WELKER AND PATRIOTS FACING BIG FINANCIAL GAP

[RoanokeFan]

WELKER AND PATRIOTS FACING BIG FINANCIAL GAP

"The Patriots and Wes Welker have until 4 p.m. July 16 to complete a contract
extension or Welker has to play out the 2012 season under the franchise tag for
$9.515 million, Greg Bedard of the BostonGlobe
reports. His contract can’t be extended until after the last regular-season
game.

Both sides have been respectful of each other during the process,
but if you read between the lines, owner Robert Kraft has stated the club’s
position. Kraft said both sides want to complete a deal, but “it requires
intelligence” and “what’s going to happen in the next few years with the cap,
you have to have a core group of players that you can plan around as the
foundation of your team.”

Basically, the Patriots want Welker to take a
bit of a discount to stay with Tom Brady. Welker, meanwhile, wants a deal that
guarantees him just below the $21 million he would get paid playing two years
under the franchise tag.

You’re talking about a distance in the range of
around $6 million in guaranteed money.

That’s not to say the sides can’t
agree. The Patriots could very well give in a little bit at the end."

[jomo]

I hope they pay him a boatload of money leaving limited resources to round out the roster.</P>


It sounds like Kraft is trying to do it thoughtfully though.</P>

[THE_New_York_Giants]

I hope they pay him 10 years 400 million. That way they'll be irrelevant.

[NYGRealityCheck]

The Patriots definitely have full leverage here even if they pretty much make Brady's favorite WR unhappy by playing under the tag. Brady's got other reliable targets on the field than Mr. Drop a superbowl-clinching pass and getting blasted by Brady's wife after.

[THE_New_York_Giants]

[quote user="NYGRealityCheck"]The Patriots definitely have full leverage here even if they pretty much make Brady's favorite WR unhappy by playing under the tag. Brady's got other reliable targets on the field than Mr. Drop a superbowl-clinching pass and getting blasted by Brady's wife after.[/quote]

I wish Mrs. Brady would blast me... in bed