Welker, who was a high
school star at Oklahoma City’s Heritage Hall, signed a two-year contract
with the Denver Broncos for $6 million a year after last season.
Kraft
tried to blame Welker’s agent, David Dunn, saying that Dunn had
misjudged Welker’s value and the Patriots offered the receiver a better
deal than Denver. That explanation sounds good, and some Patriot fans
might buy it, but Welker didn’t do himself a disservice by jumping to an
American Football Conference rival. After all, Denver is a legitimate
contender for the Super Bowl next season.
Whether
it’s Tom Brady or Peyton Manning throwing the ball, Welker is the
winner. Continuing to make millions, being in a place where you’re
wanted and catching balls thrown by a future Hall of Famer can’t be all
bad.
In this case, Kraft wasn’t so crafty. (Apologies.)
This article appears in Mar 20-26, 2013.