Wes Welker Likely Gone In New England; Should The Colts Pursue?

You're going to see more of these "Should the Colts pursue?" certain free agents stories over the next few weeks. The team has $43.1 million in cap space that it must use in 2013, and despite an 11-5 run last year in the regular season this roster has many holes.

Yesterday, Evan Sidery gave his opinion on whether or not the Colts should trade for disgruntled Vikings wideout Percy Harvin. Today, we catch-up on news out of New England that both Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd could be on the outs.

The Welker news should come as no surprise, and it is he in which we shall focus on in this post. Since he was signed as a free agent by the Patriots back in 2007, Welker has averaged 112 receptions a year.

Averaged!

Deceptively quick and highly intelligent on the field, Welker is capable of lining up anywhere and making an impact in the receiving game. He's ideally suited as a slot receiver.

The reason the Patriots and Welker are potentially parting ways is money. Personally, if I were Welker, I'd walk away from New England as well. He wanted (and deserved) a new contract there, but Bill Belichick and his crew decided to play cheap. When Welker did not sign the long-term extension the Pats put before him last summer, Belichick responded by downgrading Welker's presence in the offense. Welker ended up catching 118 balls for 1,354 yards and 6 TDs in 2012.

He played 2012 under the franchise tag. Now, he's an unrestricted free agent, and if the Patriots were not inclined to give him what he wanted last summer, it seems less likely they'd be willing to fold now. Thus, Welker is a goner in New England.

This begs the question: Would he fit in Indianapolis? Simple answer: Hell yes!

Keep in mind, I'm not a big fan of Welker as a person. He comes off as a bit of a cocky little runt, the kind of person you want to slap and tell "STFU!" when he whines after losing a game. However, there is no denying his talent, and he would fit BEAUTIFULLY into any form of the West Coast offense.

The question is money. Welker will be looking for a Larry Fitzgerald-type deal when it comes to guaranteed money, near $50 million. We're talking $10-$12 mill a year. Whether or not Welker is "worth" that money is irrelevant. The market will determine his worth, and if a team like the Colts is unwilling to give him that money, a club like the Bengals (and their $55 mill in cap to spend) will.