Pats give Branch permission to seek Trade

[MoLewisrocks]

Re: Pats Make Shrewd Move On Branch - Ian please leave as seperate post

:agree:

And I fear there will be no end to those who think their perspective or angle on this in unique in the next 7 days....

Merge thread is a good thing.

 

[TNTransplant]

Shanle is now a Saint.

My Bad, friends

 

[jct]

Re: I don't understand the joy felt over the stance the Pats are taking on Branch.....

I really don't get it. This is like drawing a line in the sand and saying, "I dare you to step over this line", Deion steps over it, and drawing another line. What we all have to realize is that, come September 1st, we will be in the same place. Branch won't work out a trade, and he will still hold out afterwards. I really don't get the optimism. Just because the Pats have proclaimed this deadline, doesn't mean a trade OR a deal get's done by Sept 1st. Then what happens ? This proclamation doesn't force Deion to show up in camp on or after September 1st.

I think this is a face saving attempt by the Pats, basically washing their hands of Branch, but the only way they can get him outta here, is to trade him, which I don't think will happen, or cut him, which definately won't happen. If they think this will force Deion's hand into signing with the Pats, I don't think this was the smart way to do it. My only hope is that a trade does get worked out, but I doubt it.

Your first sentence says it all : you don't get it.
It is not your fault.
You only have part of the information.
Probably what we all don't know is that Branch has an agreement to return if he can't broker an acceptable deal to ALL parties. (MY Speculation)
But if NE accepts him leaving we will loose a disgruntled player, a locker room distraction, receive acceptable compensation (in picks and or players) AND he MUST pay us back for his signing bonus and missing camp($14K/day).
To me that is the perfect win for NE and its fans.
Probably he just comes back with his tail between his legs and fires his agent.
The truth is in 4 years he has averaged 668yds/yr.
Only a foolish team will pay more than 6.5M/yr for that production.
Do you get it now?

 

[pats1]

Re: I don't understand the joy felt over the stance the Pats are taking on Branch....

Branch is losing $14,000 a day in holdout fines, which now totals $408,000.

If he didn't attend the offseason workout program, then there goes another $6,160.

If he is on the reserve/did not report list, then in all likelihood he isn't paid the $61,470 a week in base salary, which would total $553,230 if he sits out until week 10.

And then after that, as PFT noted, there's minicamp fines and then probably an effort on the Pats' part to recover part of his $205,000 signing bonus proration for 2006.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Re: I don't understand the joy felt over the stance the Pats are taking on Branch.....

Yet again sentiment that belongs in the Branch trade thread....

I know people want to discuss just what they see in all this, but if you put it out there and it's worthwhile you will get responses within the existing thread. If you keep this up we will be arguing the same points in two dozen threads by tomorrow.

 

[Kdo5]

Re: I don't understand the joy felt over the stance the Pats are taking on Branch....

I also don't understand all the "joy" over the action of the team.

As I have said before, we have our "Joe Montana" in the prime of his career and we are getting rid of his "John Taylor" and "Jerry Rice".

2006 represents our best opportunity to pick up our 4th Lombardi. In a few more years, we will be facing tougher opponents in Roethlisberger, Palmer, Rivers, and Cutler.

I don't understand why we are semi-dismantling the team during the prime of Brady's career.

.

:wha: mikey?

 

[CrazyDave]

Re: I don't understand the joy felt over the stance the Pats are taking on Branch....

I also don't understand all the "joy" over the action of the team.

As I have said before, we have our "Joe Montana" in the prime of his career and we are getting rid of his "John Taylor" and "Jerry Rice".

2006 represents our best opportunity to pick up our 4th Lombardi. In a few more years, we will be facing tougher opponents in Roethlisberger, Palmer, Rivers, and Cutler.

I don't understand why we are semi-dismantling the team during the prime of Brady's career.

.

How are we "getting rid of" him?
By not giving the ridiculous $ he's looking for?
This guy is not honoring his contract with us.
He refused a generous offer, calling it an insult.
He has'nt even shown up to camp for cryin out loud.
It's his choice.
How are we "semi-dimantling"?
Seriously, C'mon.

 

[mikey]

Re: I don't understand the joy felt over the stance the Pats are taking on Branch....

You always say that they should surround Brady like how the Colts have surrounded Manning.

How has that worked out for them? They overpay for Manning's weapons, and then are left with an unbalanced, underfunded rest of the team.

Actually, the Colts have not done so badly.

Their combined regular season record the last 3 years is 38 - 10.

In comparison, the Patriots last 3 regular seasons is also 38 - 10.

It is true the Colts have not had post-season success. But that should not detract from the fact that they are also a very good team.

.

 

[patchick]

My Bad, friends

Not Shanle, clearly, but a crazy thought has been rattling around my little brain...I could almost convince myself that Branch for Bobby Carpenter makes sense. Pats get their LB of the future, Cowboys in essence spend their #1 pick on a talented, productive receiver ready to step in and start from day one--which lets them show Owens to the door.

 

[shmessy]

Re: I don't understand the joy felt over the stance the Pats are taking on Branch....

I also don't understand all the "joy" over the action of the team.

As I have said before, we have our "Joe Montana" in the prime of his career and we are getting rid of his "John Taylor" and "Jerry Rice".

2006 represents our best opportunity to pick up our 4th Lombardi. In a few more years, we will be facing tougher opponents in Roethlisberger, Palmer, Rivers, and Cutler.

I don't understand why we are semi-dismantling the team during the prime of Brady's career.

.

Thank you for your 19th post saying the very same thing.

Question for your campaign: Are you the only person who has missed the "Cheshire Cat Smile" that has been plastered all over Tommy's face since we drafted Maroney, Jackson, Thomas, Mills and O'Callaghan?

If you knew ANYTHING about football you would understand that, on the whole, Brady feels like a kid in a candy store right now. "Oh, but Branch is his buddy!"

Within hours after this draft, Brady was sheepishly fielding questions about how everyone is expecting 40 points per game this year. Without Branch, perhaps we'll average 36.5.

 

[shmessy]

Re: I don't understand the joy felt over the stance the Pats are taking on Branch....

Actually, the Colts have not done so badly.

Their combined regular season record the last 3 years is 38 - 10.

In comparison, the Patriots last 3 regular seasons is also 38 - 10.

It is true the Colts have not had post-season success. But that should not detract from the fact that they are also a very good team.

.

Did I read that correctly?
"It is true the Colts have not had post-season success. But that should not detract from the fact that they are also a very good team."??????????????????

Failure in the post-season should not detract from the fact that they are also a very good team? Are you Marty Schottenheimer? Jim Mora? Mikey, you've written some pretty dumb stuff, but this one stands out even for you.

Yup, The Colts own September and Dan Snyder owns March.

We're very happy keeping January and February, thank you very much.

 

[Kdo5]

Re: I don't understand the joy felt over the stance the Pats are taking on Branch....

Actually, the Colts have not done so badly.

Their combined regular season record the last 3 years is 38 - 10.

In comparison, the Patriots last 3 regular seasons is also 38 - 10.

It is true the Colts have not had post-season success. But that should not detract from the fact that they are also a very good team.

.

And spending all their money to surround their offense led them to a crappy defense which has been their constant faliure alongside Peyton Manning's chokes.

Mind saying something different for once other than your constant "We are throwing away our oppurtunity to win a Lombardi because we arent overpaying Branch with 9 million a year." Come up with a valid argument for once.

 

[pats1]

Mortensen just said in the Steelers/Eagles halftime show that Branch will look at the Broncos, Seahawks, and Eagles.

 

[pats1]

Re: I don't understand the joy felt over the stance the Pats are taking on Branch....

Actually, the Colts have not done so badly.

Their combined regular season record the last 3 years is 38 - 10.

In comparison, the Patriots last 3 regular seasons is also 38 - 10.

It is true the Colts have not had post-season success. But that should not detract from the fact that they are also a very good team.

.

That has to be one of the most outrageous, hilarious, completely unexpected from a PatsFan post I've seen.

 

[Miguel]

I can't believe that Chayut actually has a chance of coming out of this smelling like a rose.

 

[brady2brown]

Yikes, 267 posts. Forgive me if I am repeating what someone else said but I only read about 100 of them and then gave up.

BUT

1. most teams have little cap room at this time of year,

Tsk, tsk. You should have read all the posts

 

[Brady'sButtBoy]

Re: Pats Make Shrewd Move On Branch - Ian please leave as seperate post

It isn't ego, it is an effort to try to have a compartmentalized discussion on one small facet of the Branch dealings instead of an all out rage fest. But evidently Pats726 is so ego free he has deemed himself arbiter of unbiased assessment.

Don't see the unique perspective? Where is another thread/comment specifically adrressing how the timing of the move was aimed to maximize the trade value of the situation?

 

[shmessy]

I can't believe that Chayut actually has a chance of coming out of this smelling like a rose.

Only if it benefits the people who hold the veto. If so, then it's a win-win situation for a nice kid and the best FO in sports.

That's the only way for Chayut to come out of this smelling like anything but the floor of a dairy farm.

 

[patchick]

I can't believe that Chayut actually has a chance of coming out of this smelling like a rose.

That's a hell of a good point. I really do think he handled the situation miserably.

I've almost lost track of how I'm rooting for this to turn out. Short of "Branch fires agent and immediately signs contract extension," it's just depressing all around.

 

[mikey]

Re: I don't understand the joy felt over the stance the Pats are taking on Branch....

And spending all their money to surround their offense led them to a crappy defense which has been their constant faliure alongside Peyton Manning's chokes.

Mind saying something different for once other than your constant "We are throwing away our oppurtunity to win a Lombardi because we arent overpaying Branch with 9 million a year." Come up with a valid argument for once.

My suggestion?

How about agreeing not to place the franchise tag on Branch after the 2006 season and let him enter unrestricted free agency?

He is a crappy WR anyway.