When Wes Welker decided to sign his $9.5 million franchise tender he wrote on his @weswelker Twitter account that it was a "#leapoffaith."
Some took that leap as a good sign, not just that Welker was now under contract for 2012 but that it might signal that a long term deal might be in the works.
Two days later, it doesn't sound that way. Certainly from Welker's viewpoint.
"There have been talks, but nothing that's brightened anything at all," Welker told the Boston Herald on Thursday. "It's actually gotten worse."
When the Herald asked him to define the word "worse," the Pro Bowl receiver apparently said the offer on the table is less than the two-year, $16-million guaranteed contract the team reportedly offered him during last season.
Then why did Welker sign the tender? Sounds like it's simply because it's not his style of hold out and miss being with his teammates.
"(Organized team activities) are about to start. The team's all getting together. You get all these months off and everything else. I don't know, you're just kind of bored," Welker told the Herald. "You want to be up on the field. You want to be up there competing and trying to get better. You kind of miss it. You want to be out there. It's kind of hard. You're getting told to do this, this, or that. You're getting all this information. You don't really know who to believe or what to go with. I think at the end of the day for me, if I go out there and keep playing great football like I have been for the past five years, eventually, it'll pay off.
"If they see me out there at OTAs and minicamps and everything else, and I'm still out there winning and doing what I need to do to help the team win, you know what, the ball's in their court to make something happen. That's kind of my mindset. To go out and show them I deserve it."
He also wasn't comfortable taking the harder-line negotiating style that he dabbled with a bit last month in the media.
"I think those techniques work better with other teams. I think the best thing you can do, as far as the Patriots, is be there and let them make the decision if they want to do something longterm or not," Welker told the Herald. "Obviously, I want to be there. I want to help the team win. I want a championship and all those things. I'm trying to do everything to make that happen, and I'll let everything else take care of itself."
Sounds in the end that Welker has simply decided to do what he feels is right and will leave the rest of this negotiation story up to the Patriots.
"The ball's in their court. I just want to play," he said. "At the end of the day, if it's one year, $9.5 million, it's one year, $9.5 million. I'm good with that."
What do you think of Welker's latest comments and decision to sign the tender? Do you think the Patriots will give him the long term deal he is looking for? How much would you give Welker? Let us know with a comment below!
