welker $12 million over 2 years but shortly after Welker reached his agreement with Denver, the Patriots agreed to sign former Rams receiver Danny Amendola for $31 million over 5 years which includes $10 million guaranteed. Many New England fans are shocked and confused by this move, as am I. Amendola is 5 years youbger than Welker but his durable is a pretty big question. Peyton Manning stepped in and basically handled the Welker deal himself being very vocal about his wanting to have him as a receiver, according to league sources. I expect the Broncos to make it much deeper into the playoffs this year with the greatness of Peyton Manning and the skill of Wes Welker.
Who's left in Baltimore?
The Ravens have now let an alarming number of players from their Championship team this past season go. The latest to be released yesterday was safety Bernard Pollard. With the loss of receiver Anquan Boldin, linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, linebacker Paul Kruger, and possibly free-agent safety Ed Reed, Ravens fans are wondering what the Ravens organization is doing or at least going to do. Unfortunately, the Ravens are clearly one of the losers in this scouting season thus far but are a victim of their own great success. They just don't have the money to keep all the productive players they had on their roster.
Miami making moves
Though they are usually known to make some questionable offseason moves, the Miami Dolphins are coming out as a big win during this scouting season. The club acquired former Steelers receiver Mike Wallace with a $60 million deal over 5 years with $30 million being guaranteed. Wallace had 8 touchdowns and 1,193 receiving yards in 2011 with Pittsburgh. Miami also picked up former Ravens linebacker Danelle Ellerbe for a deal of $35 million over 5 years. Though Miami has loss running back Reggie Bush to the Detriot Lions on a 4 year $16 million deal, the Dolphins look to be in good shape to regroup and have a more successful season this upcoming year.
Ray Lewis has a new job
Yesterday ESPN hired former linebacker and 2-time SuperBowl champion Ray Lewis as an NFL analyst. Lewis will appear on Sunday and Monday night shows, SportsCenter on occasion, and on some Sunday pregame spots. ESPN reportedly spent the past few months considering Ray Lewis as an employee but also looking into his involvement with a double-murder in 2000. Lewis pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in relation to the murder but that didn't stop the speculation and dark cloud that hung over him for years as a result of the association with the incident. ESPN reports that they did discuss the case with Ray but felt that Lewis' debt was paid and the situation was already properly dealt with by law enforcement. Lewis made his debut on ESPN as an analyst yesterday appearing on the 10:00 am episode of SportsCenter and other shows throughout the day. I am excited to see Ray open this new chapter and add this accolade to his resume. Congratulations Ray!
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