New England Patriots Links 7/16/12 - Deadline Day for Welker; Gronk Not Singled Out

Tom E. Curran tells SportsNet Central "it would be an upset" for the Patriots and Wes Welker agree to a contract extension before the 4 p.m. deadline.

"Talks remain stagnant and by stagnant I mean non-existent," Curran said.

Curran also commented on reports that the Pats have told recently overexposed tight end Rob Gronkowski to cool it on the off-the-field activities. He said every Patriots player gets that message.

"There's nothing formal where they sat him down," Curran said. "Everybody is under the guise of 'let's start to button it up, off-season's over and get to camp."

Mike Reiss shares some quick-hit weekend thoughts from the Patriots and around the NFL.

1. I'm surprised the Patriots and receiver Wes Welker haven't been able to reach an extension that works for both sides. Welker seems to want to be in New England, where his skills are a perfect fit for the offense. And the Patriots seem to want him back, with Tom Brady calling him the "heart and soul" of the team last year. Doesn't seem like it should be this hard.

2. Welker's agent, David Dunn of Athletes First, has a long history of dealing with the Patriots. Dunn represented Drew Bledsoe when he signed his big contract with the team, and his agency currently represents nine Patriots, including 2011 first-round draft choice Nate Solder. That's the highest total of any agency.

5. Patriots rookies report for training camp this Thursday. The veterans come in Wednesday, July 25, giving the rookies some time in a less-crowded environment to get a running start heading into training camp. Linebacker Dont'a Hightower is the club's lone unsigned selection, but it's hard to imagine a holdout situation given the slotting of contracts in the collective bargaining agreement.

9. Given that so much changes from year to year in the NFL, the strength of schedule stat seems flawed when analyzing how challenging a 16-game season can be. Still, expect to hear a lot about the stat in these parts, as the Patriots have the "easiest" schedule when considering the combined 2011 winning percentage of their opponents is .453.

10. Outside of 2007, when the Patriots added Randy Moss, Welker & Co., I'm not sure I've felt as much anticipation and excitement from followers over the start of training camp in Bill Belichick's tenure. Expectations, it seems, are as high as ever.

TEAM TALK

• Erik Scalavino and Andy Hart debate whether New England's superstar TE Rob Gronkowski is overexposed.
• Patriots Roster Repot - The PFW crew discuss Dont'a Hightower, Andre Carter and more. (16.49 min. program)
• Rob Gronkowski at home run derby. (30 second clip)

LOCAL LINKS

• Jeff Howe reports it’s deadline day for Wes Welker and the Patriots, as the two sides have until 4 p.m. to reach a contract extension.
• Mike Reiss reports that according to a source, Wes Welker and the Patriots are having trouble reaching an agreement.
• Glen Farley reports Gil Santos will be back for a 36th and final year as the radio voice of the New England Patriots. Veteran sidekick Gino Cappelletti will announce his retirement.
• Field Yates scouts the Patriots roster: Slot cornerback - Safeties - Core special teamers.
• Mike Rodak analyzes players on the roster bubble and where they may potentially fit in 2012: LB Niko Koutouvides, CB Sterling Moore and DE Trevor Scott.
• Jeff Howe addresses the Patriots' Super Bowl chances, Wes Welker's contract and more in his latest Three-and-Out post.
• Shalise Manza Young Sunday NFL Notes: Kyle Arrington won't be playing under the radar this year; Via a league source, Gronkowski has been told by the team that his summer of Gronk is over; Dolphins are looking into updating the team's logo for 2013; and more.
• Mike Reiss serves up a few leftovers from his weekly online chat.

NATIONAL NEWS

• James Walker (ESPN) This could be Welker's final year as a Patriot.
• Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Wes Welker not expecting a new contract.
• James Walker (ESPN) Sleeper watch: RB Shane Vereen.
• Tom Musick (Northwest Herald) Ex-Patriot savors NFL memories.
• James Walker (ESPN) Brees surpasses Brady in annual salary.
• Nolan Nawrocki & Eric Edholm (Pro Football Weekly) Dan Connolly is the NFL's #2 Most Underrated Player. (2.32 min. video)
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Team-by-team cap space as of July 15.
• Matt Bowen (Nat'l Football Post) Three reasons DBs give up explosive plays in the NFL.
• Eric LeGrand (SI) Guest MMQB: The Bucs, ESPYs and his recovery.
• Stat Report (The Red Zone) 2012 NFL Strength of Schedule.