What would you do if you were Deion?

[lobster]

Branch should have made sure his offer to play if he wasn't franchised was formally offered to the Patriots by his agent or himself. A player verbally saying something to the media does not compromise a formal offer to the Patriots.

If Chayut formerly offered that to the Pat's - Branch would return if he wasn't franchised - then the Pat's should have countered it. For example Branch's contract no doubt had substantial incentives in it which are payable this year, so the Pat's could have said he can't earn some of those incentives because we can't franchise him - something like that.

Therefore I place the fault here partly on the PAT'S because Branch did make a verbal compromise to the media.

 

[Bostonian1962]

You are already 27 years old.

If the Patriots place the franchise tag on you next season, you will be 29 to 30 years old by the time you reach free agency.

Who is going to give a 30-year-old WR the big bucks??

And you saw what they did to Adam when the team repeatedly placed the franchise tag on him.

And what happens if you get injured? You also saw what happened to Ty Law.

As to sticking to your contract, you know the team tore up Brady's rookie contract and negotiated a more lucrative one.

So what would you do??

.

I'd fire my pathetic agent, to be honest.

 

[Miguel]

So you would ignore your contract and throw away about $1M ? Really ? I'm disappointed, seriously.
I would play my contract out for the "pitiful" $1M, buy an insurance policy against a career ender and happily know I'm set for life whatever happens.

It appears to me that Deion no longer wants to be with the Patriots. If I am correct, holding out to Week 9 limits his exposure to the injury risk as would avoiding TC in 2007. If Deion has to play for the Patriots, it is going to be for the most money in 2007 and 2008, if need be.

 

[BelichickFan]

It appears to me that Deion no longer wants to be with the Patriots. If I am correct, holding out to Week 9 limits his exposure to the injury risk as would avoiding TC in 2007. If Deion has to play for the Patriots, it is going to be for the most money in 2007 and 2008, if need be.

I guess we read the question a little differently, I was putting myself in the player's position. So, yeah, if I were the player (and, yes, I relize that's the wording) then I can see your point. I think you, Miguel, would report, though.

 

[Miguel]

I guess we read the question a little differently, I was putting myself in the player's position. So, yeah, if I were the player (and, yes, I relize that's the wording) then I can see your point. I think you, Miguel, would report, though.

Yes, that is true. I, Miguel, would report.

 

[Patters]

If Branch's agent is any good, then Branch knew all the possible outcomes, especially this one where the Patriots played hardball. He would never have expected the Pat to treat him differently than they treated Milloy or Law. So, I too think that Branch wanted to move on -- perhaps for the money, perhaps for more passes his way, or perhaps to get away from a BB system that is serious and demanding. (Remember, these players are all from the slacker generation, so working under BB might be unpleasant for them.)

Both sides are playing hardball, and both sides will lose more than they get unless they come up with a solution.

 

[Keegs]

You are already 27 years old.

If the Patriots place the franchise tag on you next season, you will be 29 to 30 years old by the time you reach free agency.

Who is going to give a 30-year-old WR the big bucks??

And you saw what they did to Adam when the team repeatedly placed the franchise tag on him.

And what happens if you get injured? You also saw what happened to Ty Law.

As to sticking to your contract, you know the team tore up Brady's rookie contract and negotiated a more lucrative one.

So what would you do??

.

I would quit being such a lazy bum and stop hurting the team.

 

[RAWKY]

If i were greedy and selfish and self centered i would do exactly what Branch is doing.

If i valued the team above myself and i would do what Tom Brady did and accept what i needed rather then what i wanted.

 

[hwc]

I would hold out until Week 9 thereby fulfilling the minimum terms of my contract.

I guess a lot depends on whether or not Branch is comfortable going for a year without a paycheck.

Given that the Pats offer of $6 million a year was, at the very least, a legitimate offer, I'm not entirely sure why Branch doesn't just sit down and hammer out a long-term extension. Now that the Jets offer of 6 years at $6 million per is available for review by both parties, I can't imagine there isn't some middle ground that would satisfy a reasonable player and provide some reasonable value for the fifth year of the rookie contract for the team -- additional guaranteed money, additional incentives for this season, whatever.

I'd be willing to bet that, if Miguel had both the Pats five year offer and the Jets six year offer on his dining room table, he could come up with an equitable solution in less time than it takes for a Belichick conference call.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

If I were Deion Branch, who claims he was gonna pray on it, I would have hit my knees every night for the last 4 years and thanked God I was drafted in the second round by a FO and coaching staff who had just won the most improbable Superbowl in history behind a QB so savvy he could maximize my fairly unique skill set while minimizing my physical deficieicnes in a league all to hung up on measurables. Then I would have instructed my idiot agent to get me the best deal he could from that team when they approached me to sign an extension 2 years early in 2005 after my hero got me the ball so many times in back to back championship games a genius coach and staff and ownership guided us to that people were mentioning my sorry name and Jerry Rice's in the same friggin' sentance. And I would now be busting my hump to live up to that deal even at the risk of outperforming it so that in 2009 when that extension was running out I would be in a position to sign my retire as part of a Patriots all time greatest QB/WR tandem deal or quietly take my bling filled resume on the road in FA at 29-30 for my third bite of the contract apple knowing there would still one day be a retirement ceremony for my family to attend in Foxboro.

But since I am not really the humble guy I try to project myself to be but rather an ego driven greedy little heathen who doesn't deserve to play with guys like Brady and Seymour and Bruschi and Harrison or for a HOF HC and the best ownership in the league, I am trying to shoot my way out of town while hiding behind my inexperienced agents skirts.

Lobster - Neither Brady nor Seymour had their rookie deals torn up. Seymour is playing out his 6th season of that deal this year albeit with a new deal in place BEGINNING in 2007 with a $6.6M portion of his bonus payable sometime this season. Same deals they offered to Branch with $4M in bonus payable this year to feed his family. Who knows what might have transpired if the countered a detailed written contract with more than a flippant offer to honor their existing deal if the team gave up all it's leverage.

And Branch had no escaltors left in his contract because it's in it's final year. He had $3M he could have earned over the first 4 seasons but he only managed $500K. Boo freakin' hoo. Same thing happened to most of Richard's escalators because they were tied to games played and he missed several in his last couple of seasons. Yet somehow he managed to resist the insult impulse and re-sign here. And a pro bowler who actually had measurably wildly out performed his rookie contract waited a whole year based on nothing but a small salary advance and a promise to talk after the season. And then he signed a short term extension for the most AAV money paid to a DL and ignored the fact that if you divided it by his remaining $2M season on his rookie deal he wasn't really the highest paid at his position by AAV even though he could legitimately make a case he deserved to be. But his family was certainly taken care of for generations to come should his knees not hold up past 30, and he retained the right to chase the $$$ in 2010 if they do.

Brady said this week that if you want to be here because you value winning and playing for this HC and with these teamates and for this ownership and fan base then you decide how much you need and not how much you want because everybody wants more. He cited Seymour and Bruschi and Harrison and Troy along with others who took a little less than they might have hoped for to remain a part of something special. Deion doesn't really care where he plays which means it's time for him to go. Sooner or later really matters not. I think now even his teamates understand that. The toothy grin was all shuck and jive BS. He'll never see the end of any deal he signs with another team IMO, because he doesn't know what special is because what happens here is all he's ever known. Wait 'til he works for a HC and GM who owe him nada who publicly finger point to save their own butts. When all is said and done he will become a sour footnote in Patriots history.

At least Adam left quietly and with dignity - regardless of where he went. Branch is trying to tear down the fabric of this team on his way out the door. My money is on the Patriots carrying the day when all is said and done. And Brady adding Branch to his collection of friends who don't seem any happier once they leave.

 

[fgssand]

If I were Deion Branch, who claims he was gonna pray on it, I would have hit my knees every night for the last 4 years and thanked God I was drafted in the second round by a FO and coaching staff who had just won the most improbable Superbowl in history behind a QB so savvy he could maximize my fairly unique skill set while minimizing my physical deficieicnes in a league all to hung up on measurables. Then I would have instructed my idiot agent to get me the best deal he could from that team when they approached me to sign an extension 2 years early in 2005 after my hero got me the ball so many times in back to back championship games a genius coach and staff and ownership guided us to that people were mentioning my sorry name and Jerry Rice's in the same friggin' sentance. And I would now be busting my hump to live up to that deal even at the risk of outperforming it so that in 2009 when that extension was running out I would be in a position to sign my retire as part of a Patriots all time greatest QB/WR tandem deal or quietly take my bling filled resume on the road in FA at 29-30 for my third bite of the contract apple knowing there would still one day be a retirement ceremony for my family to attend in Foxboro.

But since I am not really the humble guy I try to project myself to be but rather an ego driven greedy little heathen who doesn't deserve to play with guys like Brady and Seymour and Bruschi and Harrison or for a HOF HC and the best ownership in the league, I am trying to shoot my way out of town while hiding behind my inexperienced agents skirts.

Lobster - Neither Brady nor Seymour had their rookie deals torn up. Seymour is playing out his 6th season of that deal this year albeit with a new deal in place BEGINNING in 2007 with a $6.6M portion of his bonus payable sometime this season. Same deals they offered to Branch with $4M in bonus payable this year to feed his family. Who knows what might have transpired if the countered a detailed written contract with more than a flippant offer to honor their existing deal if the team gave up all it's leverage.

And Branch had no escaltors left in his contract because it's in it's final year. He had $3M he could have earned over the first 4 seasons but he only managed $500K. Boo freakin' hoo. Same thing happened to most of Richard's escalators because they were tied to games played and he missed several in his last couple of seasons. Yet somehow he managed to resist the insult impulse and re-sign here. And a pro bowler who actually had measurably wildly out performed his rookie contract waited a whole year based on nothing but a small salary advance and a promise to talk after the season. And then he signed a short term extension for the most AAV money paid to a DL and ignored the fact that if you divided it by his remaining $2M season on his rookie deal he wasn't really the highest paid at his position by AAV even though he could legitimately make a case he deserved to be. But his family was certainly taken care of for generations to come should his knees not hold up past 30, and he retained the right to chase the $$$ in 2010 if they do.

Brady said this week that if you want to be here because you value winning and playing for this HC and with these teamates and for this ownership and fan base then you decide how much you need and not how much you want because everybody wants more. He cited Seymour and Bruschi and Harrison and Troy along with others who took a little less than they might have hoped for to remain a part of something special. Deion doesn't really care where he plays which means it's time for him to go. Sooner or later really matters not. I think now even his teamates understand that. The toothy grin was all shuck and jive BS. He'll never see the end of any deal he signs with another team IMO, because he doesn't know what special is because what happens here is all he's ever known. Wait 'til he works for a HC and GM who owe him nada who publicly finger point to save their own butts. When all is said and done he will become a sour footnote in Patriots history.

At least Adam left quietly and with dignity - regardless of where he went. Branch is trying to tear down the fabric of this team on his way out the door. My money is on the Patriots carrying the day when all is said and done. And Brady adding Branch to his collection of friends who don't seem any happier once they leave.

Mo Lewis, you are a talented writer my friend, I tried to say this very thing and you hit the nail right on the head.

NEM - This is what should be sent to the Mr Kraft as well as Deion too.

Wake up Deion Branch, it is still not too late......

 

[pats-blue]

Thank you for the correction. That lends itself even MORE to the idea that the Pats are handling the Branch extension the exact same way they handled the Brady one.

NO, NO, NO The Patriots are cheap, the Colts know how to run thier team and the Pats should follow thier example. See they are doing everything they can to help Manning while the Patriots are sacrificing the prime of Brady's career by letting every good player leave.

Repeat after me, "the Patriots suck and are cheap and are throwing away any chance of a SB victory".....just ask mikey, he will tell you.

 

[CrazyDave]

So what would you do??

.

Start Packing?

 

[Mike the Brit]

It appears to me that Deion no longer wants to be with the Patriots. If I am correct, holding out to Week 9 limits his exposure to the injury risk as would avoiding TC in 2007. If Deion has to play for the Patriots, it is going to be for the most money in 2007 and 2008, if need be.

If you are correct, shouldn't it mean that the Patriots have a grievance against him for not negotiating "in good faith" rather than the other way around?

 

[RI Pats Fan]

So you would ignore your contract and throw away about $1M ? Really ? I'm disappointed, seriously.

I thought the goal of the game of Be Deion Branch would be to optimize your own happiness (remember you're Deion Branch), not "What would I do as Deion Branch so that the Patriots get what they want?"

If that were the game... We'd get responses like

"First, I'd go and do a press conference and say I'm sorry and I'm ashamed of myself and I suck compared to everybody at patsfans.com and then I'd go and play for the minimum just for the honor of playing alongside Tom Brady and then I'd go and donate the rest of my money to whatever charity the Patriots donate to too. Then I'd go and play my heart out YEA! BYAH!"

 

[lusdawg]

So, let me get this straight. A guy who has averaged 10.5 starts, 686 yards, and 3.5 TD's is expecting 6+ mill per year?!?! Well, if Tom Brady says he's the favorite target, then he must be worth it, right? This guy needs to get his @$$ on the field and show why he is worth so much. For a guy who is injured so often and has put up such relatively low numbers to want this money, he's got some big cajones holding out. He would be relatively unknown in this league if not for Tom Brady. He should have played this season and taken the Pats' extension. Now, it's a messy situation, and he will go onto NFL obscurity with never another ring to show for his millions. WAY TO GO, NUMB NUTS!! Don't let the door hit you on the @$$ on the way out.

 

[BelichickFan]

I thought the goal of the game of Be Deion Branch would be to optimize your own happiness (remember you're Deion Branch), not "What would I do as Deion Branch so that the Patriots get what they want?"

Yeah, I misread it. I was thinking more like "What would you do if you were in the player's position".

Right now if I were the player I'd be sitting back saying "OK, I guess they're moving on". I wonder if he's starting to realize he'll make almost no money this year if he really sits out until Week 10.

 

[RI Pats Fan]

Yeah, I misread it. I was thinking more like "What would you do if you were in the player's position".

Right now if I were the player I'd be sitting back saying "OK, I guess they're moving on". I wonder if he's starting to realize he'll make almost no money this year if he really sits out until Week 10.

Yup, a page later I read the clarification so I had jumped the gun. My bad.

Miguel's strategy appears to be the most realistic of the ones I read so far and actually answers what I thought was the intent of the question. Of course, that strategy is the exact opposite of the Patriots ideal.