Free agency on speed: New England Patriots sign Wes Welker
New England Patriots have traded two picks to Miami Dolphins for restricted free agent Wes Welker, a speedy wide-out and kick-returner with good hands and legitimate big-play ability.
Here’s Bill Belichick going on and on about Welker prior to New England’s first game against Miami last season:
I think this is a big challenge for us this week. Wes Welker, this guy is a really, really good returner. Punt and kickoffs. We’ve seen some real good guys like [Terrance] McGee opening day, but he only did kickoffs. Welker is a guy that has the ball in his hands on both and he’s extremely dangerous on both as well as offensively as a receiver. I think we have a big challenge with him…Last week it was how well we played against Cincinnati and their kicking team units. I think this is a big challenge this week. I think it’s a little bit of a different challenge because of Welker.
Q: Why are some guys better at punt return than maybe at kick return?
It’s good to have strength, speed, and quickness and then no matter what you’re dealing with, you have a good way to handle it, if you have the ball in your hands. If you only have one or two of those, I’m sure they’re all good returners, but I’m saying really at the exceptional level, like with Welker, he’s very fast and he’s very quick so he’s tough on kick returns because he built so much speed and he’s so fast getting to the hole and he’s quick to make people miss, whereas on punt returns he is quick to make people miss and then once he gets a little bit of space then he’s fast and that’s where a fast punt returner is really dangerous because when you’re covering a punt, you just aren’t covering with as many fast people as you are with the kickoff.
In that game, Welker had 9 catches for 77 yards, 4 kick-off returns for 103 yards and 2 punt returns for 9 yards. He set up Miami’s only touchdown with a 25-yard reception.
In his rookie year, Welker handled kicking for the Dolphins after the team’s kicker managed to get hurt.
