The New England Patriots again came up of another Super Bowl with a devastating 28-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game.
The Pats are still a really good team and with a few upgrades can definitely return to the Championship game or more. Part of the re-tooling phase will be what the team chooses to do with pro bowl wide receiver Wes Welker.
The 31-year-old Welker is set to become a free agent after finishing the year with a team-high 118 catches and 1,354 yards to go along with six touchdowns.
Welker who was franchised last year can be tagged again by the team, but as Tom Brady told WEEI via ESPN Boston, he hopes the team re-signs Welker.
“I think those business parts of the game are … those usually take care of themselves,” he said during his weekly interview with the “Dennis & Callahan Show” on Boston sports radio WEEI. “Certainly I’m not involved in any of those.”
“Everybody knows how I feel about Wes, our whole team feels that way about Wes,” Brady said. “He’s just one of the best players I’ve played with and played against. He’s just a phenomenal player, and he’s been the heart and soul of what our team is all about. He’s been so selfless and the way that he carries himself and commits himself to help our team win, it’s second to none. But like I said, those aren’t my decisions.”
I still think the Patriots are a game changer on the outside away, but they’ll be back.