Needing to act fast, the New England Patriots agreed to a five-year, $30 million deal with wide receiver Danny Amendola on Tuesday — the day before Wes Welker flew to Denver to work out a deal with the Broncos.
There were reports that Welker went back to the Patriots on Wednesday to give the Pats one last chance to match or beat the two-year, $12 million Denver offer.
But a source close to Amendola said that couldn't be true because the former Rams receiver's deal had already been completed by then. The Pats had no need to sign both receivers.
Talks with Welker apparently broke down over the weekend after the Patriots reportedly offered him a two-year, $10 million deal, with incentives that could have maxed out at about $16 million. Welker's agent, David Dunn, had been letting people know the market for Welker was between $8 million and $9 million per year.
The Pats were forced to act quickly, and not wait for Welker, because Amendola had "other options," according to the source,
Amendola's agent, Erik Burkhardt, said he could not confirm or deny the story.
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