Time for hindsight....

[PatsOwl]

Was just wondering now that the season is done, what do you think was the best and the worst piece of business the Pats did in '06. Draft picks, trades, players released etc. Just like always, Belichick/Pioli have clearly made some awesome decisions this season (love Gostowski and Caldwell), but perhaps there were some mistakes with hindsight.
So, which 1 piece of business do you think was brilliant, and which do you think was an error?

 

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

Was just wondering now that the season is done, what do you think was the best and the worst piece of business the Pats did in '06. Draft picks, trades, players released etc. Just like always, Belichick/Pioli have clearly made some awesome decisions this season (love Gostowski and Caldwell), but perhaps there were some mistakes with hindsight.
So, which 1 piece of business do you think was brilliant, and which do you think was an error?

Dudes, I am sorry I keep coming back to this crap, but I truely think letting Branch go was a bad call, Reche's numbers were good and he made some nice plays, I just think Brady-Branch had a real good chemistry....

 

[satz]

I think the dein branch handling is a good from a FO.Even though everyone acts like their is no cap and i think the handling was a bright spot . Also , no one is talking about the residual effect , alot of other teams were keying in on Dan Koppen and it would have been a ugly bidding war the FO would have lost.Now we are all set.
Can you imagine if they broke the bank and dan gone w/ another position taking a financial cut ?.So i look at dieon incident a bright spot as once the numbers made no sense we salvaged .Instead of the above scenario with a rookie center and inconsitent OL in 07 we got cap / money from paying the seymour+brady bonus and 1 extra No1 . win win win .

 

[PATRIOTS-80]

I think the dein branch handling is a good from a FO.Even though everyone acts like their is no cap and i think the handling was a bright spot . Also , no one is talking about the residual effect , alot of other teams were keying in on Dan Koppen and it would have been a ugly bidding war the FO would have lost.Now we are all set.
Can you imagine if they broke the bank and dan gone w/ another position taking a financial cut ?.So i look at dieon incident a bright spot as once the numbers made no sense we salvaged .Instead of the above scenario with a rookie center and inconsitent OL in 07 we got cap / money from paying the seymour+brady bonus and 1 extra No1 . win win win .

We are in the drivers seat because we re-signed Koppen (starting C). We already have a 1st in the bank for Branch. The team will franchise Samuel. Then things get interesting. Either way the Patriots will come out okay because either we re-sign Samuel to a long-term contract, or we get a 1st round pick.

Hopefully we re-sign Graham, but mark my words, Mike Holmgren wants him bad (and he has Mike Allen's money {co-founder of Microsoft}) to dangle. That Jeremy Stevens guy they got was a bust. Holmgren wanted Graham in '02, but BB traded ahead of him and stole him. Seattle will offer more $$$$$$ than is normal because Holmgren's offense is designed around the TE. The question is what will Graham do?

 

[RayClay]

I think the branch situation turned out as well as could be expected. We were 12-4 with gaffney rounding into shape in time for the playoffs.

We've got the 24th pick and a boatload less to pay for the next 5-6 years.

Looks like we might have overpaid for Branch if he'd let us.

My regret is not signing or drafting some young LBs. I don't know if there is a full time starter among TBC and the young FA LBs and neither does anyone else.

If we need 2-3 years to train a starter, we lost one year.

DBs were weak, but Eugene, Tebucky and Gay going down couldn't have been foreseen.

We were stocked at DB preseason, while we had no depth even though the desperation Seau move was better than anyone expected.

 

[pats60]

Just watched america game of pats on nfl greatest team.
What a player Branch was in Pitt championship game.
Two great end of round runs.
Nice 60 yard catch.Gladly give up our #1 for him.
Funny i can`t remember him making a key drop.

 

[Oswlek]

Dudes, I am sorry I keep coming back to this crap, but I truely think letting Branch go was a bad call, Reche's numbers were good and he made some nice plays, I just think Brady-Branch had a real good chemistry....

While NE certainly may have made an error in not realizing how passionate Branch was in wanting to void the last year on his rookie deal, your key mistake in the above post is the phrasing.

NE did not "let go" of Branch. He was never, ever going to come back to NE unless the final year was voided on the initial offer. Once NE's initial offer kept the final year (which is par for the course, btw, even for guys better than Branch) Branch was gone. The one and only way that Branch might have come back was if NE forced his had by keeping his rights until the 10th game. But that would have been far more destructive.

Again, NE is not without some blame, but they made much bigger errors in the past few years than the Branch fiasco. That is almost entirely on him.

 

[Oswlek]

Just watched america game of pats on nfl greatest team.
What a player Branch was in Pitt championship game.
Two great end of round runs.
Nice 60 yard catch.Gladly give up our #1 for him.
Funny i can`t remember him making a key drop.

He dropped an easy first down while the Carolina game in 2005 was close.

He dropped an easy TD in the playoff game against the Jags.

He was amazing in 2003 and 2004 as far as catching the ball. 2005 and 2006 were completely different stories, however.

 

[wdkantro2]

The problem with the Branch situation is I agree, the team would be a lot better off with him than without him. However, he is NOT worth the money he got, no matter how you put it. We gave him a very good contract offer because we wanted to keep him, but his agent (mainly because Branch is his first major client) turned it down because he wanted to prove that he is a top tier agent. I think without this particular agent, Deion might have taken that offer and still been here. But they both thought (incorrectly) that he should be paid as much as Reggie Wayne, and fortunately for them, one team out there was dumb enough to agree.

 

[patriotspride]

The best move was trading branch.you never let a guy under contract hold a team hostage like he was trying to do.If the pats caved in to branch every player nearing the end of his contract would be pulling the same crap.then you a get a first rounder that's just iceing on the cake good move .worst move was drafting Jackson .hes obviously got some maturity issues.

 

[jimmyjames]

Best FO move may have been bringing Junior Seau. He certainly overachieved while he was playing. Could have easily been a difference maker for the playoff run.
Signing Gaffney off the street is up there as well.
Bonus points to the FO for cutting Monte Beisel.


The Branch situatiuon kind of cancels itself IMO. Great to get a 1st round pick for a player who did not wnmat to be here when it was all said and done. FO handled an ugly situation about as well as they could have. Still could have used Branch this year.

Worst move - Letting Willie Mac Go. I think if they made more of an effort he would have stayed. Another player who could have made a playoff impact given his track record in the postseason.

 

[cstjohn17]

It is almost all nitpicking, a couple of plays away from the Superbowl. Really exceeded my expecations.

Best move - Seau was a fantastic, he was retired and comes back and was a force. Losing him hurt the defense, especially against the run. In 6 of the last 7 and 8 out the last 11 games we gave up over 100 yards.

Worst move - 1a) Can the lack of a move be a bad move? I think the depth at LB was a huge concern all of last off season. Seau was brought in at the last moment and played great. Before he came our projected starters were either Monty Beisel or Barry Gardner. Given Seau's history over the past several years of not staying on the field for 16 games the lack of credible backups at ILB was questionable.
1b) Eric Warfield

Branch - Almost obligated to comment on this one way or another. I would have liked to see something get worked out, he and Brady had a great chemistry and it seemed like despite the offensive production the unit never really got in a consistent groove. We will never know but if both sides could have tried a little harder maybe they could have found a middle ground 5 years $28-$32 million. That would seem like a bargain compared what he would get in this offseason. The WR FA class is terrible, he would be the best available receiver by far.

 

[pats1]

Dudes, I am sorry I keep coming back to this crap, but I truely think letting Branch go was a bad call, Reche's numbers were good and he made some nice plays, I just think Brady-Branch had a real good chemistry....

I have to question the credibility of anyone who says the Pats "let go of" Branch.

That's an untruth.

 

[Kdo5]

The best move was trading branch.you never let a guy under contract hold a team hostage like he was trying to do.If the pats caved in to branch every player nearing the end of his contract would be pulling the same crap.then you a get a first rounder that's just iceing on the cake good move .worst move was drafting Jackson .hes obviously got some maturity issues.

When has Jackson showed immaturity since the early part of the season. He barely did anything but give him a chance next season.

Best move- Signing Gaffney & Caldwell & Seau(Seau was awesome until he got injured, key to our run stopping). Caldwell was a great move but I was positive a good deal of people would hate him after dropping two of the easiest catches I have ever seen in the biggest game of the year!!!! But without Reche we might not have made it to the AFCCG because he made a big time catch against the Chargers. Gaffney has gotten me so excited for next year. He looked like a pro bowler in the postseason. Trading Branch for a #1 pick will come in handy, I just know it.

Worst move- ok...I cant think of much, as far as drafting I guess Chad Jackson but he'll have more oppertunities next year to prove himself.

 

[Pats726]

Seau was a good move..maybe their best..and also NOT giving in to Branch...
Of course the team would have been better with him..but NOT AT ALL at the price he wanted and NOT at all with the way he handled it.
A player taking the team hostage?? NOt happening here..ir with what any GOOD FO would do..he wanted out unless he was getting ALL he wanted..NOT worth that at all. And no one talks about the reprocussions of what MAY have happened if they had signed him..how many players would have lined up for their money.
Would have been nice to find the LBs that will become the next generation, but in time.

 

[patsox23]

The problem with the Branch situation is I agree, the team would be a lot better off with him than without him.

Disagree. And it's hard to say, either way, until you see what we end up with in his place. He is a VERY good WR, perhaps the ideal fit for the NE offense. However, he is the 7th highest paid WR in the universe, and for 60+ catches per season (which he didn't even get this year), he's deeply overcompensated.

Now we get a #1 pick, at a good value spot in the first round, and we can sign him for low $$$$ over 5 years. PLUS, Branch at this point has been satisfactorily replaced (if slightly downgraded). This team came one minute (and two horrendous PI calls/non-calls) from winning the Super Bowl, AGAIN, and without Branch.

In the end, the Branch deal was THE best move of the off-season.

 

[Kdo5]

Would having Branch won us the AFCCG? I dont think so. We went 12-4. WR's are not as important some people think. It is ridiculous how high they get paid sometimes. It was a great move not to give into Branch...but heck I wouldnt mind giving into Asante. He is a keeper.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Would having Branch won us the AFCCG? I dont think so. We went 12-4. WR's are not as important some people think. It is ridiculous how high they get paid sometimes. It was a great move not to give into Branch...but heck I wouldnt mind giving into Asante. He is a keeper.

Absolutely, in my mind, Branch would of won us the AFC CG. He can stretch the field better than anyone on our team,not to mention goes across the middle at the speed of light. Your're fooling yourself if you don't think Branch teamed up with Caldwell and Gaffney wouldn't of been ball busters.

HOWEVER, I'd trade this years Superbowl just not to fork over blackmail money to Branch. That's right! They didn't give in and that's all that matters to me.

 

[Water Boy]

Was just wondering now that the season is done, what do you think was the best and the worst piece of business the Pats did in '06. Draft picks, trades, players released etc. Just like always, Belichick/Pioli have clearly made some awesome decisions this season (love Gostowski and Caldwell), but perhaps there were some mistakes with hindsight.
So, which 1 piece of business do you think was brilliant, and which do you think was an error?

I said coming into training camp that I though that Patriots did not do a good job of addressing the team's lack of depth at LB. As far as I know, the pick up of Seau was unplanned. He did the job, but without him we were looking at going into the season with a very thin group - especially at ILB. We were very fortunate that Vrabel, Colvin and Bruschi did not miss a game this season.

 

[stinkypete]

Best FO move may have been bringing Junior Seau. He certainly overachieved while he was playing. Could have easily been a difference maker for the playoff run.
Signing Gaffney off the street is up there as well.
Bonus points to the FO for cutting Monte Beisel.


The Branch situatiuon kind of cancels itself IMO. Great to get a 1st round pick for a player who did not wnmat to be here when it was all said and done. FO handled an ugly situation about as well as they could have. Still could have used Branch this year.

Worst move - Letting Willie Mac Go. I think if they made more of an effort he would have stayed. Another player who could have made a playoff impact given his track record in the postseason.

Yes. Watching the defense fall apart against Indy, I thought about how things might be different with Willie the Colt killer.