Wes Welker has a fun-loving personality that was often masked by the strict rules of the New England Patriots organization. The 32-year-old receiver likes to mess around, and the Patriots don’t stand for funny business. Any player who is even allowed to talk to the media at Gillette Stadium has had to earn Bill Belichick’s trust and respect first.
In Denver, Welker is already sensing a more laid back feel.
“I feel like I can be myself a little more for sure,” he told Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports over the weekend, before being asked if the Broncos gave him any ruled for speaking to the media “Here? No. … All they told me was, ‘Just be yourself.’ ”
If you remember, Welker learned the hard way back in 2011 that joking around with a microphone in front of you is rarely tolerated in New England. Tedy Bruschi knows from experience that the Patriots have a strict policy when it comes to speaking to the media, which is basically what Welker is referring to.
While Patriots fans may interpret Welker’s comments as a jab at his former team, people who are familiar with the Patriot way know that he is simply stating the obvious. Belichick has a stronger gag order on his players than any coach in the league. Getting away from that is naturally going to provide a small sense of relief when speaking to reporters.
Helmet smack to Pro Football Talk
