The fact that reports like Kirwan's seem to represent the consensus is encouraging, but the success of the Pats' gambit hinges on Branch + Chayut taking the hint.
If Chayut can convince Branch that the reason he wasn't getting his offers is that the Pats were somehow scaring teams away with their draft pick demands or by making it clear they don't really intend to trade Branch, then we could end up with an even deeper entrenchment.
Also, I've got a problem with the logic of bringing up preseason to support the anonymous GM's statement "I'm not sure Brady doesn't make him look even better."
So far in preseason, Brady has clearly made the Pats passing game look better -- but not so much the WRs. If having Brady makes a WR look better, why hasn't Caldwell looked like Branch?
We all talk about how Brady's favorite WR is the open one -- so in order for Branch to have become Brady's favorite target the past few years, wouldn't that mean he's the most often open -- and that Brady trusts Branch's hands?
While Brady can probably hit a WR who's gotten less separation than most QB's, which might make him look better, he will also look away from a WR who's being double covered, thus perhaps making it look like Branch has been "taken out of the game" by a double team, when in reality, Brady is just looking to take advantage of the coverage holes that creates elsewhere.