Peyton Manning's new toy, premier slot receiver Wes Welker, appears happy in the Mile High air of Denver, and said he's glad to be free of mean, old Bill Belichick.
Speaking of his time in New England as Tom Brady's safety blanket, Welker described the difficulty of dealing with the abrasive Belichick. It was just kind of hard," Welker said. "One of those deals where you have to endure him, put up with him. ... But he does it to everybody. It's the way he is."
Welker also discussed his bruised feelings when the Patriots gave him the cold shoulder this offseason, despite his 100 percent effort during his tenure in Foxborough and his massive level of production.
"There were only two places I was going to play [Denver and New England], in my mind," Welker said. "You always think you're one of those players who will be in one place the whole time, one of those guys they'll never let leave because you play hurt, do what it takes. But it's a different age. A lot of coaches, they like having younger guys. This game's so tough on you, it's all about, 'How many more hits can you take?' So they buy low, sell high. It's a numbers game."
Welker has been replaced in New England by Danny Amendola, but his shoes could be too large for anyone to fill. Despite being 32 years old, Welker's numbers were top-notch and he showed little signs of slowing down. In the last two seasons Welker's amassed 240 catches, 2,923 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Amendola fits the Welker profile, and become known throughout the league for reeling in a high volume of passes, but his durability has come under question. Amendola has played all 16 games of a season just once in his career, and has only suited up for 12 games in the past two seasons.
In his 11 games last year with the St. Louis Rams, Amendola hauled in 63 passes for 666 yards and three scores. That line illustrates the risk New England has shouldered for the younger target, rather than paying the reliable old guard. The production could look like Welker's, but will it last?
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