We haven't even had time to swallow, let alone digest the Wes Welker news, and the New England Patriots have already found his replacement at the slot wide receiver position. ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting that the Patriots have agreed in principle to a five year contract with former St. Louis Rams wide receiver Danny Amendola:

Lose one receiver, add another: Patriots reach agreement in principle on five-year deal with former Ram Danny Amendola, per league source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2013

Amendola is no Wes Welker, but he may just be the closest thing to a Welker clone you're ever going to find. And despite the denials that you're going to get from the players and staff, he'll always have to play under the shadow of Welker in New England. That will certainly be an interesting dynamic to watch.

Schefter has also provided details on the contract:

Patriots gave former Rams WR Danny Amendola's a five-year, $31 million deal that includes $10 million guaranteed.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2013

That amount is actually for slightly more annually than the Broncos gave Welker, and for three years longer. That's telling: the Patriots not only saw Danny Amendola as a replacement for Welker, but as an upgrade. The total guaranteed here seems to be a reasonable figure however, considering Amendola's injury history.

There's a whole lot to dissect here. Much more to follow.