When will we get some news on Branch?

[PromisedLand]

I hope we hear something soon which resolves the Branch holdout situation, either a trade or a resolution of some kind. I don't want the situation lingering into the regular season - it has too much potential to be a distraction to the team.

I kind of had a feeling the trade with Seattle was going to go down yesterday - maybe it will today, maybe not.

When and how do you all think the situation will be resolved?

 

[CrazyDave]

I think the hearing is next sat.

 

[hwc]

I think it will be resolved when the Pats get a favorable offer. Probably, either:

a) When somebody's #1 WR goes down with a season-ending injury and they pay top-dollar (in future draft picks) to get Branch

b) Next summer when the Pats tag n' trade Branch in a weak WR free agency pool.

From a dollars and cents standpoint, it's really not costing the Pats anything to let Branch rot on the shelf until they get a favorable trade offer. The aren't paying him. He's not taking up a roster spot. And, any cap room they invest while he is on strike will show up as a credit toward next year's cap.

 

[PromisedLand]

That's a good perspective - just let him sit and rot. The only thing I don't like about it is that he can show up in week 11, catch one pass and then tweak his hammy and sit for the rest of the year while getting credit for the year of service. Then we either have to franchise him which if he accepts will cost us the average of the top 5 WR's salaries (and he ain't worth it) or release him.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

That's a good perspective - just let him sit and rot. The only thing I don't like about it is that he can show up in week 11, catch one pass and then tweak his hammy and sit for the rest of the year while getting credit for the year of service. Then we either have to franchise him which if he accepts will cost us the average of the top 5 WR's salaries (and he ain't worth it) or release him.

The tag costs us nothing unless he plays here under it. If he wants to fine, I don't think he will. If he's stubborn enough to sit out 10 weeks this season he's probably arrogant enough to think he can miss most of 2 seasons and still somehow come out ahead. If we tag him it will be to trade him. Compensation will be the same - just closer to the draft in which we can convert it into something functional.

We would only release him if his trade value was nil. An unlikely scenario, but if it transpired it would bode worse for Deion than for the team.

 

[mgteich]

IMHO, the patriots won't play activate him if he returns for Week 10. He simply won't be welcomed at practice and he will be inactive for the season.

If we were to franchise him next year, we would release him before the season, if there were no acceptable offers. Even then, the patriots will likely get a 3rd round 2008 compensation pick. Personally, I think a 2007 first is most likely, in the next month, or in the next offseason.

BTW, I don't expect that a Seattle 1st and a jets 2nd are much different in value. The picks are likely to be about 5 picks apart.

That's a good perspective - just let him sit and rot. The only thing I don't like about it is that he can show up in week 11, catch one pass and then tweak his hammy and sit for the rest of the year while getting credit for the year of service. Then we either have to franchise him which if he accepts will cost us the average of the top 5 WR's salaries (and he ain't worth it) or release him.

 

[Brady-To-Branch]

IMHO, the patriots won't play activate him if he returns for Week 10. He simply won't be welcomed at practice and he will be inactive for the season.

Teams can't do that anymore under the new CBA, unless Branch wants to stay inactive.

IMO, Seattle is desparate for a WR and the Pats will get at least their #1 in 2007.

 

[PatsFanDan]

The more I think about this, I will be very surprised if the Pats trade Branch. I think the plan is to let him sit and rot. They have gone out and gotten a WR to fill the void. Is he as good as Deion? Probably not, but the writing is on the wall that the Pats are moving on.

That being said, I don't believe BB is about to give in to Branch and his agent which is exactly what trading him does. It looks to me like Branch is SOL in this deal. And if it's all about money, well he's going to lose quite a bit of it between now and week 11.

 

[Kdo5]

We're just going to be having migranes over this stupid situation all season. Hope it doesnt become a distraction.

 

[PatsFanDan]

We're just going to be having migranes over this stupid situation all season. Hope it doesnt become a distraction.

Nah, just don't read Borges' columns for the next 2 to 3 months and your not likely to hear much about it (hopefully).

As for the team, there's too many professionals in that locker room to worry about one guy that doesn't want to be there. If they lose a few games early and media people other than Borges start to focus on the holdout, then I will worry.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Speaking of Ron, while he certainly has no affection for BB and will carry the jock of any player who takes a shot at knocking him down a peg, he is not a total fool (like say Felger who just goes off on half ****ed rants these days irrespective of the facts as a means to driving his next days ratings).

On Sports Extra just now Borges closed by retreating to rationality and saying in his opinion Branch will not win either greivance and long story short will hold out until November "or so I'm told". Ron thinks that may yet force the Pats to show him the money - because why have the postion of WR in the NFL if you don't really need one... Although he did opine that there was no reason for Branch to return the season now for what would amount to $300K (I guess he means after taxes and fines). But he has to return for 6 or he's back to square one. Oddly Ron did say the team should absolutely fine him and not pay him for games he chooses not to show for.

Ron did mention that when you don't counter a teams offer to you it's a little disingenuous to file a greivance when they then don't counter others offers for you. Ron may be obnoxious and arrogant and agenda driven to the point lives to take shots at BB, but he isn't stupid.

 

[lobster]

We're just going to be having migranes over this stupid situation all season. Hope it doesnt become a distraction.

The first grievance will be decided by arbitration quite quickly - and the players union will almost certainly lose. The second grievance might be settled by sending Branch to the Jets for the Redskins #2 and conditional compensation, and perhaps wiping out Branch's fine. In that case Branch would be gone before the 2nd game.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Speaking of Ron, while he certainly has no affection for BB and will carry the jock of any player who takes a shot at knocking him down a peg, he is not a total fool (like say Felger who just goes off on half ****ed rants these days irrespective of the facts as a means to driving his next days ratings).

On Sports Extra just now Borges closed by retreating to rationality and saying in his opinion Branch will not win either greivance and long story short will hold out until November "or so I'm told". Ron thinks that may yet force the Pats to show him the money - because why have the postion of WR in the NFL if you don't really need one... Although he did opine that there was no reason for Branch to return the season now for what would amount to $300K (I guess he means after taxes and fines). But he has to return for 6 or he's back to square one. Oddly Ron did say the team should absolutely fine him and not pay him for games he chooses not to show for.

Ron did mention that when you don't counter a teams offer to you it's a little disingenuous to file a greivance when they then don't counter others offers for you. Ron may be obnoxious and arrogant and agenda driven to the point lives to take shots at BB, but he isn't stupid.

Well Ron is just a swell guy then. I know. You weren't saying that (I hope). Don't let Ron pull you into his trap. Reiss' article this morning (or late evening for me on the west coast) gave 3 lawyers opinions. A quick summary of their opinions: Team Branch, you are fooling yourselves! I bet Ron got word of that before this evening's performance. Then went way out on a limb and said Team Branch won't win. And the Patriots should fine him? LOL, wow, that's real profound and straight forward of him. he went way out ona limb (or a thin Branch) for that one. Lastly, if Branch was to replace his agent and say I'll report, I bet he could earn all 1.05 million this year with the Patriots and they would forget the fine. Then get to next year and work the details out on Franchisement and UFA status. I bet he wouldn't go way out on a limb and say that now would he. Please, Borges is so predictably pathetic you almost wonder if it is an act.

 

[Patjew]

Please, Borges is so predictably pathetic you almost wonder if it is an act.

Of course it's an act. His anti-Belichikian stances keep him well-known, well-read, and well-fed. In a town with a billion sportswriters, his schtick has kept him relevant.

 

[The Gr8est]

Not sure which Branch thread to put this in, but I was just thinking about the reported comps that Branch wants to present as evidence that a #2 is a reasonable return for him being a QB coming off a torn ACL. Think the Pats may want to mention that the same team that traded a #2 for Culpepper, also traded a #2 a couple of years ago for a healthy bust QB named A J Feeley?

Hmmm, and this is reasonable comp for a recent SB MVP who wants #1 WR money?

 

[dryheat44]

This will be settled by Thursday night. Patriots will trade Branch in exchange for his dropping the grievances. Seattle's definitely the favorite, but it wouldn't surprise me to see a new team come out of the woodwork with a strong offer. Maybe a team Seattle is competing with for the NFC title. Chicago? Maybe even a division rival, like San Francisco.

 

[Pats726]

This will be settled by Thursday night. Patriots will trade Branch in exchange for his dropping the grievances. Seattle's definitely the favorite, but it wouldn't surprise me to see a new team come out of the woodwork with a strong offer. Maybe a team Seattle is competing with for the NFC title. Chicago? Maybe even a division rival, like San Francisco.

Why would the Patriots care if the grievances were dropped?? OR not?? They will trade IF they get the value they want..if not they will not.

 

[dryheat44]

Why would the Patriots care if the grievances were dropped?? OR not?? They will trade IF they get the value they want..if not they will not.

Because it's a pain in the ass of a proceeding, whether they will win or not. The reason the Pats care is that they could trade Branch to Seattle and have an arbitrator post facto declare that Branch has the right to play for the Jets. It's unlikely, but it could happen.

I'm assuming that another team offers them an acceptable compensation package. I don't know how you inferred that I suggested the Patriots were going to dump him for less than that.

 

[fgssand]

Speaking of Ron, while he certainly has no affection for BB and will carry the jock of any player who takes a shot at knocking him down a peg, he is not a total fool (like say Felger who just goes off on half ****ed rants these days irrespective of the facts as a means to driving his next days ratings).

On Sports Extra just now Borges closed by retreating to rationality and saying in his opinion Branch will not win either greivance and long story short will hold out until November "or so I'm told". Ron thinks that may yet force the Pats to show him the money - because why have the postion of WR in the NFL if you don't really need one... Although he did opine that there was no reason for Branch to return the season now for what would amount to $300K (I guess he means after taxes and fines). But he has to return for 6 or he's back to square one. Oddly Ron did say the team should absolutely fine him and not pay him for games he chooses not to show for.

Ron did mention that when you don't counter a teams offer to you it's a little disingenuous to file a greivance when they then don't counter others offers for you. Ron may be obnoxious and arrogant and agenda driven to the point lives to take shots at BB, but he isn't stupid.

Two additional points:

1) Wrong B took a personal jab at BB which he stated as ironic that BB would break his contract, after having accepted 1MM from the Jets and used the same counsel that DB is (and that BB lost)

2) While he mentioned Joey Galloway, he failed to point out that Seattle received 2 #'1's from Dallas in that trade. Had he mentioned this point, it would have actually been a somewhat fair report - but he didn't.

 

[PromisedLand]

The tag costs us nothing unless he plays here under it. If he wants to fine, I don't think he will.

What it costs us is

a) the opportunity to use it on a different player such as Koppen

b) the risk that Branch decides being paid at the average of the top 5 WR's is better than sitting out, which means we get a disgruntled malcontent and have to overpay for him to boot