With slightly less than a week to go before the window closes on a long-term deal between the Pats and receiver Wes Welker, a source with knowledge of the negotiations tells PFT that the two sides remain very far apart, “literally and philosophically.”
Greg Bedard of the Boston Globe reported over the weekend that the gap is roughly $6 million in guaranteed money. Shalise Manza Young of the Globe followed up with a report that the two sides plan to work to close the gap this week.
Our source says that there may not even be much discussion this week, given the divide.
If they don’t get it done, Welker would play under the franchise tag this year, and then the Pats would have to decide whether to give him a 20-percent raise over his $9.515 million salary to tag him again in 2013.
Meanwhile, Tom Curran of CSN New England joined PFT Live on Monday to talk about the situation, how it compares (or doesn’t) to Randy Moss in 2008, and various other topics related to the team Curran covers like that nasty stuff on the outside of Boston baked beans.
That was supposed to come off as a compliment. Oh well.