Colts sign Deion Branch

primetime said:

Heyward-Bey is nothing special, but man the Colts are really thin at skill positions - take away Hilton and they have to beat you with the mediocre Donnie Brown (who has had a renaissance of sorts in the last few games this season), the plainly average Coby Fleener, the plodding Trent Richardson, the freakish but incredibly raw Da'Rick Rogers, and a handful of other guys who aren't scaring anyone like Lavon Brazill and Griff Whelan, and now Deion Branch who I think qualified for AARP two seasons ago.

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True, but Luck has already shown the ability to make those around him better - very Brady-like. I do not think it will be enough, but Luck will make everyone on the field productive.

Hope he doesn't actually suit up for them. I'm gonna puke if i see Deion in a colts uniform.

PATRlOT said:

How could he be ok with himself for signing with the Colts?

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The Patriots had all season to sign him and didn't. Is Deion supposed to show more loyalty than the team did?*











*Note, I'm not criticizing the Patriots. I've no problem with them choosing not to bring back Branch.

Rob0729 said:

Good for Deion! Happy to see him play if he wants to play.

This move will have little impact on the game though.

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This organization gave Branch an opportunity to initially, allowed him to bank a big payday with Seattle and then gave him the opportunity to revitalize his failing NFL career. His repayment is to stand behind the biggest embarrassment in this team’s history Aaron Hernandez and then sign with the team they’re set to face in the playoffs 6 days before the game… To that you respond good for Branch? Really you’ve got to be kidding me right, you’re telling me that Branch’s need to play football for potentially as little as 1 game this season is more important than remaining loyal to a franchise and a coach that if not for Branch probably would have been out of the NFL about 3-4 years ago.

Good for Branch, I'm sure he's happy to extend his career even if it's with the Colts. I imagine his impact is going to be very limited. If he shows up on the stat sheet this week, it will be a good game for him. Considering how we needed receivers this year and didn't sign him, I image he doesn't have much left to give.

As far as milking him for information, that has to be a joke. Teams often have players from other teams. Game plans and calls change throughout the season. They'd get a lot more out of watching film then they will from Branch.

Brady6 said:

This organization gave Branch an opportunity to initially, allowed him to bank a big payday with Seattle and then gave him the opportunity to revitalize his failing NFL career. His repayment is to stand behind the biggest embarrassment in this team’s history Aaron Hernandez and then sign with the team they’re set to face in the playoffs 6 days before the game… To that you respond good for Branch? Really you’ve got to be kidding me right, you’re telling me that Branch’s need to play football for potentially as little as 1 game this season is more important than remaining loyal to a franchise and a coach that if not for Branch probably would have been out of the NFL about 3-4 years ago.

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Outside of the defending Hernandez-thing, which is totally a separate subject anyways, this point-of-view is ridiculous. He's a professional athlete, he may either need the money or simply want to play the game he's spent his whole life working at. Quite frankly, in today's business-driven NFL, that's way more important than "loyalty". There is no loyalty, that's just some naive concept for dumb fans to spout of on. Professional athletes don't have the same mindset as fans. Thank Christ for that.

Brady6 said:

This organization gave Branch an opportunity to initially, allowed him to bank a big payday with Seattle and then gave him the opportunity to revitalize his failing NFL career. His repayment is to stand behind the biggest embarrassment in this team’s history Aaron Hernandez and then sign with the team they’re set to face in the playoffs 6 days before the game… To that you respond good for Branch? Really you’ve got to be kidding me right, you’re telling me that Branch’s need to play football for potentially as little as 1 game this season is more important than remaining loyal to a franchise and a coach that if not for Branch probably would have been out of the NFL about 3-4 years ago.

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I am interpreting your tone as angry, but Branch is not worth getting angry over. He showed what kind of stand-up guy he was when he left.

Brady6 said:

This organization gave Branch an opportunity to initially, allowed him to bank a big payday with Seattle and then gave him the opportunity to revitalize his failing NFL career. His repayment is to stand behind the biggest embarrassment in this team’s history Aaron Hernandez and then sign with the team they’re set to face in the playoffs 6 days before the game… To that you respond good for Branch? Really you’ve got to be kidding me right, you’re telling me that Branch’s need to play football for potentially as little as 1 game this season is more important than remaining loyal to a franchise and a coach that if not for Branch probably would have been out of the NFL about 3-4 years ago.

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If I was unemployed and someone called me up and said "Hey want $50,000 for 5 days of work, maybe up to $200,000 for about 20 days of work" I don't think I'd say "Well you know I would but..."

Deion Branch is loyal to Deion Branch. Good for him.

PATRlOT said:

How could he be ok with himself for signing with the Colts?

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It's almost like players treat it like a business and leave things like hatred of rivals to the fans.

Brady6 said:

This organization gave Branch an opportunity to initially, allowed him to bank a big payday with Seattle and then gave him the opportunity to revitalize his failing NFL career. His repayment is to stand behind the biggest embarrassment in this team’s history Aaron Hernandez and then sign with the team they’re set to face in the playoffs 6 days before the game… To that you respond good for Branch? Really you’ve got to be kidding me right, you’re telling me that Branch’s need to play football for potentially as little as 1 game this season is more important than remaining loyal to a franchise and a coach that if not for Branch probably would have been out of the NFL about 3-4 years ago.

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Look, if you've spent your life as a football player, you might also be willing to take a less than ideal situation to extend your football career. This is likely the last game the guy will ever play in (if he even does), I don't think Belichick and Brady are too upset with him for taking one last shot at some glory. Plus a paycheck is a paycheck, it's not like he has a high-paying career waiting for him after he retires.

Brady6 said:

Really you’ve got to be kidding me right, you’re telling me that Branch’s need to play football for potentially as little as 1 game this season is more important than remaining loyal to a franchise and a coach that if not for Branch probably would have been out of the NFL about 3-4 years ago.

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If you get laid off by Apple you are a disloyal traitor if you take a job working for Samsung, got it.

Eww.. Feels disgusting. Does Deion really thinks he can play?

Deus Irae said:

The Patriots had all season to sign him and didn't. Is Deion supposed to show more loyalty than the team did?*

*Note, I'm not criticizing the Patriots. I've no problem with them choosing not to bring back Branch.

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Have to agree with this. Deion didn't retire... he's got a right to play for any team. It does bring to mind once again the old Seinfeld sports fan joke that 'we're all just rooting for laundry.' :madgrin:

Wrath Mania said:

There is no loyalty, that's just some naive concept for dumb fans to spout of on. Professional athletes don't have the same mindset as fans. Thank Christ for that.

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There is loyalty to some extent but even that which fans call loyalty is probably driven by other motives for players. What we call a hometown discount is more likely a trade-off of being paid slightly less money in exchange for convenience (not having to uproot or move away from family, not having to disrupt a child's schooling, not having to learn a new playbook, etc.) The convenience/time-vs-money trade-off is one we make every day.

When it comes to the Colts - this is the LEAST worrisome thing EVER

Deus Irae said:

The Patriots had all season to sign him and didn't. Is Deion supposed to show more loyalty than the team did?*

*Note, I'm not criticizing the Patriots. I've no problem with them choosing not to bring back Branch.

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Yeah because the 34 year old Deion Branch who has won 2 Super Bowls and earned over $50 million dollars in his NFL career really needed to come out of retirement to play 1 game and at most 3 games in the middle of January? Sure that makes sense, there is a difference between not signing someone during the regular season and signing with the competition 6 days before the divisional playoff game to play behind TY Hilton, Heyward-Bey, LaVon Brazill and Da'Rick Rogers.

Only a person with compromised loyalty would find no issue with what Deion Branch has done here, this is a smack in the face to an organization that drafted him, gave him a chance to get a big second contract and then revive his loser career and save some face. I will be surprised if they even dress Branch on Sunday they’re going to pull offensive information out of him and use him for the idiot traitor that he is, when Deion walks into that Colts locker room all he will see is fake smiles because any member of a team who fights for that team’s success would never ever respect Deion Branch.

patsinthesnow said:

The bigger news is that Darius Butler is now the Colts #2 CB, while Josh Gordy is their #3 CB.

This is setting up pretty well.

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Not to mention, Vontae Davis, their #1 corner, sure looked to be struggling (injury perhaps?) against the Chiefs.

Gronkandez said:

That sounds abt right. DHB runs a 4.2 forty and Deion.....well Deion runs about a 6.0 forty.

This is hilarious. Why not sign Tebow while you're at...you know, for QB depth.

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Heyward Bey might run a 4.2, but he doesn't even have hands. He basically goes out there trying to catch with two wrists.

whats the minimum you can pay a player signed for just a playoff game?

Brady6 said:

Yeah because the 34 year old Deion Branch who has won 2 Super Bowls and earned over $50 million dollars in his NFL career really needed to come out of retirement to play 1 game and at most 3 games in the middle of January? Sure that makes sense, there is a difference between not signing someone during the regular season and signing with the competition 6 days before the divisional playoff game to play behind TY Hilton, Heyward-Bey, LaVon Brazill and Da'Rick Rogers.

Only a person with compromised loyalty would find no issue with what Deion Branch has done here, this is a smack in the face to an organization that drafted him, gave him a chance to get a big second contract and then revive his loser career and save some face. I will be surprised if they even dress Branch on Sunday they’re going to pull offensive information out of him and use him for the idiot traitor that he is, when Deion walks into that Colts locker room all he will see is fake smiles because any member of a team who fights for that team’s success would never ever respect Deion Branch.

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All this whilst we turn out Austin Collie in a Patriots uniform. We're not paying him right now so he has absolutely no obligation towards us.