Wes Welker is testing the market for the first time as a legitimate free agent after the New England Patriots decided not to franchise him and the NFL teams in Florida are looking like a solid destination for the receiver, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
According to ESPN.com, the Buccaneers could be a true landing spot for Welker, as they have the money and space to sign him and the desire to upgrade the offense. The team has $32 million in salary cap space and if they decide to make some more personnel moves, it could get bigger.
Welker is looking for a long-term deal and after many productive seasons with the Patriots and being franchise tagged, he can finally look for his market value. Even if the Bucs overpay, they still can have a ton of room under the cap, especially if they release disappointing free agent signing Eric Wright.
The team could use Welker to help Josh Freeman in the short passing game and he could combine with wideout Vincent Jackson to have one of the best wide receiver tandems in the league. The combination could be as successful as Welker was when he was paired with Randy Moss when the Patriots went 18-1 and lost the Giants in the Super Bowl.
Tampa ranked 10th in passing yards last season, but went only 7-9 and had issues scoring during certain games and Welker could help open up the field for Doug Martin and give Freeman a security blanket. Welker has more receptions over the past four years than any other receiver and he is coming off of another productive season with Brady that saw him snag 118 passes for 1,354 yards and six touchdowns.
Mike Williams and Jackson have proven to be explosive players and adding Welker to that mix could create some big opportunities going forward for the Buccaneers. Brian Hartline signed a five-year, $30 million deal, which is good for Welker since his résumé is much better than his. He likely will be looking for more money and with another receiver off the market, the other Florida team could be a fit.
Josh Freeman is entering the final year of his deal and adding another receiver would greatly help the Buccaneers decide if he is their future. The team could also go after Mike Wallace or Greg Jennings, but it is likely Mark Dominik will go after Welker, as he is more of a sure thing.
Tampa Bay went 7-9, but ranked high on rushing defense and had solid production on offense. They could be a few players way from the playoffs under Greg Schiano and even though they lost five of their last six games, they did have a four game winning streak and the did defeat the Falcons to finish the year.
