SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – After taking off a year from the NFL, receiver Wes Welker got a coaching itch he wanted to scratch, so he called his former New England offensive coordinator, Bill O'Brien.
O'Brien hired Welker for a role as offensive/special teams assistant. He'll work with receivers and returners. He also might advise cornerbacks covering slot receivers – a position that made Welker one of the most prolific receivers in NFL history.
O'Brien spent five years (2007-11) as an assistant under Bill Belichick.
"I've had the fortune of coaching some great players," O'Brien said at the league meetings this week.