WELKER

The Patriots are now 4-for-4 in their offseason acquisitions, yesterday acquiring wide receiver/kick returner Wes Welker from the Miami Dolphins in a trade that reportedly sent second- and seventh-round draft picks to New England’s AFC East rival.

New England last weekend reportedly tendered a contract to Welker, an unrestricted free agent at the second-round level, meaning he would have received a $1.3-million salary. If the Dolphins had decided within seven days to match the offer, he would have remained in South Florida. If Miami declined, it would have received a second-round pick as compensation.

Now, the Dolphins reportedly receive two draft picks this year for a player who went undrafted out of Texas Tech in 2004, and New England can negotiate a contract with Welker. Late last night, NFL.com reported that the Patriots and Welker had reached a five-year deal worth $18.1 million, with $9 million guaranteed.

The 25-year-old Welker is coming off the best season of his young career. Last season he was Miami’s leading receiver, with 67 catches for 687 yards and a touchdown. Thirty-three of his grabs went for first downs.

Welker also has value as a returner. Last year he had 41 punt returns for 378 yards (9.2 yards per return), and ran back 48 kicks for an average return of 22.2 yards. Kevin Faulk averaged 10.6 yards per punt return for the Pats last season. Laurence Maroney and Ellis Hobbs, the primary kickoff returners for the team last year, averaged 26.8 yards per attempt.

Presumably, Welker’s agent, Vann McElroy, and the Patriots are working on a contract. It was reported before the trade that New England would offer Welker a seven-year, $38.5-million deal. Multiple calls to McElroy were not returned.

Davis retires

In other news, Don Davis has filed his retirement papers with the league and is calling it a career after 11 seasons. Davis, who came to New England in 2003, played linebacker and safety for the Patriots in addition to being a key special-teams contributor.

The affable Davis was an unlikely candidate to spend more than a decade in the NFL after an inauspicious beginning to his pro career. The Jets signed him as an undrafted rookie in 1995, but he was cut during training camp. The Chiefs, the team he grew up rooting for, signed him to their practice squad, but he was cut again after four weeks and ended up working at Foot Locker, where his former Kansas City teammates would come in and spend more money in a few minutes than he made in a week.

Davis had another go-round with the Chiefs in ’96, and thought his NFL dream was over until the Saints came calling. Things were still spotty for the next couple of years, but eventually Davis made a name for himself with the Rams, and was signed as a free agent by the Patriots in 2003.

Davis, 34, played in 12 games last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

Though his on-field contributions were mostly as a special-teamer, in the locker room Davis was a spiritual leader and Players Association representative. He told the Boston Globe yesterday that going into ministry (he has been a teaching pastor at an Attleboro church) or could remain with the Patriots in a non-playing capacity.

Interest in Moss

Randy Moss in silver-and-blue instead of silver-and-black?

The Boston Herald reported yesterday that the Patriots have expressed interest in trading for the mercurial Moss, who the Raiders are apparently shopping. A Herald source said Belichick has "long been enamored" with Moss, who recently turned 30 and had a career-low 42 receptions last season.

While on the surface Moss seems like the antithesis of a Patriots player — he has had off-field problems in the past, and has admitted to taking plays off — word is Moss wants to have a chance to win and knows he has limited years left to do so. Corey Dillon also seemed like a bad fit when New England traded for him in 2004, but he worked out pretty well for three seasons.

Moss has never played with a quarterback like Tom Brady, and he would an enticing threat for the Patriots’ offense — nearly a quarter of his 676 career receptions have gone for 20 or more yards.

smanza@projo.com