Kraft had an interesting back-and-forth with the media Thursday during a Camp Sunshine community event at Gillette Stadium. When asked if there was any progress with Welker, Kraft responded, “He’s on the team. That’s the progress.”
More specifically, Kraft was asked if there had been any progress toward a new deal, and he dodged the question again.
“I have no comment,” Kraft said. “I’m not involved in that. You know how I feel about Wes.”
Kraft has said multiple times since January that he wants Welker on the team for the long haul, but the owner was unusually closed off with Thursday’s comments.
During Thursday’s 10-minute session with the media, Kraft opened up about a wide range of topics, from the Saints’ bounty punishment, to Tim Tebow and the Jets, to the thoughts of Matt Light‘s potential retirement. Yet, when Welker came up, Kraft got quiet.
Take last year, for instance, when Kraft was asked about left guard Logan Mankins, who was in a similar position with his contract. Kraft openly hinted at a new deal for Mankins, and the news came down about that contract shortly after.
Kraft’s comments Thursday didn’t sound overly promising, at least in the short term, but the two sides have plenty of time to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. Therefore, the latest comments might not mean anything at all.
But when it comes to the most interesting offseason storyline surrounding the Patriots, Kraft’s comments were interesting, to say the least.
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