John Elway, you filthy genius, you. On Wednesday afternoon, Adam Schefter reported that the Denver Broncos have agreed to a 2-year deal with former Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker.
If the Broncos kick off to 2013 NFL Free Agency was good enough with the signing of Offensive Guard Louis Vasquez, re-signing of Defensive Tackle Kevin Vickerson, and re-signing of Safety David Bruton.. they just about topped the cake.
On Wednesday afternoon, first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Broncos reached a 2-year, $12 million deal with star slot receiver Wes Welker.
If the signing for the Broncos wasn’t good enough, the fact that we take away Tom Brady’s favorite receiver makes it all the more sweeter.
Wes Welker reportedly went back to the Patriots to give them a chance to match the Broncos’ offer, to which they apparently did not. Others including myself were wondering if Welker was using the Broncos as a bargaining chip to raise the price up on the Patriots, but it seems as if that were untrue, as the Patriots did not match anyway.
Not only is this a great pick-up period, it’s specifically perfect for the Broncos. We all know who the #1 and #2 receivers are on this roster. Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker. Usually 10 or more yards down-field, and great deep threats. But what about the slot? Many were worried about Stokley’s age being a factor in his ability to be a legit weapon for Peyton in the middle of the field moving forward. Well, Wes Welker completely rids those worries.
Signing Wes Welker can pay dividends for this offense. Imagine what Tom Brady could do with Wes Welker, ten fold. With Welker in the mix, Peyton won’t be forced to throw the ball down-field and be open for bad throws that can end up in interceptions. With Welker, Peyton now has the top dog when it comes to check-down slot receptions. Signing Welker almost eliminates half of the interceptions Peyton would have had next season.
Not only is this such a great signing and make so much sense, especially for only $6M per season (Why in the hell didn’t the Patriots match?), but you take away one of the best guys from an AFC contender, and in this case, rival. This one feels pretty good.
Hopefully the Broncos can continue their stellar 2013 NFL Free Agency by adding a credible running back to line up behind Peyton. Many thought Broncos would be in the mix for Mendenhall, but he signed with the Cardinals earlier on Wednesday. Other options for tailback such as Reggie Bush (Lions), and Shonn Greene (Titans) signed with different teams earlier in the day as well. That leaves Ahmad Bradshaw and Steven Jackson as far as top-end running backs go in this free agent class.
If you’ve already read my column written back on February 22nd about the free agents I’d like to see Denver target, you’d see that I would like either Bradshaw or Jackson. The Broncos could also go running back in the later rounds of the draft after likely selecting a Cornerback in the first round, but I’d like to see them go after Bradshaw, as he is younger and would be cheaper than Steven Jackson. We’ll see what happens!
Until then, what a hell of a pick up by John Elway and the Broncos. They’re preparing to back up Von Miller’s guarantee.
Anthony Rodriguez
Anthony is the Founder, Administrator, Editor and Publisher of Lightning Rod Sports. Originally from California, Anthony has been raised in the Rocky Mountains and Denver area for most of his life. Anthony works with the Emmy-winning student-run T.V. newscast at MSU Denver, The Met Report, as the Assistant General Manager, formerly the Sports Producer, as well as Lead Anchor and Production Assistant. He is currently the Play-by-Play Announcer, Color Commentator, and Production Assistant for the Metro State Broadcast Network, and calls games for Metro State soccer, basketball, volleyball, baseball, and softball as a “Voice of the Roadrunners.” In addition to that work with the Metro State Broadcast Network, Anthony also hosts the monthly 30-minute magazine show called "The Roadrunner Review" which airs on Altitude Sports and Entertainment. He hosts the bi-weekly "KMet Sports Show" on KMET Radio at MyMetMedia.com/KMETSportsShow. He is also the Founder, Administrator, Editor, and Columnist for his own Denver Sports website, LightningRodSports.com. Anthony is also part of the Social Media team at Examiner.com, and has worked with the Altitude Radio Network for the Avalanche and Nuggets. Anthony is a former Producer for Mile High Sports Radio, as well as a former Sports-Talk show host on the LightningRod Radio Network.
