In the past few weeks, Wes Welker's future has been put into question. The Denver Broncos announced they would be ending all mid-season contract negotiations in order to eliminate distractions. That means Welker will be fighting for a new deal alongside the likes of Julius Thomas and Demaryius Thomas amongst others. That does not bode well for the receiver who has dealt with concussion and suspension issues. Is Welker playing his final year in Denver?
Welker continues to be a dominating threat on the field for the Broncos, but is he considered expendable thanks to the rise of Emmanuel Sanders and Julius Thomas? One could argue Welker is actually making all of those players better by being on the field. Bleacher Report makes the argument that players like Demaryius and Julius have both improved with Welker on the field. Demaryius was forced to play the slot with Welker out and his numbers certainly suffered. However, now he is back in his position and leading.
"I don't know if many people knew this, but the first thing was I had to play slot because [WR Wes] Welker was out, and I'm not used to that," Thomas said, via Bleacher Report. "I knew if it was, like, 3rd-and-5, Peyton always went to Welker, and I knew if I'm not open, he's going to be on me. So I was thinking when I got the ball coming my way, I would drop it, and the first one I dropped, I let it get to my head, 'I'm letting down Peyton, I'm letting down my team.' It was just being back in my position and being more comfortable."
Welker will be a player to watch when the year is over. His contract demands will determine his future. Welker left the New England Patriots because they would not give him the deal he wanted and he could easily do the same with the Broncos. Welker must lower his price demands considering his concussion history and that little suspension for violating the NFL drug policy.
Both Demaryius and Julius will get priority in new contracts. They both came close to signing deals in the offseason, but failed to secure everything. Denver has no plans on letting them go, but that could mean Welker is left out. Plenty of teams will be ready to sign him including the Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders and Carolina Panthers who are all lacking in the receiving department this season.
