Deion Branch Appreciation Thread

[RobertWeathers]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

Were The Twig to pick up another ring or two, HOF is not beyond reach.

He doesn't have the career numbers.

Thats like saying the 49ers John Taylor is a HoFer and has 3 rings.

 

[Bella*chick]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

Gotta love this guy. I can totally see why Brady and BB do.

 

[sarge]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

amazing article. A must read

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

He doesn't have the career numbers.

Thats like saying the 49ers John Taylor is a HoFer and has 3 rings.

A second SB MVP by the Zombie would be hard to refute.

Make it so!

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

After reading some of those quotes in there from Belichick and Branch about how things went down a few years back, I wonder if even the most hardcore Branch haters (from before he came back, of course) have changed their minds...

 

[Nordberg]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

The whole Branch thing pi$$e$ me off when I think about it. What a huge mistake it was not to sign this guy back in "2006". There is no doubt in my mind we would have had another Lombardi.

 

[karguy85]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

Let's just be happy to have the guy back. He's a gamer (just like Welker and Brady).

If the Patriots took him back with open arms, I don't think fans can really hold it against him.

 

[eagle eye]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

After reading some of those quotes in there from Belichick and Branch about how things went down a few years back, I wonder if even the most hardcore Branch haters (from before he came back, of course) have changed their minds...

Changed their minds about what exactly?

 

[*ChungFu*]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

After reading some of those quotes in there from Belichick and Branch about how things went down a few years back, I wonder if even the most hardcore Branch haters (from before he came back, of course) have changed their minds...

You could count me as one...although I never professed hate. I just don't give much more thought or consideration to guys who leave for more money.
Givens, Law, Assante etc.I just do not consider as guys I want to root for after they leave. BUT would have gladly taken any one of them back if able to still produce.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

A second SB MVP by the Zombie would be hard to refute.

Make it so!

Would want nothing more .

He should have 2 SB MVPs already but a 2nd just might do it actually. Sportswriters are morons though

 

[BelichickFan]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

After reading some of those quotes in there from Belichick and Branch about how things went down a few years back, I wonder if even the most hardcore Branch haters (from before he came back, of course) have changed their minds...

I was pretty upset at "The Twig" so he was being called back then. But I have to admit, I LOVE having him back. I was a hater but now I'm a lover.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

Changed their minds about what exactly?

About Branch in particular. I remember quite a few people saying that you couldn't pay them to take him back over the summer when rumors first started surfacing about a possible return. Same goes for after Moss was traded.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

The whole Branch thing pi$$e$ me off when I think about it. What a huge mistake it was not to sign this guy back in "2006". There is no doubt in my mind we would have had another Lombardi.

Lets speculate (not like it ever has on this board )

06- The D blew it but Deion would have been a slight upgrade over Reche.

07- Would Deion have more than 5 catches for 62 yds? Maybe not, but I sure know he'd come out of his routes quicker vs that pass rush as I am convinced that would have helped TB a little. Either way, I doubt he would have made the difference. The football gods were against them that day.

08 & 09- No. The team had other problems.

 

[GrogansArmy]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

Good article to read, thank you.

I just have two questions:

Time has minimized the rancor that preceded Branch's departure following a contract dispute. There was a holdout, a spot on the Did Not Report list, a $600,000 fine, a grievance filed by Branch when the two parties agreed a trade would be best and New England initially balked on offers from New York and Seattle. Even the sunniest NFL player could not cast a positive light on how Branch's tenure in New England was terminated.

"It was bad,'' Branch confirmed. "It was sour how it ended, but I was never involved in any of it. My agent handled the negotiations. I prayed every night it would get done.

You realize Deion, you can always tell your agent that you want to stay with the team, and he'll make sure you do... So it begs the question, if you really wanted to stay so bad, why did you hold out for a mill or so when you were already making multiple mill's? If its because you needed more money then why later in the article does it say:

Bitterness, Branch reasoned, was pointless. He was traded to Seattle and would make it work there. He was young, healthy, wealthy beyond his dreams

Wealthy beyond your dreams, and yet.. you left the one place you loved for a few more dollars.



Not putting all the blame on Deion either, the next question is for BB:

Last week, Belichick was uncommonly effusive in his praise when asked about Branch's influence on his team.

"He's the best,'' Belichick declared. "You can't get better than that. He's totally about the team.''

Did you just figure out he's the "best", or did you also think that 5 years ago? And if he is the "best", then why would you let him go over a mill or so? You can't tell me you couldn't work the salary cap to keep him. IMO had you kept Branch we probably would have had another SB trophy.

Can't change the past and can only move forward, but with the benefit of hindsight, it really sucks to know what could have been.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

After reading some of those quotes in there from Belichick and Branch about how things went down a few years back, I wonder if even the most hardcore Branch haters (from before he came back, of course) have changed their minds...

Mea Culpa

Mea Maxima Culpa

As someone to whom The Twig was Dead To Me and who labeled his return as The Zombie ah gots ta admit that he's been fantastic as a teammate. My bad.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

Mea Culpa

Mea Maxima Culpa

As someone to whom The Twig was Dead To Me and who labeled his return as The Zombie ah gots ta admit that he's been fantastic as a teammate. My bad.

To be honest, you weren't who I had in mind when I made that post. The person I had in mind was still spewing venom at the guy even AFTER we made the trade for him.

 

[Nordberg]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

Say what you want about Felger. But, he has been on the money in regards to every thing Branch

 

[patchick]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

I know she's far from perfect, but when it comes to this kind of article, MacMullan is tremendous. Very, very few sportswriters can give you a sense of a player as an individual the way she can.

 

[Kasmir]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

Lets speculate (not like it ever has on this board )

06- The D blew it but Deion would have been a slight upgrade over Reche.

07- Would Deion have more than 5 catches for 62 yds? Maybe not, but I sure know he'd come out of his routes quicker vs that pass rush as I am convinced that would have helped TB a little. Either way, I doubt he would have made the difference. The football gods were against them that day.

08 & 09- No. The team had other problems.

'06 no question Branch would have made a difference. Caldwell played out of his mind with Brady that year, but in the end reverted to the form that got him cut from San Diego. Possible Superbowl if Branch had stayed, it was close.

'07 on, I'm not so sure. '06 led to our acquiring Moss, Welker, and Stallworth. If Branch had stayed we'd probably not have picked up all three or even two of them. We also had Jabbar Gaffney on that team (from '06). It was perhaps the best set of WR's the Patriots have ever had on one team. It's hard to imagine Branch's staying having resulted in as good a crew...

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

'06 no question Branch would have made a difference. Caldwell played out of his mind with Brady that year, but in the end reverted to the form that got him cut from San Diego. Possible Superbowl if Branch had stayed, it was close.

'07 on, I'm not so sure. '06 led to our acquiring Moss, Welker, and Stallworth. If Branch had stayed we'd probably not have picked up all three or even two of them. We also had Jabbar Gaffney on that team (from '06). It was perhaps the best set of WR's the Patriots have ever had on one team. It's hard to imagine Branch's staying having resulted in as good a crew...

Clearly the '06 SB woulda, coulda, shoulda been ours had The Twig insteada Bug Eyes been our go to guy. The nice thing is that given Hugh Everett's "many worlds" interpretation of quantum mechanics, there's multiple universes where we won that 2006/7 SB instead of The Forehead.