Boston Globe, 30 min ago:

After a record-setting six seasons with the
Patriots and Tom Brady, Wes Welker will
be catching passes and bouncing off
tacklers for another team and quarterback
— New England nemesis Peyton Manning.
...
Welker on Wednesday agreed to a two-
year contract worth $12 million
guaranteed with the Denver Broncos, one
of the Patriots’ chief rivals in the AFC.
...
Why did it come to a divorce between
Welker, who was beloved by fans and
teammates, and the Patriots?
In the end, it was about respect. Welker
never thought the Patriots showed
enough.
... Welker led the NFL in catches (672) and
yards (7,459) since 2007, his first season
with the Patriots. He is the only receiver
in league history to post five 100-catch
seasons, and he and Andre Johnson of the
Texans are the only ones to have 18
games with 10 or more receptions. Welker
stands as the Patriots’ career leader in
receptions.
...

The Patriots’ first offer this offseason
came in much lower than Welker
imagined at two years and $10 million
plus incentives. That told Welker two
things: His value in the Patriots’ eyes
hadn’t changed, and it was time to look
for another team.
...

the decision for Welker
was easy. He was off to play with two
very good outside threats in Demaryius
Thomas and Eric Decker — something he
never had in New England — and another
Hall of Fame-bound quarterback in
Manning.

I bet brady is pissed. he takes less money so they can sign other guys and then they lose his favorite target.

Peyton was great last year and now he has a full year of experience with his two top targets PLUS Welker. He may have just become the #1 pick in a lot of fantasy leagues.

Amendola seems like the perfect replacement for Welker and could potentially put up the same kind of numbers. Brady has a right to be upset although the thinking is that the Pats will upgrade their outside WR position by replacing Lloyd with someone else. Gronk, Hernandez, and Amendola are good enough to score points but they really need another WR to stretch the field.

Shouldn't come as any surprise, The Pats front office isn't known for overpaying for anyone.

Not sure how he's going to be more productive with Manning then he was with Brady. I mean, he did avg over 100+ catches the last 3 years in NE. What are we going to see him do with Manning that we didn't already see him do with Brady?

Win a Super Bowl.

That remains to be seen.

I don't think Welker will be more productive and possibly not even as productive but they don't really need him to be with two other good WRs. While the Pats don't overpay, it was interesting how much they immediately gave Amendola given his history of injuries. Almost seemed like a final slap in the face to Welker.

I keep hearing how Brady is pissed because of how he accepted a lower contract a few years back and the Pats then released his favorite WR (Branch) and then again restructured, only to now lose Welker. I remember Brady's wife bashing Welker after the SB (year before last) and wonder if there was any strain in their relationship after that incident.

Welker going to Peyton and the Broncos makes the AFC that much more interesting. I've never had any strong feelings in the Brady/Peyton Manning battles over the past few years but think I'm starting to root for the Broncos. Mostly because of Trindon Holliday (D. Thomas was also on my fantasy team) and it would help if they brought back Hester.

in an interesting twist, the Patriots say they offered Welker a better offer than the Broncos

CBS Sports:

Pats owner Bob Kraft said on Monday at the NFL owners meetings in Arizona that the Pats absolutely wanted Welker back and that their offer was "better than what he got in Denver."

That statement was part of a lengthy and borderline emotional statement from Kraft when asked about Welker's departure from New England. It was a strange scene indeed, with the Pats owner clearly upset by not just Welker's departure but the way it was portrayed in the media.

"We usually don't talk about contracts, but I'd like to clear up what I think are some misconceptions about the Wes situation," Kraft said. "I'll go into limited financial details -- but everyone in our organization wanted Wes Welker back. And anyone who doubts that or doesn't think we're serious just doesn't get it."

Kraft cited the two-year deal that Welker received in Denver and specifically compared the financials that Welker received from Denver against the last offer that New England had on the table.

..."He accepted a deal in Denver which was less than what we offered him. Because in fact he has a one-year deal in Denver for $6 million. Our last offer before we thought we were going into free agency was a $10 million offer with incentives that would've earned him another $6 million if he performed the way he has the previous two years.

"But in Denver he's going to count $4 million against the cap the first year and $8 million the second year and there's no guarantee he plays the second year. So he will get $6 million the first year. Our deal he would've gotten $8 million the first year, with our last offer to him."

Also, not sure if it had anything to do with his decision to leave the Pats but remember Welker cleverly mocking Rex Ryan's wife's foot fetish videos. It was the week of their playoff matchup and a few weeks after the Pats destroyed the Jets on MNF. The Jets shocked the Pats in the playoffs and it felt like a bit of karma for Welker and the Pats.

So to recap: Welker feels somewhat responsible for the playoff loss to the Jets. Then the following year, he drops a pass (somewhat tough catch) in the SB against the Giants that would have allowed the Pats to run out the clock and win the game. Finally, this past season, the Pats lose to possibly their biggest rival over the years (Ravens) and his wife gets into a big media story by ripping on Ray Lewis. Guessing he just wanted out of New England, even though the fans there loved him.