Should the New England Patriots Consider a Reunion with Wes Welker?

You always knew it would come to this, didn't you?

It never felt like Wes Welker truly wanted to leave the New England Patriots to sign with the Denver Broncos back in 2013. 

It always felt like it was only a matter of time before the slot machine was plugged into the Patriots offense once again. Quarterback Tom Brady was always going to hit the little guy for one more pass over the middle, and Welker was always going to turn upfield amid a swarm of linebackers and safeties chasing him down like a pack of zombies in 28 Days Later.

Now we know at least one side is open to a reunion.

"I don't think there's any hard feelings there [with Bill Belichick]. ... Definitely not from my side, and I don't think from his either," Welker said on WEEI's Middays with MFB. "I've never ruled that out."

The question is, should the other side be open to that reunion?

The answer, quite clearly, is no, and there are plenty of reasons why. 

Steven Senne/Associated Press

For starters, Welker wouldn't factor into the starting lineup anymore. The receivers who are competing for those final spots must show at least a little value on special teams, and at this stage in his career, with as many concussions as Welker has suffered, putting him back to return punts could ultimately end his career and potentially further damage his post-NFL livelihood. 

Welker didn't sound too concerned with it, but any team that signs him should be:

"

You know, I think it's more people telling me that make me second-guess myself [on staying in the league despite having had multiple concussions]. But at the same time, I feel fine. ... I feel good about it all. ... A lot of guys played with concussions for the past 50 years. ... A lot of guys are doing well for themselves who've had multiple concussions. Then there's the few that don't.

"

If concussions were the only thing holding the Patriots back, this probably wouldn't be an issue. By simply limiting his role, the Patriots could bring him back without putting him at any major risk—although by the very nature of the way Welker plays the slot position, he puts himself at risk every time he catches a pass. 

That being said, Welker's concussion history is not the only reason the Patriots should take a pass on a reunion with Brady's former favorite target.

Brandon LaFell, Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola are already entrenched as starters, and right now, the only competition at wide receiver is among those who could be backups. 

With Edelman and Amendola still around, there just isn't a huge need for more depth among slot receivers. Edelman and Amendola act as each other's understudies, with one stepping up if the other is unavailable. At best, Welker would join the Patriots as a fourth or fifth receiver. 

Make no mistake, one or two injuries to key players could dramatically alter the picture. For example, linebacker Brandon Spikes also had a messy divorce with the Patriots, but linebackers Jerod Mayo and Dont'a Hightower are both recovering from surgery, which necessitated an influx of depth at the position. 

If anything were to happen to Edelman or Amendola during the offseason workout program, there's no telling where the Patriots would turn to address the sudden lack of depth.

Maybe they would call upon one of their own—a player like third-year receiver Josh Boyce, who's never had much of a chance to show what he can do, or someone like Jonathan Krause, who has been tried as a punt returner at organized team activities.

Or maybe they'd turn to an old friend, someone who knows the system like the back of his hand and is more familiar with the quarterback than anyone else who's currently available.

Welker may not enjoy the same level of success he had from 2007-2012 in the Patriots offense, racking up more than 100 receptions in five of those six seasons, but he still has value in the right situations. Someone will probably give him a chance, but right now, it's safe to say it probably won't be the Patriots.