FOXBORO -- With his last hope for a long-term deal come and gone just 10 days ago, the failure of it all is still fresh for Wes Welker. The Patriots receiver was peppered with contract questions on the first day of training camp.
"Everyone tried -- I tried, they tried -- and it just didn't work out," he told reporters. "It's in the past and we're moved on to this season, which we expect to be a good one. We're working towards it and we're working hard to have a great season this year."
Try as he might to focus on football, Welker couldn't shake free of money talk. Which is the basis of his whole offseason issue -- the two are indelicately intertwined.
He'll play out this one-year, 9.5 million franchise tag and have to deal with the situation all over again.
Isn't that frustrating? To prove your mettle again after a 122 catch, 1,569 yard, 9 touchdown season in 2011?
Welker scoffed.
"You've got to prove yourself every year. There's no year when you don't need to prove it.
"I'll approach it like any other year: Go out there and try to help my team win games. That's the bottom line for me and that's where my focus is. Whatever my role is, I just want to go out there and help the team win."
Through it all, Welker insists he doesn't take the lack of a long-term deal personally.
"I understand the business side of it," he said. "I'm not worried, really. I'm excited about this year and I'm excited about what we can do as a team."