Why don't Pats match Hawks deal for DB?

[SamBam39]

What if Branch's agent has refused to show the Jets and Seahawks offer sheets to the Pats? Would you still maintain the Pats should match those offers, sight unseen?

Do you really think the Pats should just take Borges' word for it?

comeon!
of course not.

the pats would see the offer sheet if they got that far.

 

[SamBam39]

Why..? Did the NFL just tear up his contract...? He's still under contract for the Patriots. They are in the driver's seat.
Huh...? How can you say the "accuracy is not really the point"...? If you want to say the Seahawks have set the market, then we really need to know the details of what that contract says. It could be a totally backloaded contract but, after going through Ron Borges' distorted view of things, gets completely misrepresented in terms of guaranteed money.

1)contractually and legally they may be in the diver's seat - realistically, this is an ugly standoff, in which neither side wins, and is likely to end soon either with a trade or a contract agreement.

2)'we' don't need to see any contract propoals -we are just fans speculating. If the pats wer to try and match - they would have to see the offer sheet I'm sure.

 

[RPCity]

That's the nature of Free Agency in sports. The Pats are dealing with Deion as they've dealt with every other free agent they've had on the team. When a team was willing to pay Adam more than they were, and the market was set with him, should they have increased their offer? How about with Ty? Or Lawyer? Or Givens? Or Patten? The list goes on.

It all comes down to value and perceived value. I love Branch, but remember he's a guy who's never had more than 1000 yards in his career and isn't exactly the king of durability. Is he the straw that breaks the camals back as far as the team being able to win is concerned? I guess we'll find out this year if we trade him. But with capable WRs on the roster, Troy Brown, the potential and hands of Chad Jackson, and the litany of Tight Ends and RB's we have....I'm not worried.

 

[Bostonian1962]

$23 million for the years 2006 through 2008.
Let's compare that to the offer made by the Patriots in May.

$5.045 million in 2006 (1.045 salary and a $4 million signing bonus)
$5.5 million in 2007 (1.4 million salary,$4 million signing bonus, $100,000 offseason workout bonus money)
$4.4 million in 2008 ($4.3 million salary and a $100,000 offseason workout bonus money)

A total of $14.945 million.

The other teams' offer is 53.9% better than the Patriots over the 1st 3 years of the deal.

Branch would make more money in 2006/2007/2008 with the Seahawks/Jets than the Pats offered him for 2006/2007/2008/2009.

Miguel,

GREAT info! Thanks very much.

This is a nice post, because I had the same question.

I think (and that's always a dangerous thing) the Patriots don't want to guarantee that kind of money for many reasons. Perhaps one of the most important is that Branch was hurt alot, until last year. And last year, they protected him by not playing him in the preaseason, and asking him to fall to the ground when he caught the ball.

I've spoken to Branch being fragile in many posts long before this contract thing came up.

Branch WILL be injured at points over the next three years. He just will. Do you guarantee $23M for a player like that? That has to be part of the problem, in IMHO.

 

[RayClay]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but if 2 teams quickly reached agreement with Branch on a contract, why don't the Pats use that agreement to reach agreement as well?

I understand that they shouldn't have to, and it's like Blackmail, and it sets a bad precedent, and he's not a free agent yet...
but once they allowed him to seek a deal, they allowed him to publicly show what he's worth, and let's think about this situation and the alternative...

if they stick to their guns, on principle, I think it has become a case of cutting off their noses to spite their faces. In other words, at this point, they need to choose their best outcome. Right now, they are negotiating a deal to Seattle for maybe a 1st round picks and a middle round pick. OK. That's an acceptable ending. But not a really good one for the Patriots, is it? I mean - why is Seattle willing to do that? Because they have major talent issues at wide receiver, want to be successful, and know Branch is very very good.

Well, where will the Patriots be if they make that deal? The same boat as the Seahawks - they will have major talent issues at wide receiver, they want to be successful, and they know Branch is very very good - especially in their system and especially working with Brady.

so starting out, the pats were right, and shouldn't have given in, but now that they're in danger of the seahawks taking him for theirs, wouldn't it make more sense to give him the money the seahawks are willing to?

otherwise you'll have some draft picks yeah, but you'll have just lost your 2 best receivers, and that will have seriously hurt your team's chances for success. yes, they would then go out and get some help, but do we really think they would be able to be at the same level as if they had branch?

I think we're using wishful thinking if we try to reason we would be. They let branch test the market and the market has spoken. their best move now would be to swallow their pride, and say, fine, we'll match their offer, here's the 5 or 6 year deal they gave you, now rejoin the team and let's win this thing.

I know your all disgusted with deion and don't even wantg him back at this point. and I know you don't want to cave in in these dealings because others will see that outcome. but I think things really changed once the pats allowed him to publicly seek on offer. they sort of altered their position and now their next best move and any messages sent has also changed in my opinion.

I'm guessing the deal will seattle may happen now. but I'm saying it isn't reallt what their best move is anymore.

No one has reached agreement with Branch on a contract. He's still under contract to us for one year at his original contract.

That's what Chayut's trying to get out of. Also gives Chayut a big commission 2 years early. Not that that has anything to do with this.

The Patriots would like him to honor the rest of his contract, wouldn't you?

There is no agreement until Seattle gives us adequate compensation to let him out of the remainder of his contract.

 

[SamBam39]

That's the nature of Free Agency in sports. The Pats are dealing with Deion as they've dealt with every other free agent they've had on the team. When a team was willing to pay Adam more than they were, and the market was set with him, should they have increased their offer? How about with Ty? Or Lawyer? Or Givens? Or Patten? The list goes on.

It all comes down to value and perceived value. I love Branch, but remember he's a guy who's never had more than 1000 yards in his career and isn't exactly the king of durability. Is he the straw that breaks the camals back as far as the team being able to win is concerned? I guess we'll find out this year if we trade him. But with capable WRs on the roster, Troy Brown, the potential and hands of Chad Jackson, and the litany of Tight Ends and RB's we have....I'm not worried.

I just went to the store and came back, and while I was gone I thought about it, and it really does boil down to this:
as valuable as branch is known to be to this team, the patriots, like no other club in the nfl, really do set a value, and that's it. If branch can get more than the pats are willing to pay, then the pats are gonna let him go and find a suitable, more affordable replacement. It kind of speaks to a recent thread I started about how much it hurts to keep seeing these players we love leave so often - this is why, because the pats stick their financial decisions better than any other club ever. so, realistically, once other clubs offered more to branch than they were willing to, he became gone. It's just a matter of settling on a trade for fair value for him now.
I see the pats already aquired Gabriel from the Raiders - they have already moved on. good bye deion. But you really do have to marvel at how disciplined the pats front office is with their player evaluations and setting their worth. remarkable really. they never seem to let sentiment get in the way, or even roster concerns. they just go about their business, and move on to the next step of acquiring a replacement - in the case - before he's even gone! I see now that this patriot way defies roster logic - and I'll stop looking at their roster to determine what they should do. I'll justg always know what they WILL do - stick to their guns, use their decisions, and make one shrewd move after another until they have everything they need in place and working. wow. what an organization. we are really watching history here. this is unprecedented. books will be written about this for years. people just don't do this in life. they are like machines over there!

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

SamBam, I keep reading "why can't" in your posts - try "why should", for example, "why should" the Pats match Seattle's offer? Is it because SamBam wants Deion on the team? Or is it because Deion is worth as much to New England as Seattle?

I don't know about you, but I'll let BB evaluate a player's worth to the team. He hasn't done that badly, so far.

Edit: Whoops, I see I spent too long watching Rutgers/North Carolina and you've rethought your position in the post above. :rocker:

 

[SamBam39]

Miguel,

GREAT info! Thanks very much.

This is a nice post, because I had the same question.

I think (and that's always a dangerous thing) the Patriots don't want to guarantee that kind of money for many reasons. Perhaps one of the most important is that Branch was hurt alot, until last year. And last year, they protected him by not playing him in the preaseason, and asking him to fall to the ground when he caught the ball.

I've spoken to Branch being fragile in many posts long before this contract thing came up.

Branch WILL be injured at points over the next three years. He just will. Do you guarantee $23M for a player like that? That has to be part of the problem, in IMHO.

And I've begun to realize now, that the Pats have been well-known the past few years for two things:
1) - not signing many big free agents - more likely signing cheapies mand surprising everyone with how effective they turn out.
and
2) - letting talented veterans walk when they start wanting more money than the Pats place their value at. Even though they KNOW they can get it on the free market, the pats don't care an d let them walk. They will only pay what they think they're worth period. Damien Woody? bye bye. Antowain Smith? - see ya. David Patten? Adios. Ty Law - no offense, but goodbye.
It's just what they do to form their team. This is how they are able to load their roster so full of talent. They keep everyone affordable. no exceptions.

so I think it's less about branch being fragile and more about the pats perceived worth. once he starts wanting to exceed that, he's gone.

 

[SamBam39]

No one has reached agreement with Branch on a contract. He's still under contract to us for one year at his original contract.

That's what Chayut's trying to get out of. Also gives Chayut a big commission 2 years early. Not that that has anything to do with this.

The Patriots would like him to honor the rest of his contract, wouldn't you?

There is no agreement until Seattle gives us adequate compensation to let him out of the remainder of his contract.

This is all very obvious.
The point was that he was allowed to see if he could reach agreement on a contract proposal with other teams and he did with two teams within a week.
We understand all the things you mentioned. We're discussing whether or not the Pats should adjust and pay him, and I have now come to realize, that's not going to happen. My guess is he will be traded to the Seattle Seahawks within the next week. The Patriots do not worry about the effect on their roster of lofing a player - they will just adjust. They are all about sticking to their system and apon further review - I can see how successful it has been and I'm behind them 100%. Good bye Deion. We'll be fine. The pats will quickly make things alright. AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE!