upstater1

Uh, that would mean our QB is dumber than a doornail. That makes no sense. If I think your cheese is worth $6 and some moron thinks your cheese is worth $7, does that mean I tried to dupe people into believing your cheese was only worth $6? Makes no sense.

upstater1

There look to be bad feelings? How do you come up with that one?

upstater1

I think he's saying you extend them but you meet a happy medium between the market value (6.5m in Branch's case) and the salary (1m). If you give him 6.5m in his last year, hell just rip every contract up before its time.

BelichickFan

I think the Patriots consider that irrelevant. However much they may be under the cap after, if they (in their mind) overpay Branch there's still less money to spread around.

TomBrady'sGoat

Branch was under contract this year for $1M. His agent's negotiating position was that it didn't exist, and that Deion was to be paid like a free agent.

Oswlek

Considering that Brady had an interview with Felger on his opening 4 Downs show where he ackowledged that he will never be the highest paid and that winning makes it worth it....


I cry bull***

IcyPatriot

Miguel ... this is why Branch left ... because Belichick would not redo his contract for this year. You are the capologist here...correct my numbers, I'm sure they are off but probably close.

Let's say 2-3 draft picks hold out every year not wanting to play for their $million or so they would make in that last year...because Branch got it, they all want it. So, they get paid more because their last year of their rookie deal is now the new deal.

Lousy players can't pull this off but good players can try. So instead of paying 2-3 former rookies $2 mil or $3 mil total for the year the team now will pay $9mil to say $12 mil for the same players that year(current year).

That inflates the cap an average of $10 million every year which leaves $10 million less to sign 2 or 3 free agents.

I'm no capologist but I have a degree in mathematics and economics and it makes perfect sense to me why Branch was not paid an extra $5 million this year.

In any case...i already knew he was not playing for the Patriots ever again before camp. It was a very personal issue to him...and, I would have done the same thing if I was him. All is not equal in Patriot Land...there is an inner circle there that some players are very resentfull of. Maybe all teams have that...but Branch was not in that circle and that bothered him as much or more than the $$$...this I know to be fact because I heard it from Branch's mouth with my own 2 ears. I wish him well...but I can see both sides being right and wrong here...parting was the best solution.

IcyPatriot

That's right...and something else not mentioned was that Seymour got an extra $1 million to come back until his deal was renewed. i would think under normal circumstances that the same should have been done with Branch. IMO there had to be some harsh words exchanged because it never got that far...and like i said....Branch knew he wasn't coming back before camp started. This goes back to when Vinateiri left...that's where this Branch negotiating thing all went bad.

RayClay

Why bother to write the contract ? Had we matched Seattle we would have first had to give Branch 5 million for nothing.

They ripped up Brady's contract. Anyone that thinks a 5'9" receiver take # 65 in the draft that has a couple good injury free seasons is the same as the best QB in football, take a reality pill.

Deion screwed his team and his team mates, plain and simple.

He never gave the Pats a chance, why bother? he knew they weren't going to give him 6.5 mil for 2006 when he was under contract for 1.045?

Why would they give up their contractual rights for nothing?

He and his agent saw that pot of increased cap money and decided that could threaten to disrupt and distract the Patriots all season and hoped to extort their way out of their contractual obligation.

Belichick didn't want to give up the season to make a point to one selfish player, so he let him seek a trade and get a draft pick.

Branch put his greed above his team and his team mates.

Belichick would have been within his rights to hold him for two years with the franchise and trade him whenever he felt like it.

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RayClay

Seymour is unique. Branch is not. They can rip up any contracts they want.

5'9" Wideouts do not warrant ripping up contracts.

Troy Brown had 101 and 97 receptions in this system.

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