2013 Buffalo Bills Preview Part 1

By Chris Hobbins

I am Breaking down my 2013 Bills Preview into a few parts so make sure to check them all out. This is part one of a four part series.

1)Front Office and Coaching

2)2013 draft and free agency

3)Position by Position breakdown

4)Schedule and Record prediction

Front Office and Coaching Staff Preview

The 2013 Buffalo Bills will offer a new look from top to bottom of the organization. The Bills announced that Ralph Wilson was stepping down from being the team’s President and Chief Executive Officer and named Russ Brandon the man in command at One Bills Drive. The changes didn’t quite stop there Russ Brandon announced they would retain General Manager Buddy Nix, who later stepped down after the 2013 draft in favor of new General Manager Doug Whaley, whom the Bills were grooming to be the replacement of Buddy Nix when he finally decided to retire after a successful career in the league. The Bills also made a major change at the head-coaching position. The Bills decided it was best to part ways with Chan Gailey after his three-year stint in Western NY. Under Gailey’s tutelage the Bills continued to play sub-par football missing the playoffs all three years. Although there were some bright spots during his stint, the Bills needed to go in a different direction, and the Bills made a surprising choice by hiring  former Syracuse coach Doug Marrone with the likes of  Lovie Smith, Ken Whisenhunt and Norv Turner out there. The Bills did host Whisenhunt but decided to take Marrone instead. Doug Marrone has spent time in the NFL as player and assistant coach his most-recent stint was with the New Orleans Saints as the offensive coordinator between 2006-2008 in which his offense ranked in the top ten while there. Marrone took the job at Syracuse in 2009 where he went 25-25  and lead his team to two bowl wins. Marrone came to the Bills and has changed the atmosphere and completely overhauling the coaching staff bringing many of his assistants from Syracuse most notably bringing aboard his offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who spent a brief time in Buffalo as the quarterback’s coach between 2008-2009 season. Marrone named old New York Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, who is entering 12th season in the league to the identical position. The Bills also brought aboard prior Detroit Lions and Carolina Panther special team’s coordinator Danny Crossman to the equivalent position who is entering his 11th year in the league. The Bills have a few notable players turned assistants on the staff. The Bills brought aboard prior New York Giants and Oakland Raiders running back Tyrone Wheatley to coach the running backs this is his first year to the league as a coach he spent time in Syracuse under the same position and turned Syracuse rushing game into a strength. The Bills also brought aboard old teammate of Mario Williams in Houston Anthony Weaver, who spent time as an assistant under Mike Pettine in New York. The last notable player turned coach is former New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneer wide receiver Ike Hillard to coach the receiving corps. Hillard is entering is third year in the league as a coach last season, he coached the Washington Redskins receivers.

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The AFC East has been one of the weaker and more dramatized divisions in the NFL.  The division has been dominated by the New England Patriots since Tom Brady has been drafted.  They will be winning the division once again with an 11-5 record, even though the rest of their division has improved with good draft picks and free agent signings.  The Patriots already have their team to contend for another Super Bowl.  Going second in the AFC East will be the Buffalo Bills.  Drafting EJ Emanuel was a very smart decision, he will improve the team very much.  The Bills will finish with an 8-8 record.  Finishing in third place will be the Miami Dolphins.  They will finish with the same record as last year 7-9.  The Dolphins need a little more talent  they will have a winning record.  In the 2014 draft if the Dolphins can clutch and draft key players to help them win, the Dolphins could possibly win the Wild Card.  Finishing in last will be the New York Jets with a 6-10 record.  As much as the Jets think they improved by drafting Geno Smith, they still haven’t figured out the quarterback problem.  After releasing Tebow, and the retirement of Garrard the Jets have Smith, Sanchez, McElroy and Simms as the quarterbacks on the current roster.  Geno Smith is going to be drowned by the media and will finish is career as a bust like the previous two West Virginia quarterbacks to play in the NFL.  The Jets need a new team after getting rid of Revis the Jets only have Cromartie, also they lost Laron Landry.  This season is just going to be a traditional season for the Jets. The Jets are going to be lucky winning more than 25% of their games.

The NFC South is a very strong division with a lot of competitiveness and talent.  The division consists of the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Carolina Panthers.  The Saints missed the playoffs due to the penalties which effected them a lot for half of the year.  Now that the penalties are over with, the Saints will have a comeback year and compete for the first place spot which belonged to the Falcons last year. The Falcons have a lot of momentum going into this year.  The Falcons let runningback Michael Turner go and upgraded by signing runningback Steven Jackson. Also future Hall of Famer, Tony Gonzalez decided to stay another year and try to win his first Super Bowl.  He is one of the best tight ends ever to play.  The Buccaneers are a very young talented team that could have a quarterback change which could be the best thing for them and help them make playoffs. Rookie quarterback Mike Glennon could beat out Josh Freeman. Getting Darelle Revis, former New York Jet cornerback, should help a lot even though coming off a Torn ACL. What hurts them is losing Ronde Barber who just recently retired. Finally the Panthers are the worst team in the NFC South but that doesn’t mean they can’t comeback. Cam Newton, coming into his third year is ready to make a bigger impact then he did his freshman year. He is also coming off of a sophmore slump. The Panthers have a great runningbnack trio after stealing Kenjon Barner out of the 6th round. Panthers also have DeAngelo Williams and another former Oregon Duck runningback Jonathan Stewart.

My NFC South Predictions by record:
1. Falcons (11-5
2. Saints (10-6) Will win Wild Card.
3. Bucaneers (8-8)
4. Panthers (7-9)

The NFC South will not be as tight as a race, it will not be as close as the others but will still have two teams represent the NFC South in the 2013 playoffs.

The NFC North is one of the better recorded divisions in the NFL.  In the last 8 years two of the four teams have been to the Super Bowl. One of the two, which would be the Green Bay Packers, won against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bears otherwise made it to the greatest game but lost to the Indianapolis Colts. The other two teams which would be the Detriot Lions & the Minnesota Vikings are picking up their records as the Vikings made it to the playoffs this year but fell short to their division rival Green Bay, without their quaterback Chrithian Ponder.  The Lions are the only team to really struggle but they have been rebuilding and are about ready to start contending for the first place spot in the north after a great pick up, former runningback Reggie Bush. The Lions will have a great pass & run game.  Also, if the Vikings are in the same situation last year they have a decent quarterback who is better than Joe Webb who has just changed back to wide reciever again, he is Matt Cassel. He is the former starting quaterback of the Kansas City Chiefs who sacrificed his spot to back up Ponder for the Vikings.
My record predictions in the NFC North are:
1. Green Bay Packers (10-6)
2. Minnesota Vikings (10-6) They will get wild card.
3. Chicago Bears (8-8)
4. Detroit Lions (7-9)
This division will be a very close race but the Lions still do not have enough and the Bears losing their former captain still have some positions to fill. All teams had great choices in the draft but not have had an effective free agency game. The best free agent signing would be Tight End Martellus Bennent for the Chicago Bear who last recently played for the New York Giants in the best year of his career.

The NFC West is the strongest division in the NFC. Two of the four teams went to the playoffs, one went to the Super Bowl. Seahawks and the 49ers are two of the best teams in the NFL. They are the reason why the NFC is as strong as it is. They both have had good drafts and good free agent pick ups. The 49ers stole Anquain Boldin for a 6th round pick from the Baltimore Ravens. The Seahawks received Percy Harvin for a couple of draft picks. Out of the NFC West the Arizona Cardinals by far having the best draft. They drafted Johnathon Cooper, Ryan Swope, Andre Ellington, and Tyrann Mathieu. All very talented players and signed Rashard Mendenhall former Pittsburgh Steeler runningback. The only below decent team in the division now would be the St.Louis Rams after losing Danny Amendola to the New England Patriots and Steven Jackson to the Atlanta Falcons the Rams basically have no talent to even come close to first place.

My predictions for the NFC West by record would be:
1. San Francsico 49ers (12-4) They will be going to the Super Bowl.
2. Seattle Seahawks (11-5)
3. Arizona Cardinals (8-8) They will double their wins.
4. St.Louis Rams (5-11)

The NFC East is one of the weaker divisions in the NFC, there is only one steady consistent quarterback in this division. That quarterback would be Eli Manning. The Giants are most likely to win the title once again.

The Cowboys giving Tony Romo a $108 million contract which $55 million is guaranteed. Romo is not what will bring the Cowboys to victory, but for some reason the Cowboys have a lot of trust in Romo and are looking to see great things come out of him. Even though tying with the Giants in 2012, the Cowboys are a very weak team and do not have a lot surrounding them.  That is why they are out of the question of who will win the NFC East title, they will come in third place with about an 8-8 record.

The Washington Redskins will be coming in second place with a 9-7 record.  This will be a tough season for the Redskins because as much as RGIII says he is healthy enough to play, he won’t be as effective scrambling tearing his ACL.  He will be more cautious which will lead to better defense by opponents. Griffin will be lucky to go through this season without getting injured. The Redskins will not be winning a Wild Card.

Who’ll come in last?  The Philadelphia Eagles will be in last place with a 7-9 record.  They have a decent team around them, except for the quarterback position.  They have multiple talented quarterbacks and do not know which one will be starting. Each of their quarterbacks has their flaws. None of them are a Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, also the media will affect them just as they do every year, that is why they will be coming in last place just as last year.

In first place will be the New York Giants. Even though losing multiple key players the Giants had a very well picked draft and signed free-agents that will be steals. If the Giants can keep healthy they should have a 10-6 record and dominate in the playoffs. The key to them winning will be Cruz signing and Nicks staying healthy.
The NFC East will be a very tight race as well as last year.

 Then comes this years 2013 NFL Draft and with the Chiefs sitting atop the board with the #1 overall pick there are obviously no “franchise” quarterbacks to take. We selected offensive tackle Eric Fisher who will now play right tackle for us since we couldn’t get a deal done to send Branden Albert to the Dolphins. Eric played in the MAC Conference in college which is a lower level of competition than any of the other top lineman. He was also a 2-star recruit weighing 240 lbs. coming out of High School, but to his credit he worked his way up into a dominating force in the MAC and one of the best offensive lineman in this years draft. I think Eric Fisher will be a nice addition, but I wanted to take a chance on a quarterback because that’s how you get to the big dance, unless you have one of the best defenses in NFL history.

 In the 3^rd round of the draft we selected tight end Travis Kelce from Cincinnati and running-back Knile Davis from Arkansas. Travis appears to be the most complete tight end in the draft as he is a stout run blocker while having soft hands and good agility in the open field. I fear what this move means for Tony Moeaki; is he finished here in Kansas City or do they give him one more chance to try and be productive while staying healthy? Knile Davis is a blazing fast running-back and to prove that he ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He can also be a battering ram as he has a big frame of solid muscle. In 2010 he was one of the best backs in college football, but then he ended up breaking both ankles at the tail end of that season and in 2011 which cost him the entire season. He came back in 2012, but only managed 3.4 yards a carry and was outshined by Arkansas’ backup running-back Dennis Johnson. If the Chiefs can get Knile to return to his 2010 form then they may have found a hidden gem late in the 3^rd round.

 In the 4^th through 7^th rounds the Chiefs drafted linebacker Nico Johnson from Alabama, cornerback Sanders Commings from Georgia, center Eric Kush from California (PA), fullback Braden Wilson from Kansas State, and defensive end Mike Catapano from Princeton. Nico Johnson is a thumper on the inside which is exactly what the Chiefs need next to Derrick Johnson and I see Nico starting on opening day. Sanders Commings surprised me when I put on his tape as he was always around the ball and making plays so not sure why he slipped to the 5^th round. Eric Kush and Braden Wilson were recently on our podcast where they spoke about being excited for training camp and specifically Braden said that he needed to work on lowering his pad level. Former NFL Scout with the Philadelphia Eagles, Daniel Jeremiah, tweeted out that he loved the Chiefs pick of Mike Catapano in the 7^th round as he believes Mike is a natural pass rusher with great hands.

 The time comes for undrafted rookie free agents to start signing with teams and Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray was linked to the Miami Dolphins early on in the process. When I woke up the next day reports were flying around that Tyler Bray had reached a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. On our podcast Jeffri Chadiha told us that Tyler most likely fell out of the draft because of his maturity problems, but that his arm is NFL caliber. During the NFL Scouting Combine interview Tyler said he is more mature now as those incidents were earlier in his career at Tennessee. He’s also working on becoming more of a leader and I think he can learn that from Alex Smith and Chase Daniel. He definitely has an NFL arm and I compare him with Jay Cutler. Tyler believes so much in his arm talent that he thinks he can fit a ball into the smallest of windows and doesn’t always concentrate on his footwork. If we can get his head right, teach him how to be a true leader of the team, and get him to master his footwork then I believe we may have just found the franchise quarterback we’ve been longing for since the days of Joe Montana and Len Dawson.

http://theoutsiderspodcast.weebly.com/ - Here is our podcast website if you want to catch the podcast with Jeffri Chadia, Eric Kush, & Braden Wilson. You can also find our previous work we’ve done or future work we will do! Thanks for reading and listening! – Noah Gronniger

After being bumped around and the set up man for many a joke, Tim Tebow is looking for a home that can accept his style of play. He knows how to win and has proven it in Denver, but its hard to win anything on the Jets sidelines watching Sanchez clutch defeat out of the jaws of victory. So where is Tebow to go? the Pats? a possibility, yes Brady has a couple more seasons left in him as a star and the face of the NFL in almost every commercial so that would make him a back up for a couple more seasons, Cutler is not very liked but the bears need more than just a new QB and throwing Tebow in that mix would be just like throwing him under the bus.

So lets look at some teams that need or even want a starting QB with playoff experience, and that type of media attention that he draws, yep I can’t think of any, maybe Arena football or even the CFL and if he goes that route then yes he’ll still be playing the game he loves, but will most likely be lost into obscurity as neither of those venues attract much of an American notice.

My advise to Tebow is try to buck up for the Buccaneers, with next seasons schedule set up for them he’s destined to get more starts as a back up when Glennon stays true to form and not hit his receivers. So there is a chance for you Tebow and it looks like sunny Florida Skies maybe in your future.

As the NFL has gone from one extreme to the other, things have gotten out of hand.  When the new CBA was written, I was glad to see they limited the rookies salary.  Why did any player that never played a down in the NFL deserve so much money?  At the same time I think it was clever, but is now ruining the NFL, how the veterans got over on the CBA.   Now they are the ones earning some of the most ridiculous contracts.

Don’t get me wrong, Aaron Rogers is definitely in the top three when it comes to current NFL quarterbacks.  I also have NO problem with Rogers being included in conversations with names like Brady and Manning (Peyton that is).  But to say a man is worth $110,000,000 over the next 5-years is just plain absurd.  Nothing against Rogers, I feel nobody is worth even $15,000,000 a year, so for me to wrap my head around $22,000,000 a year is unimaginable.

Aaron Rogers stats:

Yea, yea.  His numbers are statistically GREAT!!!  The Green Bay Packers just signed Clay Matthews to a 5-year/$66,000,000 contract, making him the highest paid linebacker in the NFL.  In two players you have tied up $176,000,000 over the next 5-years.  So I guess my question would be, how can the Packers afford to build a team when your salary is tied up in two greedy self-centered players?  Probably the best in their respected position, but obviously NOT worried about a ring or what is best for the team.

Let’s break down this situation:

Aaron Rogers alone:

1.) $110,000,000 over 5-years.

2.) $40,000,000 guaranteed.

3.) $22,000,000 each year.

4.) $1,375,000 a game.

5.) $22,916.66 per minute in a game.

6.) $45,833.33 per actual minute played on an average 30 minutes of actual field time. (T.O.P.)

Aaron Rogers and Clay Matthews together:

1.) $176,000,000 over 5-years.

2.) $60,500,00 guaranteed.

3.) $35,200,000 a year.

4.) $2,200,00 a game

5.) $36,666.66 is what they are making combined per minute of a game.

As I am prepared that some will come from this as me saying these two are overpaid and not worth the breakdown.  To you I say, you understand me EXACTLY.  The rest of you will come from this understanding the true point of this piece.  That is: Even though Rogers is worth top dollar, top dollar has become so imbecile that not only is it turning fans off, but ruining the game.

On Wednesday, the Green Bay Packers locked Clay Matthews up in a long-term extension.  Matthews is just one of the two Green Bay elite players looking for contract extensions.  With Aaron Rogers expected to become the new highest paid player in NFL history, was making Matthews the highest paid linebacker really that smart?

Don’t get me wrong, Clay Matthews is definitely worth every penny of this contract.  His stats support his new extension:

With that said, was that really the best move for the Green Bay Packers?  With all the issues this defense has, I can’t say with certainty that this was the smartest move for the Green Bay Packers.  The Packers made significant improvements from the 2011/2012 season to the 2012/2013 season on the defense, but with Matthews eating a big chunk of the salary cap with a 5-year $66 million contract and Rogers talk putting him in the billions, would Green Bay have been better off trading Matthews for a couple key draft picks or a players and a key draft pick?

For a team that has lost key players each year for the last few years, it just doesn’t make since to spend your bank on one player when you could get three players to help improve your team.  The Packers have lost key players on both sides of the ball, but even more importantly, the defense has let Green Bay down since their Super Bowl victory and it needs to be addressed if they expect to ever see a Super Bowl again.

Many will applaud, but some will wonder.  Can the Packers afford to put all their eggs in one basket or should they spread their eggs across many baskets?  As we approach the draft we will soon see how confident they are in their defense.  An offense can get you to the playoffs, but a defense wins a championship.

“I can assure you we’re a lot better football team this afternoon than we were this morning,” Smith said soon after Gonzalez announced on his Twitter feed he will return to the Falcons for the 2013 season.

Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said the new contract for Gonzalez “is not done, but it will be done quickly.”

Gonzalez decided “to give it one more shot” after talking with his family.

I am not sure what the point is, Atlanta can’t cut it with the big boys.  Sure, they can put up a 13 or 14 win season, but when it comes to playing the five best teams in the NFC during playoff time, the Falcons CHOKE!!!

It just seems unneccessary for Gonzalez to put himself through the risk of a serious injury or even worse just to come up short again.  Gonzalez has had a Hall of Fame career and will always be remembered as one of the greatest tight ends of all time.  With a bright retirement starring him in the face, I can only shake my head and wonder why.

Once Gonzalez gets over this one little but important fact, the easier the transition out of the NFL will be.  Gonzalez, you are the Dan Marino of tight ends.

The 49ers acquired wide receiver Anquan Boldin from the Ravens for a sixth-round draft pick.  Boldin, a poor mans T.O. and by no stretch of the imagination a Percy Harvin, will be a good reliable target for Colin Kapernick.

Next on the list, fixing one of the weakest secondaries in last years playoffs.  In all actuality, the 49ers have plenty of talented receivers, secondary is where their focus should have been in the first place.  The trio of – Percy Harvin, Sydney Rice and Golden Tate, is going to rip this defense to shreds.

It will be interesting to see who the 49ers pursue next.  Will it be an aging veteran like Charles Woodson?  Could they lean towards a veteran that is young and has something to prove like Nnamdi Asomugha?  Or maybe they will get sucked in paying too much for a washed up egotistical Darrelle Revis?

Either way, they are no longer focused on getting pieces to make a Super Bowl return, now their focus is keeping up with the “Joneses”.

Harvin, Minnesota’s moody and multi-talented young wide receiver, will join the Seahawks for a package of draft picks that include Seattle’s first-round selection, the 25th overall selection.

The 24-year-old Harvin will give second-year quarterback Russell Wilson a dynamic playmaker not yet at his peak.

With Harvin on one side of the field and Sydney Rice on the other, Seattle might just have the most dangerous tandem for the 2013-2014 season.

Then you throw in QB Russell Wilson, RB Marshawn Lynch, WR Golden Tate, TE Zach Miller and not to mention the Seattle Seahawks defense, who can stop this well balanced team?

What was once the 49ers’ conference to lose, has become Seattles’ conference to dominate.

What You Should Know about the NFL Franchise Tag Craze

By Sophia Stanton-Cross

Okay, so here we are: miles away from so much in the NFL world: The NFL Draft, the training camps, the pre, regular AND post season…and of course…the Super Bowl itself.   Yet, the huge announcement has been made: the NFL Franchise craze is underway!

Now for many people, it’s an exciting moment for their team and they are amped up about it.  Yet in all honesty, many folks are lost in all of the “Franchise Tag” hype.  

Well, before you become another lost number in the crowd, take a read at this information here.

According to the famous Wikipedia,

“In the National Football League, the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team has access each year to only one franchise tag (of either the exclusive or non-exclusive forms) and one transition tag. As a result, each team may only designate one player each year as that team’s franchise player. It has been designed to reduce player movement (often to bigger markets) which is often evidenced in other major pro sports leagues.

Usually reserved for players of great skill or of high importance to the team, a franchise tag allows a team’s general manager the privilege of strategically retaining valuable free-agent players while seeking talent through the NFL draft or other acquisitions without exceeding the League’s salary cap. A team may also franchise tag a player with 2 or more years left on a contract…”

So basically, what it means is that it’s a way for coaches and owners to keep their most valuable asset in their possession.  It also helps the team in the salary cap and/or the franchise’s finances.   Now let’s not forget to mention that the team can also exercise the option to NOT use the Franchise tag at all for any of its players. 

So far, players to mention that have been tagged are: Wes Welker (New England Patriots), Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints), Fred Davis (Washington Redskins), DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia Eagles), Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens), Matt Forte (Chicago Bears), Michael Vick (Philadelphia Eagles), Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts).  Of course, there are countless others to mention.

To many fans, it’s a time that holds some value in the NFL due to the fact that both the fans as well as every NFL franchise will love to see the face that will represent the entire franchise.  Many coaches and/or owners go through the roster with a fine tooth comb in order to select that ONE main player that will “carry the torch” for the entire team.  I am sure that for the team’s that have actually used the NFL Tag, they may agree that the right choice will add more popularity to the team…which usually means more cash in the team’s pocket.

So, with the knowledge of the benefits that comes with the NFL franchise tag, is there a downside to it?  Well, depends on how you look at it.

Some may say that one downside of the tag is that for those that actually desire to become a free agent once the season is over?  Keep in mind that although the tag option is 100 percent optional, situations can spring up.  For example, let’s say that the franchise wants to pick a particular player for the tag however he’s expressing that he wants to take a gamble with the NFL free agent AND after analyzing the entire situation, this player is a HUGE asset to the team.  The pressure’s on HEAVY!  So, what does one do?   It’s just like the famous question from the movie “War of the Roses”  “How do you keep someone who wants to go and how do you get rid of someone who wants to stay?”

Another downfall to it is that what if the “wrong choice” was tagged?  If many fans judge the franchise according to the “tagged” player, many will argue that if the wrong player was “tagged” or they thought someone else was better, what happens then?  Will the choice come back to haunt them? OR can it still be worked out in their favor? 

Okay, so with the info and the playing field set up and explained, the next question is: WHO will be (or SHOULD BE) selected to wear the Tag? To many of the fans, that is where the fun part comes in. According to @tuckjt, he says that Keller should get the tag (yet he knows someone who deserves it more than he does.) When it comes to the New England Patriots, it’s honestly hard for me to say who should get it.  One player that will NOT be tagged this year is Wes Welker, one player that has been tagged before.  In fact, I would not be surprised if they along with other teams in the NFL do not exercise their option to tag this season. 

The NFL franchise tag is one of the many situations that come with both a gift and a curse.  As many philosophers would tell the coaches and owners of every franchise-two simple words: “choose wisely”

Until we meet again, may your days be sweet and your nights be sinful and delicious.

-Sophia Stanton-Cross

*Quick update: it has been announced that the vast majority of the NFL teams, including the Patriots, have decided to NOT use the Franchise Tag option.  Only a total of eight teams have actually used the option in comparison of 20+teams that used it last season.

Second- There are numerous free agent wide receivers this off-season that would absolutely love a shot at a title with the Patriots, not least of which is Julian Edelman, his current Patriot teammate. Edelman played on only 24% of the offensive plays but does know the offense well. He likely would be in line to snap up a bunch of Welker opportunities should he return and Welker leave.  Other unrestricted free agents available to the Patriots if need be are: Mike Wallace, Danny Amendola and Greg Jennings, all of whom will be looking for roughly the same money as Welker.  The next tier has Brian Hartline, Josh Cribbs, Randy Moss,Braylon Edwards and Brandon Gibson. This group has a lot of talent and in the right system,(see first problem above) could flourish.  Furthermore, this lot could be had for about 40% of what Welker will be demanding. Knowing what I know about the Patriots and their outlook for this year, they will be addressing the defensive side of the ball more so than the offensive side. Supply and Demand is alive and well this off-season much to Welker’s chagrin.

Third- Wes Welker has a heart. He cares about what others think of him. In this day and age, there are players who are not “all about the Benjamins.” Wes Welker is one of those guys. Sure he would like to snatch up a huge payday like a ten yard bullet pass from Brady, who wouldn’t? But there are other intangibles that are to be considered, namely will he have as much success on any other team? I don’t see that happening, so does he swap fame for fortune? I say he doesn’t. Staying on the Patriots, where his comfort level is off the charts, for a few more years will do nothing but cement his legacy as one of the best wide receivers of his generation,and possibly write his ticket to Canton and the Hall of Fame.  If he leaves, he starts over with a new QB, a new offense, new coaches etc. This may allow him to leave a bigger tip at the local restaurant or perhaps fatten up his retirement accounts a bit more, but at what cost?  His personal success will almost certainly suffer. His numbers over the next four or five years will be much lower than if he stayed, so much so that instead of fans being able to hear his Hall of Fame speech they will be saying, Wes Welker? Wasn’t he the guy that was really good on the Patriots and then stunk when he left in 2013. Man, he should have stayed with Brady, he would have had a couple more rings, and he would have been a sure-fire Hall of Famer. What an idiot that guy was for leaving, he had it made there.

Wes Welker cares about his legacy. He doesn’t want to hear that crap about being money hungry or greedy. He already knows there isn’t a better situation on any other team for him, so why leave? The money? Nah, that’s not his style. I say he follows Brady’s lead, takes a contract that doesn’t pay him top dollar, but is in the ballpark, and lets the Patriots use the remaining cap space for one or more of the defensive pieces needed for their championship run. I say he stays until Brady is done, and both of them leave together, and both end up in Canton together, maybe even introducing each other at the podium. That’s the way it should be. That is what is meant to be.  Better yet, maybe Giselle can introduce both of them, I can picture it now…” Here is my husband Tom Brady. He was the greatest QB ever. Period.” Then she could say, “And here is Wes Welker, he caught the balls that Tom threw to him, he caught them all, except that one in the Super Bowl, catch the f***ing ball!” Or something like that…..Yea, I can see it now.