Karen Guregian of The Boston Herald reports that Wes Welker and the Patriots are far from reaching an agreement on a new contract. "That doesn't mean they still can't come together and eventually work out a deal. But the fact the discussions had broken off less than an hour after free agency opened doesn't leave the most optimistic picture — and casts a pall over the proceedings going forward," adds Guregian.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Wes Welker is set to test the free agent market. He notes that talks between the Patriots and Wes Welker have "broken down and no further talks are scheduled," while free agent slot receiver Danny Amendola remains "waiting in the wings."

Adam Schefter of ESPN believes Wes Welker may sign with another team than the Patriots. "I think he's going to go out there, he's going to test, he's going to talk to teams," said Schefter during an appearance on SportsCenter Wednesday morning. "He's going to see if there's a team out there willing to pay him. If there is a team willing to pay him, I think he's willing to leave New England."

Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com takes a look at the Patriots situation at wide receiver as free agency hits. "This is the focal point of the Patriots offseason," Curran writes. "Something's gonna happen here." He lists Greg Jennings and Danny Amendola as the two remaining "top-tier" free agents at the position.

Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald reports that any potential trade involving Patriots backup quarterback Ryan Mallett is unlikely at this point, while Browns and Buccaneers have expressed interest in the young signal caller. "The CBA doesn't allow players to restructure their contracts until after their third season if they were drafted in 2011 or later, and that has tempered teams' interest in acquiring Mallett," writes Howe.