New England Patriots: Reaction to Wes Welker's Comments on the Franchise Tag

At today's Nike NFL uniform ceremony, the big news for the New England Patriots had nothing to do with their new duds and everything to do with a contract situation that could get as ugly as the new-look Seattle Seahawks unis.

But then again, if Wes Welker's words are true, things may not get ugly at all. At least, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (per Mike Reiss), who asked whether or not Welker was okay with the franchise tag.

"Yeah, for sure. It will be half of what I made my whole contract this past [time] around. Not too bad," Welker said.

Maybe this could be cleared up quickly. Or maybe not.

According to Albert Breer of NFL Network, there were three words he used that could really paint the picture for an ugly future:

"

Asked Wes Welker if he plans to report to the Patriots offseason program in 2 weeks, he responded, "I don't know."

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 3, 2012"

Then again, "I don't know" isn't exactly the same as "I plan on holding out."

The comments themselves don't mean anything one way or the other. Welker is still hopeful for a long-term deal, and signing the tender might cut into his leverage in those negotiations. In that sense, Welker's comments are a smart business move more so than an indication of his true feelings on the matter.

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