Excellent signing - senior leadership is what is needed, especially for Brandon Lloyd. LLoyd is a major head case and as talented as he is, there needs to be a mentor who is articulate and who understands what is expected of a wideout with so many weapons on this team.
A receiving corps of Gronkowski, Hernandez, Branch, Welker, Lloyd and a functional Ochocinco is impressive. Brady will have veteran production everywhere, especially if Ocho and Branch could get 40 or so catches apiece while the other four collect near their averages.
Ochocinco has a season and will have a full summer of off-season work with the Pats to prove himself. I think the lockout diminished his effectiveness and he was humbled by the lack of playing time and receptions. Ocho's being pushed already with the signing of Gonzalez and presence of Underwood who was classy in the way he dealt with being left off the SB roster.
I do not expect Ocho to make it out of training camp, but I do think he'll get a fair shot.
I agree that another receiver in the draft would be a good move but not in the first four selections. Belichick should focus on DL and longterm depth including another OL near the top of his selections.
Cousin I am not a fan of the Branch signing but that is my opinion and I hope I am dead wrong about the value he still has. I get the leadership.
I see this leading down a bad path. I saw a WR who has diminishing skills who used to be dynamic and had to be accounted for. He can be covered by the other Teams worst DB singled up. If you study his most productive catches this season it was when the other Teams defense fell asleep and let him wander to an open area. He did not make that separation. As a benefit of the doubt I will say Hernandez and Gronk had a lot to do with how free he got and perhaps that would be the case in every WR paired with that tandem But he was painful to watch as he struggled sometimes and was just plain slow. It is not his skill that is bringing him back. It is respect and I get that too.....That being said if you have to make a WR decision on a player you bring in with a Roster spot involved.
It has been said BB is heartless as to whomever is the best player to help the Team, he keeps. BB might be mellowing in his golden years of coaching because that was not the case last year with Faulk. If you disagree you would be wrong then , wouldn't you. Sentiment kept him on the squad in 2011.
The Branch signing smells the same way. Someone brought up 51 catches and said he was a contributor last year. I am going to blaspheme to all you "anti Ocho" and the "lets pile it on Ocho because we go with what the cool kids say" sentiment. In the last part of 2011 I saw Ocho open more than Branch. Watch if you feel I am wrong. In the SB I saw him open more than Branch. Fact is that he got open. TB forced the ball in that game. I am not standing on a stump and saying let's make Ocho our #1 guy, but I saw Tom Brady NOT throw to the open guy toward the end on 2011. That Open guy stuff was a myth last year. I understand why his first reads were Gronk and Welker. They produced. But... one of the criticisms about Brady and the Past offense while Moss was still here was he targeted Moss too much. In fact some of the idiots like Felger used that as a small piece against Moss to say we didn't need him. "TB will spread the ball around more". Nope. Epic fail on Felgers idea as we have struggled for that type of play that Moss brought since. It was said by the "experts" that getting back Branch will make us forget about Moss. El Wrongo on that one. I say if Ocho had the same targets as Branch in 2011 for the whole year, he gets the same amount of receptions. I am not saying Ochos early 2011 was a thing of beauty, but I don't think he is on the roster today if he was that terrible in practice and horrible game day. Out best blocking WR in 2011? Check the games. It was Ocho. He did not crush anyone but he made the effort.
Look Cousin all I am saying is I think talent wise they are both waning. Opportunity wise, Branch is going to get more of a shot because of his past heroics. That makes sense. But of the two Ocho probably still has more upside. He is villainized here and it might not be his fault. I am not buying this playbook crap. So why not just cut Ocho, save some money and get it over with?. I think Bill might feel Ocho did not get a fair shake for the effort he showed to BB in 2011 is a possibility. The results were not there that we saw. He obviously did. Ocho still has a locker.
What is my point of all this? Perhaps we need to wave goodbye to both. I doubt if Stallworth and Gonzalez are the answer. The pressure is on Lloyd. But we still needed to upgrade that position the second SB 46 was over. Roster spots are few. Will the resigning of what amounts to a half of a Branch and the coaches personal determination that Ocho was not a mistake by BB, prevent us from seeking another WR in FA, Trade or the Draft and let him actually get reps? That is why I am not a fan of re upping a past hero in Branch. No question that somewhere you can get more talent on the field.
Now if he has to cut Branch or Ocho, will he do it or let one linger like Faulk? Those are my points.
DW Toys
