Welker gone, defects to Denver

The battle for Wes Welker is over.  Now comes the war for supremacy in the AFC.

In perhaps the most dramatic storyline of this free agency period, Welker has agreed to terms on a contract with the Denver Broncos, joining forces with long-time rival Peyton Manning.

Jan 20, 2013; Foxboro, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and wide receiver Wes Welker (83) react after a fourth down incompletion in the fourth quarter of the AFC championship game against the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

The deal, rumored to be just for two years, is apparently more in line for what Welker and his agent, David Dunn, had sought all along – and exponentially more than the Patriots “Laughably low” offer that the team made to Welker on Wednesday morning.

The speculation and intrigue surrounding the tense negotiations between the New England Patriots and one of the best receivers ever to wear their colors has been non-stop, but now that the paths are decided, the Patriots can go their way and Welker can go his.

The Broncos now must either be very careful in their negotiations with other players or cut some of the fat off their cap, as they had just over $9 million to play with before starting negotiations with Welker.

For Welker, it’s to a Broncos’ team hell-bent for the Super Bowl with Manning at the controls.  For the Patriots, a perennial contender themselves, it gives them clarity and closure from which we should now see them participate in free agent signings.

In fact, it could be that coach Bill Belichick has been waiting to see where the negotiations with Welker led before implementing his free agency plan, and the Patriots low ball offer submitted to precipitate movement one way or another.

The Patriots have options, as they have been rumored to have St. Louis Rams’ receiver Danny Amendola waiting in the wings and could still sign Julian Edelman, both with the same skill-set as Welker, though Welker had the chemistry with Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady that it would take another receiver time to build…

…and it also could be that the Patriots’ offense just evolves into what it needs to be, perhaps the tight end-centric attack featuring Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski that it was supposed to be last season before Hernandez went down with a serious ankle injury in the second game of the season.

And that being one of the contentions in the Welker camp, that he felt disrespected by the team for not using him in the offense until Hernandez went down.

So what direction do the Patriots go now?  With Bill Belichick at the controls no one really has a clue.  But one thing is certain:  The Patriots are going to look different.