Getty ImagesAfter six seasons with the New England Patriots, Wes Welker is leaving for the Denver Broncos.
Welker and the Broncos agreed to terms on a two-year contract today, Broncos front office boss John Elway announced.
In his six seasons in New England, Welker was consistently one of the NFL’s best wide receivers, catching more than 110 passes in five different seasons. He was also a fan favorite and a favorite of his teammates, and there was a great deal of talk in New England that one way or another, he and the team would find a way to get a deal done.
But it didn’t happen. Welker and the Patriots disagreed on what kind of contract he was worth, and when Welker was still available 24 hours into free agency, the Broncos swooped in and made him the deal he was working for.
Now Welker leaves one AFC title contender for another, and leaves Tom Brady for Peyton Manning.
UPDATE 5:09 p.m. ET: It’s a two-year, $12 million contract for Welker.
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Dream team? LOL?
LOL Patriots.
Oh my god. I can like him again!
Nice pickup for Denver.
Ouch!
Manning there is nomore excuses!! lol
Wow. Denver-San Fran Finals next year?
the will still go one and done with manning
2 years is perfect cause he’s off the books when Thomas becomes a free agent. There should be no question now, John Elway has the Broncos all in to win the Super Bowl this year!
Amendola to the Patriots is a guarantee now.
I know who i’m getting on my fantasy team!
Merry Christmas, Peyton!
Bye Bye Patriots Dynasty
Take That PATS fans with ya’ll video taping asses…
#BroncoNation
Its always nice to see anything that may upset Tommy.
Uh oh. Broncos will make it to the AFC championship game only to lose to the Bengals! Who Dey baby!
Welker and his agent have played their cards quite well over the past two offseasons!
good pick up for our offense but dam we better not lose dumervil we need defense back and running back still to
Boom!! Black and Decker combined with welker? Sounds like a damn good relieving corp to me.
Gotta keep the greedy Swamp Boy happy.
Decker, Thomas and now Welker. That is a RIDICULOUS receiving core!
Somewhere Tom Brady is quaking in his man Uggs.
I will laugh if the Patriots lowball Amendola and he just re-signs with the Rams.
I can hear it now…the genius Belichick had a plan to bring a younger,”WES WELKER” in Danny Amendola!
they find a safety who can cover the deep ball yet?
bucrightoff says:
Mar 13, 2013 5:00 PM
Amendola to the Patriots is a guarantee now.
=================================
Nope, Belichick is not reactionary. He didn’t overpay to keep his own guy. Why would he overpay for someone else’s guy?
Fascinating move by New England. My guess is Denver paid him 20 million over 2 years, with 13-15 guaranteed.
What will be more interesting will be to see what New England’s offer was.
Thing I don’t understand, if you let Lloyd go, and now Welker is not a Patriot, what are their plans for WR’s?
They days of Caldwell as a top target make me sad.
Ha ha! I love it. The Patriots disrespect of this great player came back to bite ‘em. Glad he’s now with a classy organization like Denver and with no drop-off in his new QB no less!
-Titans Fan
patriot are getting amendola for sure that good pick up for them to if they get him
I called this 2 days ago. Welker will get the ultimate revenge by winning a ring and beating the Patriots… and a Josh McDaniels like celebration after.
Welker agrees to terms with Broncos. Edelman prepares for his first 100 catch season.
So does this mean Jennings to New England? God I hope not.
Loved Wes, but it was time for him to go. Patriots have too much invested in Gronkowski and Hernandez to pay Welker too. Now they can spend some money on improving that secondary!
Big upgrade over Stokley.
I have a feeling Welker wanted to show the Patriots they couldn’t have their way with him. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out.
Wow lots of WR heading west all of a sudden. Crazy!
Annnddd… BOOM goes the dynamite
Welker, tell your wife I’m still waiting on my chicken wings.
2013 NFL Season End Standings
Miami Dolphine 10-6
New York Jets 10-6
Buffalo Bills 10-6
NE Patriots 8-8
Pats swap Welker for Cribbs. Save a lot of money.
Welcome to Denver. Let’s go get a ring!!
Bob Kraft is the biggest cheapskate in New England. Persuades Brady to take less money to “help the team” and then he can’t match 6 million a year? Please sell the team to Mark Cuban, at least he will spend.
Brady will be pissed!
Can not wait for the NFL Season to start…
12 million over 2 years?
I’m stunned.
See ya butterfingers! No but seriously thank you for your time here in New England welker we will miss you
Peyton will get injured and the dreams of Denver go poof
Pats fan here –
D’oh
,
That’s how you call a bluff! It’s going to be interesting to see how this effects the Pats and how Welker does without Brady!
if the reports of 6 mil a year for 2 years is in fact true, shame on the patriots for letting him walk to an AFC rival. shame on the patriots. chad ochocinco was paid $6 mil a season. we better sign end reed.
Well, we’ve got the receiving positions covered. Now let’s get some help in the secondary and an RB who can block…
So this probably means Elvis is about to leave the building.
Good luck Wes.
Better ask Percy about Denver 9ers final. Lol
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Bye Bye Patriots Dynasty
—
Hasn’t that been over for like 10 years? I know the talking heads still love to bring it up but I could swore it’s been over for quite some time.
OK, Pats fan here and NO I am not ready to jump the bridge. The Patriots are going to make A. Hernandez your new slot receiver, Jake Ballard will be playing a role in the tight ends next season and all will be fine. My hope is the Pats take this extra money and spend on some GOOD SOLID defensive players, I would take a few less scored points in favor of less points allowed. Remember technically in the last three years we have been in rebuild mode and who can complain about the results, case closed.
How can they afford so many talent?
Well I guess he was all about the money
Final four will be 49ers, seahawks- Broncos, Texans
I hope Welker has a huge year next year so that all the critics that say he was a product of the system will go away and give this guy the credit he deserves. Welker is a grat player.
Patriots organization 2 years 12 million dollars???
Really you can spend that!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chad Ochocinco got that much!!!!!!!!!
AHHHH!!!!!
Tom is probably not a happy camper right now.
Gee, BB (“BB” is what Belichick lovers call him, you know, the Pats fans who think Belichick never makes a mistake), who do you have at wide receiver? How about an old Brandon Lloyd (who apparently you’re not too fond of) and an even older Deion Branch? I don’t see either of them making over 100 catches next season.
Hey, maybe Jabbar Gaffney is still available–give him a ring.
Just give us the trophy son
Now someone can compete with the scary AFC contending Raivens…
Scary. He won’t catch as many passes as he did in NE but may be more dangerous with better WRs around him
Now everyone will wonder which receiver to target from this team…grrr
Decent move, but definitely doesn’t put them over the top. Get real
wow wow wee wow
Bill better put a leash on Gronk so he doesn’t dance himself into a twisted knee or busted arm because with Wes gone, Brady’s job just got a lot harder. I don’t see any more SB rings for the Pats in my crystal ball.
Welker has got to be one of the luckiest guys ever to play in the NFL. And plenty of talent on top of that. Good for him.
And, mjkelly, why would anyone ever call a player greedy for getting as much as he can from the billionaire owners who low-ball the players every chance they get and gouge the fans – you and me, pal – for every last friggin penny ( now considering charging to attend combines, etc ) I think every player should get everything he can. Without them there is no game to watch.
Makes Miami’s timing look all the more opportune and encouraging.
Nice pickup. Thomas as the big wideout manning the outsides with the silky Welker underneath to control the middle of the field. Manning will target him often. Good snag, Broncs.
Good luck Wes!
In Bill We Trust
Of course many of the people who will comment on the post have alot more knowledge than Bill Belichick on how to handle FA.
Just reported 2 years 12M ? Sounds like the Pats were ready to move on
There’s going to be a lot less “In Bill We Trust” in New England.
we need dt rb and db
$12 million for 2 years?! New England couldn’t stump up that? I’m really surprised. Given how their attempts to “phase him out” at the start of the season, i.e. not well, you’d think that they would value him higher
As a bills fan I’m happy whenever NE looses anyone or anything.
This is what Peyton has never had… A GM willing to tap into free agency to go big to try to win a ring rather than wait for unproven rookies to fill in needs.
Could be a great fit.
Good pickup…but let’s be honest… One hit on Peyton’s neck and the Bronco’s season is over.
Wow. From Brady to Manning…what next, after his 2-year contract expires he goes to play with Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees?
Wow, the Bronco fans in Denver are still whining about how they should have beat Baltimore and would have crushed the 49ers.
When the Dream Team Part Deux goes one and done with Peyton the entire nation is going to hear the collective whine and foot stomp coming from Denver.
How did he get the franchise tag last year from the Patriots for over $10 million, then have a monster year and then get only $6 million a year. He’s only 32 not 36
This is very very dissapointing as a long-time New England Fan.
Patriots have always failed to pay their biggest and best players (minus Brady). Always arrogantly passing on people while attempting to appear ‘schrewd’ in making business decisions, and they dont dissapoint here either.
THis business with trying to phase him out early on after they refused to negotiate, after he was one of the most reliable recievers ever in the game.
As Kraft said “we want welker for life” – How does a 2 year or more contract become out of the realm of possibilities then?
I dont see any more SB rings for Pats in my crystal ball either. Bad move pats, bad bad move.
I’m gonna laugh my ass off WHEN (not if) the Donkeys win ZERO playoff games again.
*wasn’t* a product of the system
Who will drop Brady’s passes now ??
Nice signing, should be a good fit. Now all the Broncos need are 2 safeties that can actually play deep at the end of the game.
How is Manning responsible for the playoff loss last year. The guy threw for 350+yds and they had 30+ pts. Blame goes solely on the defense.
wow. thats cheap. for the patriots to not pay that for him, and to go to a manning offense, is pretty stupid.
now the broncos will destroy the pats. broncos are the easy favorites to go to the superbowl.
Seahawks Jacked up Welker last year, they will smack again in the SB.
Hope the Pats don’t target Cruz now…
That’s okay because when you need Welker to catch a open pass for the game winning touchdown in the super bowl he will drop it.
In a battle of wits I will pick Belichick over Elway. We’ll see how this plays out in 2013.
I bet Welker has over 100 catches.
Perhaps New England can make the Center eligible for passes. Brady is going to have to throw short passes to somebody – may as well be the Center. Oh wait, the Center can’t run for 25 yards making it a 30 yard completion. Oh well, when the Patriots play the Broncos, Brady can throw deep down the middle to Broncos as well.
Being blamed for dropping a badly thrown pass likely had something to do with it.
I think the for BB to go is now. I can’t believe 2 years 12 million was to much. This has been such a bad pattern with him he now needs to be held accountable. The secondary has sucked for so long it is not funny. He can not draft WR’s or secondary at all. Those two reasons are why the Patriots will not win another championship in the BB and TB era. I am in disbelief of the whole way the have handled this. They should of taken care of him long before this year. I would also like to see the coach who is in charge of the secondary be shoved out the door. How many raft picks and free agents does the team need to go through before they say something with the way we do things is not working. Wes best of luck to you in Denver will be watching from N.E.
In response, Reggie McKenzie quickly cut 5 more players.
I’m sad to see Welkah go, but I don’t think he’s as important as he used to be with both TEs over the middle plus Ebert and Slater and maybe Amendola. I think we’ll be ok.
Good fit for Manning, considering Welker is a slot receiver known for his short to intermediate routes, we all know Peyton can’t throw over 25 yards anymore.
we need steven jackson if we are only getting offense better we need a safety like adrian wilson for cheap he good or go after revis trade draft picks and restructure mannings contract
Welker 6yds. and fall down. Good luck with that Denver.
They wouldn’t pay up for a guy at the end of his career but what about for a young player entering his prime like say maybe Victor Cruz. Brady didn’t restructure for nothing. I gotta think this is what the Pats are doing. I’m sure they’d be willing to part with the 29th pick in a weak draft.
Hey Jeff Ireland, this is that awkward moment when you learn Welker went to Denver for less than you paid Brian Hartline.
looks like we are going after only offense and i think d is more important we better not lose dumervil
Definitely 2014 will be the year of the Bronco’s, Super Bowl bound.
Enjoy Welker dropping balls when it really counts Denver! Don’t worry Wes, the Patriots will be just fine without you.
The Pats wouldn’t give him 6 mil a year?!!! I would have thought he could get 9-10 mil!
Pats were given the opportunity to match and chose not to. They have other plans. We’ll see.
Now I’m really thinking the Pats will target Cruz. He makes sense for their offense. If he does, people will forget about Welker REAL quick
Whether Brady is pissed or not isn’t as important as the fact that Welker now has an upgraded QB, and his numbers will show that come 2013 and into 2014.
Unbelievable how cheap the Patriots are. The “Patriot way” apparently means that the player gives everything and then gets screwed by “BB” and Kraft.
This just reveals how stingy teams are. The dude is worth more than that easily. On top of that I have no clue what my Vikings are doing. Are you telling me they couldn’t use Wes Welker for half of what Percy Harvin was looking for?
I’m also concerned Patriots will target Cruz, not only because they need him, but as payback.
Correction:
2013 NFL Season End Standings
NE Patriots 13-3
Miami Dolphine 10-6
Buffalo Bills 6-10
New York Jets 2-14
At least he won’t have to worry about dropping the ball in the playoffs because it’ll be picked before it gets to him.
Roesthlisberger7 Dream Team ? No, but good enough to thump the Pittsburgh hamburglers
Last time Manning had talent on offense like this he threw 49 touchdowns. Elway has done his job and everythings in place to win back to back titles
Not sure how the Pats can go for Cruz if they undervalue the Slot position that much.
Denver will be interesting to watch next year. Welker is an exciting addition. However, I have for years as a Colts fan watched other teams play in the Superbowl, even with a QB named Manning and a stacked receiver corps.
What a great move for DEN and to a lesser degree, Welker, who seemed disrespected in NE. One of Welker’s biggest contributions to that organization has been his durability which is strangely overlooked. How else do you become the only player in NFL history with at least 100 catches in 5 straight seasons?
Welker’s a big upgrade on Stokely for DEN. It also subtracts from NE’s arsenal. And who will NE replace Welker’s production with? Even if they can land Amendola or Edelman can finally pull it off, who says either of those of those guys can finally stay healthy (for the first time in their careers)? Same goes for Aaron Hernandez and Gronk. I would build my fantasy team around all those guys every year but in the NFL, if I’m trying to maintain offensive stability and win, I have to value Welker a bit more than each of them.
I hope not, but I think by mid-season or so, NE misses Welker.
Denver will be unbeatable until the weather gets cold and Peyton falls apart like he always does in the cold. 13-3 and dead in the playoffs. Easiest predicting in football history.
It’s just BB showing 31 other teams how to build a contender(lmao).
The Pats don’t need WW. Who they really need up there is Parcells, along with his grocery list.
Great pickup for Denver , another blow to the patriots . HAHA
You know if this happened 3 or 4 years ago i’d be excited but it isn’t 3 or 4 years ago and welker while still dependable has had a lot of curcial drops in big games and Manning isn’t superman anymore ..they’ll make the playoffs but Super Bowl ..nope
I don’t understand what the big deal is, unless Denver is going to restructure it’s offence Welker will be a bust. He averaged 100+ catches in NE because they targeted him with 3-5 yrd passes 15 times a game. He is a specialist and no good in anything but the slot.
This has probably been said, but what secondary is going to stop a trio of Decker, Thomas and Welker?
I don’t know when the next Denver/New England game is, but it’s going to be interesting.
Sell Out!
Dumb @$$ Kraft! Typical plug-and-play Patriots management philosophy. “Oh, we can just get another WR to replace him.”
Holy hell, anybody but Manning. They’ll bury the Pats if Welker stays healthy.
Any comments from Brady yet? Guess it doesn’t much matter. He’ll toe the company line.
Wes was Brady’s go-to man; they keep re- signing and then letting Branch go; Gronk and Hernandez keep getting injured; the safeties are useless and they’re going to keep Arrington?!? This is absolutely ridiculous! And the winner is: Peyton!
Love Wes and his services for the pats……but remind me, how many Superbowls did he win with pats. Believe me, love me some Welker but 1 catch he’s been famous for making wasn’t made and would have iced Superbowl win #1 for Wes.
Welker better produce now, he wanted a better QB and they got him one…
kidding.
Hard to believe 6 per year for 2 years was the market for that guy, I bet that was the Manning special rate.
malvaren18 says: Mar 13, 2013 5:33 PM
Definitely 2014 will be the year of the Bronco’s, Super Bowl bound.
**********************************************************************
I like Wes Welker, but it’s going to take a lot more than him to to help the Broncos soft defense from letting up fluff-tastic TDs at clutch moments in the game.
Great move Denver.
As a pats fan I’m sorry to see Welker go, but I wish him well. He was a fun player to watch and his so called “drops” always seemed to come when he was hung out to dry. The guy has taken some monster hits, you have to hope his health is ok when he’s done playing this game. Thanks for the years Wes! And good luck!
Forget about the slot. The Pats let Wes go because they know they can find another slot receiver, one who doesn’t drop THE key pass of the season.
But this will really hurt the Pats in punt returns. Welker’s excellence there will be tough to replace. Hard to see Woodhead or Edelman stepping up.
Well, speaking as a Pats fan, I have been dying for them to replace Wes Welker with Lanny Mamendola. I mean Manny is a way bigger name and talent than Wes Welker. This was the plan the whole time, the Pats were going after Sammy Danemmoma for years. I love this guy! It’s all Part of the plan….
Now if they can just make the move and get that aging Brady out of here for a Tannehill or Locker, we’re gonna be all set.
Seriously though, they gave Amendola more than they offered Welker… I want to stick my head in an oven.
How do any of you know that the Patriots DIDN’T offer him as much, or possibly a bit more? Maybe Welker decided it was time to leave based on how he’s been treated the past couple of years. Only reason he had good numbers in 2012 is that Gronk couldn’t stop injuring himself. Otherwise, with a healthy Gronk all season, Welker’s numbers would have been pathetic.
Some of the ‘let’s be real’ Welker points are valid. I can remember the announcers saying, “There’s a catch Wes Welker makes 9 times out of 10 – just couldn’t get his hands on it this time” a LOT in the last two years. I think I actually remember it happening twice in a series this year and joking about it – “this means he has to catch the next 18″.
At any rate, I liked him a lot, and wish the Pats had hung onto him, but maybe it’s not actually ‘head in oven’ time. Good move Denver.
must be a nice career going from brady to manning…but only being remembered for the one time you had butterfingers.
Here come the 8 and 8 triots.