Is Wes Welker the Patriots top priority? Matt Light thinks he should be

Now the cynics might first think, of course a former player is going to side with the player.

Good point.

However, Light has a pretty reasonable explanation for his defense.

CSNNE:
"If you take the heart and soul away from a team, it's not like open-heart surgery these days. He's a guy that you have try to find a way to make him right. I think he made really good money last year, and I think you can't argue that fact. The way the league is set up right now, there going to be able to push it to the nth degree, but at some point you have to say just do the right thing for the guy, he's been there long enough."

That "heart and soul" thing is the main reason why I think Wes Welker should be at the top of the Patriots list. Tom Brady has referred to Welker as this several times. The receiver's production in New England speaks for itself, but the fact that he is such a huge part of the fabric of that locker room speaks even louder.

It's for that reason that I think you can't let Welker go.

The main point of contention is, obviously, the money. Welker wants Larry Fitzgerald type money, the Patriots want to pay him like a slot receiver. This was the reason the two sides couldn't agree to an extension in last year's off-season. With Welker now able to hit the open market, things could get a lot dicier.

I say give your star receiver what he wants. For once.

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