The Facts: Following up on a previous item. ... Welker is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent. And that is the way it is likely to stay for a while because the sides apparently have a different opinion of Welker's worth. So do the Patriots lose their top recevier? No, according to Greg Bedard of the Boston Globe. Bedard made it clear he knows New England's plans for Welker. "He's going to be tagged, that I know for pretty much certain," said Bedard, who clarified that it's the franchise tag the Pats would use.

Diehards Line:Bedard continued: "If they don't, he's going to sign with the Jets and they're going to have to try and cover him twice a year, or the Dolphins. ... They want him back. I don't see why things would change now, but the way it stood before the Super Bowl, they're going to tag him. ..." Bedard said the Patriots don't want to pay Welker like an elite receiver. Welker, led the NFL in catches in 2011 with 122 receptions, wants to be paid like an elite receiver. Thus the franchise tag to keep Welker from hitting free agency and going to the Jets.