Kirwan on Branch "Trade" situation

[njpatsfan]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9624074

Simple explanation of the "trade permission" move for those that are still confused, and some inside comments from a unnamed GM and a personnel director.

As one GM who wouldn't mind getting another starting wide receiver said to me today, "He's better than what we have right now, but I'm not sure Brady doesn't make him look even better. I wonder what he will do with an average QB on the field."

Certainly, Brady's preseason performance (35 for 54, 17 different Patriots with a reception) suggests the talent of the QB and the system has something to do with Branch's success in the past. As a personnel director said to me, "Don't get me wrong. Branch is a very good player, but the Patriots deal on the table is the right one."

R

 

[sarge]

I especially liked this line

As a personnel director said to me, "Don't get me wrong. Branch is a very good player, but the Patriots deal on the table is the right one."

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Astute GMs know these things...
1. Branch has a QB and a system perfectly suited to his talents. Do they?
2. Pats $ value on Branch is close to spot on. Since the Pats want to keep Branch, they know that they therefore would be overpaying to sign The Twig.
3. There are reasonable durability questions regarding the 5'9" Twig.

 

[zippo59]

Wow, how can a player get such a distorted view of his own worth?

 

[hwc]

The Pats made very legitimate offers to Branch. Heck, they are willing to pay him franchise tag money ($6 million per year) on a multiyear deal. Unless you think he's the best WR in football, that is a very reasonable offer.

So, I wonder what they'll offer when he comes dragging his sorry ass back to the table on Friday? Same deal minus the accumulated fines (for their aggravation in dealing with him)?

 

[tatepatsfan]

Wow, how can a player get such a distorted view of his own worth?

Two Words:

Jason Chayut

 

[Johnny Z]

Deion Branch was the best natural WR of his draft class, and I said that long before that draft was held.

Most NFL GMs will not look at a 5'9" WR. If Branch were 6'1", exact same stats and exact same career, that great big sucking sound you would be hearing would be 31 GMs trying to suck him off the table.

No Branch, two less rings, and no more rings.

 

[hwc]

Wow, how can a player get such a distorted view of his own worth?

Teams overpaying for players like David Givens in free agency.

Branch probably would get more money as a free agent. But, he is not a free agent!

 

[PatsWorldChamps]

The Pats made very legitimate offers to Branch. Heck, they are willing to pay him franchise tag money ($6 million per year) on a multiyear deal. Unless you think he's the best WR in football, that is a very reasonable offer.

So, I wonder what they'll offer when he comes dragging his sorry ass back to the table on Friday? Same deal minus the accumulated fines (for their aggravation in dealing with him)?

same deal, and they'll drop the fines.

 

[Oswlek]

Wow, how can a player get such a distorted view of his own worth?

Personally, I would have rejected the first offer myself. He does deserve a pay raise this year that is not just an early payment of the extension. Also, many people talk about the $8mm guaranteed, but if I understand it correctly, only $4mm would be guaranteed. The second $4mm would have been a roster bonus in 2007. Sure, Branch is highly likely to make the team next year, but you just never know with this game.

All that said, the offer isn't that far off and this entire issue would have been resovled a long time ago, had the agent just counteroffered. You know, like they often do during negotiations?

 

[mgcolby]

No Branch, two less rings, and no more rings.

Do you truly believe half of the **** you write?

 

[hwc]

All that said, the offer isn't that far off and this entire issue would have been resovled a long time ago, had the agent just counteroffered. You know, like they often do during negotiations?

Exactly. Hey, I don't begrudge a guy haggling over the initial offer. Maybe even huffin' and puffin' a little bit. But, at least negotiate in good faith and come back with a counteroffer. Especially when the team's offer is, by any measure, a legitimate offer that values the player near the top of the pay scale for his position and higher than his production necessarily warrants.

 

[Murphys95]

If the Patriots first offer wasn't the right one, it was in the ballpark. Averaged out over the next 4 seasons, the extension would have made Branch the 17th highest paid receiver. Just a glance at Branch's 2005 rankings puts things in perspective:

Receptions: 15th
Yards: 20th
YAC: 25th
TDs: 29th

The problem was Branch and his agent, from all accounts, never even countered the Patriots offer. It was a very reasonable launching point for negotiations if you ask me.

 

[PromisedLand]

Wow, how can a player get such a distorted view of his own worth?

The obvious answer is, "his agent tells him he can get him X dollars elsewhere".

The thing that is hard to understand is what the agent has to gain by doing so. Sure, agents get a percentage of the dollar value of new contracts they negotiate, but Chayut should know Branch's value and also know that the Patriots are quite resolute in paying only what they think a player is worth.

Which leads me to one simple conclusion, Chayut is a fool. It was reported that his only prior experience is with rookie contracts. Perhaps he oversold Branch on his own value to get him as a client, hoping to later get him to accept a lesser deal, at which time Branch balked and told Chayut "you told me I'm worth X, so get me X". We'll probably never know. But what we do know is that Chayut has gotten himself and his client into an untenable position from which he will have difficulty backing down without either (a) losing his client or (b) losing face.

 

[The Next One]

All that said, the offer isn't that far off and this entire issue would have been resovled a long time ago, had the agent just counteroffered. You know, like they often do during negotiations?

Well said. I hope that if Friday plays out like most think it will, Deion sits down and gives some serious thought about who is representing him.

 

[Brownfan80]

Deion Branch was the best natural WR of his draft class, and I said that long before that draft was held.

Most NFL GMs will not look at a 5'9" WR. If Branch were 6'1", exact same stats and exact same career, that great big sucking sound you would be hearing would be 31 GMs trying to suck him off the table.

No Branch, two less rings, and no more rings.

You cannot be serious. You are willing to put it forward that we'd never have won in 2003 or 2004 without Branch, and even further beyond that that we wont win another one without him? You sir, must either be his agent, or the player in question. Because that is one of the largest overstatements I've read regarding the Branch situation.

Brady is Brady regardless of Deion Branch. Branch did not win those SBs any more than Ty Law did, or Ted Washington did, or David Givens did, or Damien Woody did, or David Patten did, or the list goes on and on and on. One player did not create those winning seasons, and one won't destroy them. Unless of course that 'one' we're talking about is TOM BRADY!

 

[14thDragon]

same deal, and they'll drop the fines.

I would agree. Bill is not one to hold a grudge. As long as Deion acts right after the return, then all will be forgiven.

 

[lobster]

Kirwan's comment from a personnel director seems like a clear message to Branch's agent from the NFL: "Don't get me wrong. Branch is a very good player, but the Patriots deal on the table is the right one." Also Kirwan's comment that "I don't believe the Patriots would ever give up their right to use the tag" sends another message to Branch's agent - it was very dumb to set Branch up with the comment he would return if he isn't franchised next year.

Branch also said "it's a business", but his agent set him up there as well because contract law rules in the business world. I fear the NFL is going to teach Branch and his agent what the "it's a business" really means, in which case the consequences will be severe for both. That could be what Kirwan's comments were all about.

 

[patchick]

I would agree. Bill is not one to hold a grudge. As long as Deion acts right after the return, then all will be forgiven.

Oh, I'd bet Bill is one to hold plenty of grudges. But he won't let it affect the football team he puts on the field.

Personally, I wouldn't hold any grudges against Branch because I think this whole situation has been its own punishment.

 

[TNPatsFan]

On a side note, may I propose the team assigns the number 83 to Bam Childress? No sense letting a legitimate number for a WR go to waste. And it would be fun to see what Deion thinks of it.