There's been a lot of "will they, won't they" talk regarding the Patriots and Wes Welker's contract status.
He's due for a contract of some kind, whether it's a franchise tag or a multi-year deal. If not, he'll hit free agency this season.
Ron Borges of the Boston Herald writes that Welker won't be getting tagged, and won't get a good offer either - and he has nobody to blame but himself:
While there is no replacement for Welker on the roster, that wont matter. Neither will the Patriots abysmal record of drafting wideouts. The Patriots are simply not going to put an 11.4 million franchise tag on Welker, someone with intimate knowledge of the teams thinking said. Nor is he going to get an offer better than the one he turned down in 2011.
Borges goes on to say that if Welker wanted a deal, he should have taken the same approach that guys like Richard Seymour, Logan Mankins, and Deion Branch tookholding out.
Welker didn't do that, and it will be he who pays the price.