Wes Welker recently signed his one-year franchise tender, but that doesn't mean contract talks with the Patriots have improved. In fact, Welker is further away than ever from a long-term deal. "There have been talks, but nothing that's brightened anything at all," Welker told the Boston Herald. "It's actually gotten worse." Welker revealed that the Patriots have lowered the two-year, fully guaranteed $16 million offer that they initially proposed. He is guaranteed $9.5 million after signing his tender. “(Organized team activities) are about to start. The team's all getting together. You get all these months off and everything else. I don't know, you're just kind of bored," Welker said. "You want to be up on the field. You want to be up there competing and trying to get better."