FWIW - Borges says Branch has agreement on contract with other team

[RayClay]

Umm. . . if I can comment without reading this entire thread. Yet, at least. Workday, and so forth.

This strikes my as a fabulous brand of arrogance - and I can't help admire it. If I understand this correctly, there are "several league sources," but only one guy to whom they've all spoken. And, that one guy happens to be the same one guy who revels in flicking the Patriots in the nose? Great great stuff.

I'm getting this John Lovitz, Saturday Night Live, "My Wife Morgan Fairchild" kind of feeling.

Trust me, though, I'm loving this.

One of those janitors has been working in the league office for 20 years. Don't scoff.

 

[Mosi Moose]

The Offer is from the Jets, per Cold Pizza

 

[RayClay]

I think its just a way for us to reject Branch offer, and drive a wedge between the team and Branch... Bottom line , see ya week 10

Do you seriously think Branch wants to miss most of the season? I don't.

I think his agent filled him with bull and assured him the Patriots would blink.

Mark my words, either some team offers Pats enough to trade him or Branch says "wait a minute I'm not missing the season" fires agent, sits down with Pats and hammers out long term deal.

I do think playing out the season without an extended contract is a problem because of the franchise thing, but that was the agents doing.

 

[PatsRI]

Jets - Branch for McCareins and a pick? (speculating)

From ESPN:
Trade talks for McCareins have slowed down in recent days, writes ESPN.com's John Clayton. The Bears were interested, but they thought the receiver's $2.2 million salary was a little steep.

 

[dryheat44]

The Offer is from the Jets, per Cold Pizza

Is that from know-nothing Woody Paige or know-nothing Skip Bayless?

 

[Tunescribe]

Do you seriously think Branch wants to miss most of the season? I don't.

I think his agent filled him with bull and assured him the Patriots would blink.

Mark my words, either some team offers Pats enough to trade him or Branch says "wait a minute I'm not missing the season" fires agent, sits down with Pats and hammers out long term deal.

I do think playing out the season without an extended contract is a problem because of the franchise thing, but that was the agents doing.

This has been a fiasco from the start, why would anyone come to their senses now? I hope you're right, but don't feel very optimistic.

 

[Alk]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/ny-spjets0902,0,4961374.story?coll=ny-sports-headlines

 

[Mosi Moose]

Is that from know-nothing Woody Paige or know-nothing Skip Bayless?

I think from the other guy--i was kind of surprised (don't know why) when i heard the Jets name come up so i didn't pay attention to who was talking. I'll take Coles and a 3rd Rd pick (which should be the 2nd or 3rd pick in that round).

 

[Slagathor]

We will not take McCariens. He sux.

BUT I WILL GLADLY TAKE THE JETS 1ST PICK THIS YEAR OR NEXT!!!!!

RATHER 2007 OR 2008. You know what I mean........

 

[dryheat44]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/ny-spjets0902,0,4961374.story?coll=ny-sports-headlines

Thanks for the link.

 

[Bella*chick]

Man, I knew it. I knew if someone was going to make a run it would be revealed at the last minute. Today should be interesting, to say the least.

Jeez, to go from catching passes from Tom Brady to attempting to catch a pass from Pennington, or, if he lives up to the legend of his noodly appendages, Patrick Ramsey. That's quite a decline.

 

[dryheat44]

Due to the cap impact, I'm not sure Belichick wants a pick as high as the Jets figure to have. Although we could get a stud LB at long last.

I really don't want to trade Branch, because I don't like the precedent it's going to set for other guys on the team who might not be happy with their contracts. So if we're going to trade him, let's make it well worth our while.

I think I'll be okay with McCareins and the Jets second rounders in 2007 and 2008.

I think McCareins is a fine receiver. I don't know Mangini's problem with him.

 

[hwc]

The writer's inference that the Pats are unwilling to pay the little weasel like a #1 WR is absurd. By all accounts, they offered him an extension averaging an amount equal to the current franchise tag number at his position. The franchise tag number is the average of the five highest paid players at his position.

Is the Pats offer Randy Moss or Marvin Harrison money? No. But, the little weasel is not Randy Moss or Marvin Harrison. He's a solid mid-pack #1 receiver and the Pats offered him solid mid-pack #1 receiver money.

 

[Pat_Nasty]

According to the Newsday report, there are "similar offers" from both the Jets and an NFC team.

If this is correct, that says to me that these offers are in earnest, and not simply ploys to further alienate Branch + the Pats.

If these offers are in earnest, then they are likely a little more reasonable than Branch's stated demands. If they are, then they could act as the counter-offer that the Pats haven't been able to get from Chayut.

Hopefully, the situation hasn't polarized Branch enough that he won't want to sit down with the Pats FO and see if they can't start with the offer he's accepted from other teams, and work out something agreeable to the Pats' FO so that he can stay where he is.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I have trouble with the notion that BB/SP didn't foresee another team making a competitive bid for Deion, many here did. A 1st from the Jets for Deion wouldn't be a bad thing for the club - who has a forecast of the 2007 draft depth to hand? As for our current receivers, who knew Deion and D-Giv in 2002? Lets see what Bam and Stone and even Reche can do with Tommy's guidance, we might even get to see that fast kid sometime this season.

 

[Pats726]

That's all fine and dandy, but it's one thing to have a player who thinks he's worth more, it's quite another to have that player with an offer on the table from another team that proves him right. Then the Patriots (in Branch's mind) would be denying him the opportunity to collect a big paycheck that is in the realm of reality, not in a hoped-for future.

And before anyone misunderstands, I'm NOT saying that Branch would be right and the Patriots wrong. I'm just being realistic about the way the thing would play out ...

The word TRADE was in the statement..getting a deal is one thing... a TRADE is another..DOING only HALF of what is needed is hardly close to what the Patriots will look at..and as reality plays out, I think fans will understand that as well. Branch may think the Patriots are stopping him from a big paycheck..when in fact, HE has stopped things by not playing by teh rules..and honoring jis contract.

 

[Pat_Nasty]

The writer's inference that the Pats are unwilling to pay the little weasel like a #1 WR is absurd.

I'm pretty sure you mean "implication," not "inference." The latter means something reasoned from factual knowledge or evidence, not something suggested or implied.

Sorry -- pet usage peeve.

 

[pats60]

I wouldnt trade him to a jets let him sit here and stew .
Why help the jets ? if he wont play for us then he wont play
for any one else this year.

 

[Pats726]

This has been a fiasco from the start, why would anyone come to their senses now? I hope you're right, but don't feel very optimistic.

Well said..unreasonableness doesn't all of a sudden change and become one of reason. TOTALLY agree...I am NOT optimistic about Branch returning..

 

[Jacky Roberts]

Well said..unreasonableness doesn't all of a sudden change and become one of reason. TOTALLY agree...I am NOT optimistic about Branch returning..

Like I said the other day, when its all said and done, Branch will be a member of the Vikings by the end of the day today. I hope the Pats fleece Minnesota the way Dallas fleeced the Vikes in the Walker deal. No way he goes to the Jets unless Mangini gives up the store to BB.