mgteich

Yes the two had different negotiation tactics. Perhaps branch didn't counter because it was made clear that the patriots had no intention to pay anywhere near what he could get elsewhere. In any case, both players were potential holdouts. You are now arguing that the primarily secret negotiations made the two cases different. I disagree. You did hit on the real difference. The team decided that Seymour was worth the exception. He is one of the rop players at his position in the NFL. Given his recent injury, that choice still may have been the wrong one, or not.

BTW, I have not disagreed with any of the choices made by the team. I do wish that we were more farsighted last year and developed a wide receiver corps before the season began. It is not like we had on OK set of receivers without Branch, and Branch would have made them one of the best (that was the situatiion with the secondary and the signing of Ty Law).

spacecrime

No, he did what he WANTED to do. He didn't HAVE to violate his contract. He CHOOSE to.


Well, he didn't have the "right." He had to not honor a contract to do it.

Are you saying that this was all about his son, and not about money?

PATRIOTSFANINPA

I think Seattle and Alexander will struggle with the running game,Therfore I think Branch has his best year ever with 1,350 receiving and several TDs to boot.

FarScapeR

20 years from now, everyone won't care, Deion will be sitting pretty (hopefully) and nobody will really care about his holdout.

But he won't make it to the hall of fame. Brady will, however.

Va_Pats_Fan

How can we, with the information available, separate them? We can't. I know alot of ppl would like a black and white world..but its not. He did what he did cause it was best for him.

Can you say you would do different if in the same position...?

patfanken

My 2 cents:

1. I get tired hearng about how the NFL "screws" player because the contracts aren't guaranteed. That's simply not true. The only players who get "screwed" are the ones that AREN'T EARNING the money. When are we going to start hearing about the players who "screwed" the owners when they never played up to the money they received. That list would be a very long list, starting with Mike Vick, and including guys like Woody, McGinest, Givens, Patten, and our good friend Deon Branch.

2. I will NEVER root for Branch again, quite the opposite. It isn't all about the fact he didn't honor the contract. That was part of it. But what got me was that he didn't negotiate in good faith. He said one thing then did another. He wasn't a team guy. If he was, he'd be ALMOST as rich, and in a much better situation.

3. I thought when Deon signed his contract it made him the 3rd highest paid WR, not the 7th as I read here. Well whichever is true, he is very much overpaid, despite the fact no one disagrees that he's a damned good WR, just no that good.

4. If one thing comes out of this mess we learned 2 things about the importance of the WR position. First we learned that we could still compete for a supebowl (and really should have won one) without great WRs - its truly the most overrated position in football. Secondly - we proved that its a position is the LEAST rare and most easy to obtain talent. Within a year of being one minute away from a superbowl, our best WR from that team isn't good enough make THIS team. Its just not that hard. WRs are a dime a dozen, and next year there will be a dozen more quality guys available.

5. That leads me to my final point. It was a stroke of good fortune that Branch didn't take the Pats final offer. In the long run that money will be better put to use paying guys like Warren, Wilfolk and Thomas. Thanks MEION, we've upgraded the position and signed core guys, guys to play clost to the ball, who will keep ups competitive for years to come, while you will just be another decent WR in a league that is FULL OF THEM. .

Kdo5

Whoa there. You don't need to call him scum. He seems like a very good person regardless of how things went last year.

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jct

Branch

Selfish dishonorable jerk scum ... cost us a Superbowl

jct

Yes I would honor my contract.

TheSeymonsta

Same as I have felt about anyone who refuses to honor their contract....

buh bye....

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