Report: Wes Welker Ready for Training Camp

It used to be that reconstructive knee surgery meant at least a 12-month recovery. Those days have come and gone, as evidenced by New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker.

You may remember Welker suffering a serious knee injury during a Week 17 game in Houston last season. Welker tore both his ACL and MCL Jan. 3, had ACL surgery Feb. 3, and has made great strides since.

The Boston Globe reports Welker will be ready to go for the Patriots when training camp opens Thursday, backing their June report that it was likely Welker would be available for the team's regular-season opener Sept. 12.

Welker took part in the Patriots' organized team activities, even managing to look good in individual drills. This would be a significant step in his recovery, because if Welker is cleared, it would be for more than just individual drills. He is also looking to get the go-ahead for full-contact work.

The Globe notes the inherent risk involved in clearing Welker for full contact when camp opens.

The club has the option to place Welker on the Active Physically Unable to Perform list prior to training camp. That would keep the Patriots All-Pro receiver out of practice, but leave open the possibility he would be placed on the Reserve PUP, which would sideline Welker for the first six weeks of the season and allow the team to use his roster spot for another player.

To be eligible for the Reserve PUP in September, players must start training camp on the Active PUP.

In essence, by putting Welker on the field this week, the Patriots would burn the chance to fill his place on the roster for the first six weeks of the season, which is significant with the league's stringent roster limits.

Even if Welker is ready and wants to practice, the Patriots would be wise to take the more conservative route. It's the path the Green Bay Packers chose to walk last summer with linebacker Nick Barnett, who suffered a torn ACL during a game in October 2008. Instead of letting him take part in training camp from the start, the team started Barnett on the Active PUP list, then activated him late in the preseason so he could get into a game.

Barnett was ready to go in Week 1. He started all 16 games, posting 105 tackles and four sacks for the Packers.

No two recoveries are exactly alike, but the NFL's rules do indicate that -- ready or not -- Welker will be on the sidelines when training camp starts up this week.