VJCPatriot

Branch wanted in the neighborhood of 7M per year. Instead of caving in we got a 2007 1st rounder.

Caldwell balances out Givens. In fact he is outproducing him this year. Givens signs his big payday then goes and gets hurt. Anyways Caldwell's numbers = Givens' 2005 production.

Not having Branch does hurt us in the short term. Wish we had gotten a Donte Stallworth or something. Still would have cost quite a bit to sign whoever we traded for to an extension.

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patsox23

This is wrong on many levels, but it's worth pointing out ESPECIALLY the idea that "Givens played well when he was called on to be the #1 receiver when Branch was out with injuries." He absolutely DID NOT. This is a ludicrous claim.

Almost as ludicrous as the idea that the Pats "have nothing to show" for Givens and Branch walking. They have at least a #1 pick, and should've had at LEAST a 4th round compensation pick had Givens not succumbed to a season-ending injury.

patsox23

When exactly did I say "we don't miss anyone?" Please read the post before writing this nonsense. We DO miss Branch. I said so. We miss Givens in the sense that we'd miss anyone who knew the system - like Patten. I said that, too.

Givens has been replaced by Caldwell. He's not one of the real playmaking weapons the Pats "took away" from Brady, as many posters, columnists and pundits have claimed. That is short-sighted and ignorant. I'd ask you to please comprehend what you've read before responding next time.

patsox23

You remember wrong. He had one game, maybe two, where he really came up big. Otherwise, he was generally frustratingly absent.

patsox23

I have posted here for YEARS and the last thing people who actually post here regularly would accuse me of is "drinking the koolaid." In fact, in my initial thread I cite Branch leaving as a bad thing. It's ridiculous, in my view, to equate Givens and Branch the way many people are doing. This does not make me a koolaid drinker. It makes me, among other things, objective and - oh yeah - accurate.

patsox23

Agree, vjc. Although he has continued his pattern of getting hurt, Donte Stallworth would've been a good guy to bring in, and we could've gotten him. A lot of people talk about Moulds and Walker, but who's to say Buffalo wanted to deal Moulds inside the division and, as far as I know, we DID try to get Walker but he kept not getting on the plane to N.E.

BelichickFan

Of course, then there's the story that Branch discouraged Walker from visiting New England by telling him they wouldn't pay him.

patsox23

Branch really crapped his way out of town. Such a disappointment to me (in a personal, lame, "fan boy" way). He always seemed like such a good, humble person. In some ways I'm sure he still is, but all that stuff really tainted him in my eyes. I will never root for him to win anything for the rest of his career. (That'll show him!)

MoLewisrocks

Well, except for the fact that in Branch's absence Givens averaged just under 5 receptions per game for an insane 19+ yards per average (38 catches for 739 yards) and put up 4 100+ yard games. In 14 games this year Reche is averaging just under 4 receptions per game for 11.5 yards per average (53 catches for 611 yards) and he's had 1 100+ yard game. In fact in the last two weeks he's only managed a total of 7 receptions for 34 yards.

And then there were Givens playoff performances. Maybe you should just review his Pat's bio - and then we can all hope he didn't set the post season bar too high for Reche.

"Career Highlights

Givens enjoyed a successful 2004 season, leading the Patriots with career-high 56 receptions and 874 yards. He was also able to stretch the field, with 14 receptions of 20 yards or more, including a season-best 50-yard catch against St. Louis (11/07/04).

Givens caught a touchdown pass in each of the Patriots’ three postseason games in 2004, including a 4-yard touchdown grab in Super Bowl XXXIX.

Givens exceeded 100 receiving yards in four games in 2004, the most by a Patriot in a single season in six years, dating back to when Terry Glenn also did it four times in 1999.

Givens became the Patriots’ all-time postseason leader for touchdown receptions (5) in 2004, surpassing Stanley Morgan (3).

Givens was a key part of the Patriots offense in the 2003 postseason, tying Troy Brown for the team lead with 17 receptions and leading the squad with two touchdowns.

Givens enjoyed a solid 2003 season in his second year as a pro. He led the team with seven touchdowns and finished second on the squad with 510 receiving yards. He was also a deep threat, catching nine passes of 20 yards or more.

Givens made a big impact in the Patriots’ victory in Super Bowl XXXVIII. He caught a 5-yard touchdown pass to give New England a 14-7 lead just before halftime, then grabbed two passes for a total of 43 yards on the Patriots’ key fourth-quarter touchdown drive that erased a one-point deficit and gave them a 29-22 lead late in the game.

Givens led the team in receptions in New England’s first two postseason games in 2003 – against Tennessee (4 catches) in the divisional playoffs and against Indianapolis (8 catches) in the AFC Championship Game."

DarrylS

As much as I liked both of these guys, Deion soured me on the way out of town... to not respect the last year of his contract, shows me where his heart is. He is not exactly flourishing in Seattle, and has made a couple of mistakes there.

Givens on the other hand was a great blue collar player, but was worth more to the Titans than he was to the Pats.. like Andruzzi and McGinnest was to the Browns, Hochstein to the Seahawks on and on.

What amazes me is we are to this point of the season, 14 games, and still the talk shows are inundated with the Deion Branch thing.. not sure who feeds it or if there is something delusional out there, it is to the point that after the Red Sox it is the second most popular thread on the radio. One thing obvious is the Deion leaving was not planned for by the team, and this is one time they were caught short.. I do not think it will happen again. I do not think that they realized that this great team player, positive locker room player and great role model would not honor his last year of the contract. To me he is scum, the way this played and the timing of his actions turns him into a bottom feeder.

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"Being the best doesn't mean you always win. It just means you win more than anyone else".. tweet from Kurt Warner to Tom Brady.