So you Guys are telling me that in the Best year ever for FA WR's you guys would rather keep a diminshing skills Deion Branch over say a guy going into his prime?
Check this list again and tell me the Patriots couldn't find somebody younger or better than Branch! You guys gotta be kidding me. So Glad BB is making the decisions and not some of us.:snob:
2012 NFL Free Agents: WR
Pierre Garcon (IND)
Early Doucet (ARZ)
Eddie Royal (DEN)
Anthony Gonzalez (IND)
Harry Douglas (ATL)
Any combination of those guys could more than replace Deion Branch!
Look money aside grab the four best players from that list and team them up with Welker and the TEs and thanks for the memories Deion.
But your offense was dominant last year with Branch as your number 2 WR so IMO the prudent thing to do is find one guy on that list and move branch down the depth chart. Draft one WR fairly high(2nd) to really high (1st) depending on the FA you do sign. Then use the rest of your cash and picks on defense, defense and more defense.
Offensive side of the ball would be best to be the same staters on the oline, the same RB crew minus Faulk, Same QBs
, And a WR group of Welker, ?(FA or first round pick), Branch, (FA or 2nd rd pick this can be ahead of branch if you like), and Edelman/Slater/Tiquan/other min contract FA or low draft pick to compete.
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I think we need to be honest with ourselves. There is a large amount of money for the Patriots to work with right now but there is also a long list of questions they need to answer as far as their own guys. How much is left after you look into retaining Welker, BJGE, Carter, Anderson, Light, Waters, Koppen, Connelly, and anybody else I am missing? (Also consider a rookie pool and some buffer room for the season)
I hope there is enough for one decent to great WR and a lot on D. Much more than one of the top WRs I would like the top safety and/or CB and I think we would all like some front seven help on the edge and depth on the interior DL (though I put front seven well below DB and WR if we retain the above).