Pats' Welker healthy, not worried about contract situation

Wes Welker provided one of the NFL's feel-good stories in 2010, making an early return from a serious knee injury for another productive season with the New England Patriots.

Wes Welker has 432 receptions in his four seasons with the Patriots, including 83 in 2010. (Robert E. Klein/Associated Press)

Welker is entering the final year of his contract, in which he'll receive $4.225 million in base and prorated salary, but the three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver said money isn't on his mind as he prepares for his fifth season in Foxborough.

"I'm not really worried about it (a new contract) at all. Either way, before, after, during, it really doesn't matter," Welker told The Boston Globe on Saturday at his youth football clinic in Peabody, Mass. "I enjoy playing ball, so whenever it comes, it comes. Really, it's probably the last thing on my mind. I just want to go out play some winning football for my team and get out there and play."

Welker had reconstructive knee surgery in February 2010 after he tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee in the 2009 regular-season finale. He underwent rotator cuff surgery on his right shoulder a month later. The surgeries led to a difficult offseason that focused more on rehabilitation and less on a standard training regimen.

Despite the serious nature of the injuries, Welker played in 15 regular-season games for the Patriots in 2010, finishing with 86 catches for 848 yards and seven touchdowns. He had seven catches for 57 yards in a playoff loss to the New York Jets.

Welker has done the bulk of his offseason training work at the Bommarito Performance Systems clinic in Florida. Many other NFL players -- including Matt Forte, Greg Olsen and Chad Ochocinco -- also are training there.

"I feel so much better. It's been great, really," Welker said. "Being able to train, I have confidence in everything and I feel good out there and the running, there's not achiness, there's none of that, it's just going out there and being able to do everything that I've been able to in the past and not have the aches and pains in the morning or anytime through it all. So it's been nice to see."

Many teams around the league have gotten together for players-only workouts during this unusual offseason, but the Patriots have been quiet in that department. Welker said he and quarterback Tom Brady "talk quite a bit," though setting up workouts has been a challenge.

"We're always trying to coordinate a schedule," Welker said. "He's really busy, I'm really busy, and it's kind of tough not being able to just go up to the Patriots' facility and really get together and do something, but we're working on our schedules to get together and make sure we do some work."

Welker didn't hide his frustration when talking about the lockout that has shut down the league since March.

"Being players and growing up and not having much, the fact that we're squabbling about money is kind of ridiculous to me," Welker said. "I came into this league ... I probably made more money than I thought I ever would in a lifetime, so everything from here is just icing on the cake. So hopefully we get something fair done and we can move on and get to where we can play some football."

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Now healthy, Notre Dame TE Rudolph auditions for NFL scouts

Kyle Rudolph, widely seen as the top tight end available in this month's NFL draft, had a chance to showcase his skills -- and prove to scouts that he's finally healthy -- at Notre Dame's pro day, then declared his workout a success.

Rudolph, coming off surgery after a severe hamstring injury forced him to miss the Fighting Irish's final seven games last season, scored well in several on-field tests Thursday and impressed with his ball-catching abilities.

Brandt: Rudolph proves his worth Gil Brandt points out that Kyle Rudolph's performance at Notre Dame pro day shows two things: He's fully healed from his hamstring injury, and he's the top TE
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"The main objective for me was to get out there and show everyone that the hamstring is a thing of the past," said Rudolph, who's 6-foot-6 1/8 and 258 pounds. "And I think I did that today.

"The best thing about today was the ability to go out there and compete. The volume of the work, I think that we were out there for three and a half hours, and to be able to go through that and show that I am completely healthy was great."

Running back Armando Allen, who also demonstrated he's healthy after having season-ending hip-flexor surgery last November, was among eight other Notre Dame players who worked out for representatives from all 32 NFL teams. Other who participated were running back Robert Hughes, wide receiver Duval Kamara, linebacker Kerry Neal, linebacker Brian Smith, guard Chris Stewart, cornerback Darrin Walls and nose guard Ian Williams.

Rudolph, who left school a year early to try the NFL, was the biggest attraction. He ran 4.75 and 4.83 seconds in the 40-yard dash, had a 34½-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot, 5-inch broad jump, ran 4.36 in the short shuttle and 7.24 in the three-cone drill, and finished 19 bench presses of 225 pounds.

"I think it went well ...," Rudolph told NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock, who's also NBC's color commentator for Notre Dame football broadcasts. "To be back here with the guys I've been here (with) for three years and see them compete, it kind of drives you a little bit. To be able to run around with no problems with the hamstring and just feel like my old self again, it was fun."

Rudolph, who's ranked fourth at Notre Dame in career receptions (90) and receiving yards (1,032) by a tight end, told Mayock his times in the 40 were just "a number. It's not my best. It's not a record. But I've only been doing this for three weeks, and if I get two full months of training like everyone else does for the combine, then, obviously, that's going to drop. But my leg's back to 100 percent and I'm able to run full speed. Now it's just training to get back to my speed before."

Allen also was pleased with his workout.

"It was a good experience for me to get back out here and run today, especially after my surgery," said Allen, who led the Irish in rushing as a sophomore and junior. "The hip felt great. It is finally back to 100 percent. It was tough to stay off it when I really wanted to train, but I did, and for the last month, it has felt good.

"Right now, I'm feeling pretty calm about draft day. After a pro day like this, the only thing you can do is wait. There is not much you can do about it. I'm going to continue training because I have a class to finish out this spring."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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