Schefter: Branch to New England for 4th round pick

[Off The Grid]

Branch will make our defense better.

BB wants to keep our young and still mediocre defense off the field. That means dink and dunk, 3rd and short, and long drives with short passes.

There is no room for Moss in that offense.

Branch will become one of several interchangeable ball catchers with good hands. Expect Brady to hit 7+ different receivers per game.

Not flashy but who cares.

WELL SAID.

We may've overpaid for Branch ~ we DID ~ but it's done.

My tolerance for the geniuses who screech and squeal about what a wonderfull asset Moss was, is about at an end: All I hear, for the last 12 years, is what wonderfull FORCES Moss, Owens, and Manning are, but the 3 of them haven't won JACK, in 36 years, unless you count a Super Bowl that the refs GIFT WRAPPED to the pansy COLTS, which I do NOT.

The same geniuses who're STILL screeching and squealing about how WONDERFULL Moss, Owens, and Manning are ~ despite 36 year of unmitigated and abject Futility ~ are the same geniuses who think Dan Marino was the best QuarterBack EVER, and that Barry Sanders was THE GOAT Running Back.

But, PLEASE: Don't let ME interrupt you endless stream of EXCUSES!! :bricks:

OY.

 

[Kontradiction]

Amazing because that was precisely what I was thinking as I watched the repeated infractions. That said, Cro kept pace and has has FAR exceeded my expectations this season.

Moss has always had trouble against Cromartie, for the most part. Cromartie is the best match-up possible for Moss. Tall, lanky, and quick. Moss, by the looks of it, has certainly lost a couple of steps as well. But still, I'm not sure there are many people in the league that are a better match-up for Moss, physically, than Cromartie is.

 

[jarnhestur]

The guy can't catch, can't run, can't stay healthy. On top of that, he's got an ego the size of Moss, with about 1/16th of the talent.

I guess it's better then flushing the pick down the toilet. Maybe.

 

[JackBauer]

The guy can't catch, can't run, can't stay healthy. On top of that, he's got an ego the size of Moss, with about 1/16th of the talent.

I guess it's better then flushing the pick down the toilet. Maybe.

Well, that's certainly a reasonable perspective of the move.

 

[upstater1]

Of course it's revisionist history. As has been shown already, a bounce that Branch doesn't control in the Titans game and that's 1 and done with Branch having a crappy game in 2003 playoffs.

You can say the -exact- same thing about Moss showing up "when needed" and them running the ball in the 2 'bad' games in 2007.



Yes go nitpick stuff to attempt to fit your false assertions. You said Brady "is better in the playoffs". I PROVED you wrong.

And still take away Moss playoffs and you get 60%, 6.6 Y/A, 4.1 TD%, 1.8 INT%.

You're the only one here who doesn't believe Brady is better in the playoffs. Brady's playoff numbers are great, better than any other QBs of the era. In the playoffs, you play the toughest teams and the best defenses. He has excelled. You're braindead if you think otherwise.

Brady AND Branch have performed well at the highest levels, when their teams needed them.

This is absolutely indisputable. It's deranged to say otherwise.

 

[aluminum seats]

Well, I guess I'll throw in my 2 cents....sort of like voting, hard to see how it matters overall, but what the hell.

I like the move a lot. Spare me any tears about the pick--the Pats have tons of picks for precisely this reason: the flexibility to make moves without any significant impact on what they're able to do in the draft. It's fine.

As far as Branch goes, it's what others have said--he's a vet, knows the system, and no small thing, Brady likes him. That counts for something.

One more thing, this sends a clear message to the team about going for it this season, if any of them are influenced by the "giving up on the season" talk.

It's a good move. That is all.

 

[BradyManny]

You said Brady "is better in the playoffs". I PROVED you wrong.

And still take away Moss playoffs and you get 60%, 6.6 Y/A, 4.1 TD%, 1.8 INT%.

I haven't been following this thread - but any attempt to compare statistics in the regular season vs. playoffs is pretty silly. Obviously, by design, the playoffs bring a much higher level of competition. And, as we all know, many of Brady's playoff starts have come in rather inclement weather. To blindly throw stats out there to say he's better or worse in the postseason is not a productive exercise, at all.

In general, I would say its time to move on from the Moss debate. The team traded Moss, they brought in Branch. It's time to move on.

 

[D-Money]

If Branch has 4 catches for 85 yards or he has an impact against the ravens then i might be sold.Its a wait and see approach.My concern is that this team has two very undersized wrs now.We have Tate whose our biggest wr and he still has alot to prove.

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

Branch and Brady had instant chemistry when they first played together and it still there today. Brady was making a push for branch to come back so you know Brady is happy. Welcome Back Branch.

 

[mgcolby]

Why the hell would the Seahawks trade him if he's (finally) been effective and healthy? They're right in the thick of the hunt of a terrible division. Carroll wouldn't give up a guy who has a lot left for a 4th at this point would he?

Because he is due 5+ mil and if they cut him they owe that money regardless. If they trade him they get a pick and that money comes off the books. They really like their young guys and want to get them on the field. But if they don't play Branch then what trade value does he have?

Its a win win for Seattle, they get a pick for Branch and his salary comes off the books and they can put the young guys on the field. They have Stokely as a veteran presence and they really like Goldent Tate and Deion Butler.

The guy has 13 catches in four games, in an anemic offense. When healthy he has been productive for Seattle, he just hasn't been healthy for the majority of his stay in Seattle.

 

[D-Money]

Exactly.He had knee surgery awhile back and he hasnt been able to stay injury free.He lost explosiveness.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Exactly.He had knee surgery awhile back and he hasnt been able to stay injury free.He lost explosiveness.

Money

Why do you waste your time here?

With knowledge like this you could be making millions of dollars consulting. I am sure Mr Kraft would pay millions of dollars to have you sit down with the head coach and teach him how to watch game film and to teach the scouting staff how to scout players.

Maybe you could teach Ernie Adams and he could teach Bill Belichick.

 

[jarnhestur]

Well, that's certainly a reasonable perspective of the move.

I've not seen a single shred of evidence to indicate that Branch is anything other then an average 3rd WR in the NFL. Without Brady throwing at him, he's invisible on the field - and he's not on the field that often.

If Branch has some magical connection to Brady and is healthy and productive in NE - great! I just don't see why we couldn't have traded for any of the other 50 WR's out there that are better then Branch that we could have gotten for a 4th rounder and a ridiculously high salary.

We didn't trade for the 2005 SB MVP version of Deion Branch. We traded for the 2010 version.

 

[IllegalContact]

I've not seen a single shred of evidence to indicate that Branch is anything other then an average 3rd WR in the NFL. Without Brady throwing at him, he's invisible on the field - and he's not on the field that often.

If Branch has some magical connection to Brady and is healthy and productive in NE - great! I just don't see why we couldn't have traded for any of the other 50 WR's out there that are better then Branch that we could have gotten for a 4th rounder and a ridiculously high salary.

We didn't trade for the 2005 SB MVP version of Deion Branch. We traded for the 2010 version.

can you provide an example of a WR that is available for a 4th round pick?

look at it this way......we basically got deion branch for laurence maroney

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

I've not seen a single shred of evidence to indicate that Branch is anything other then an average 3rd WR in the NFL. Without Brady throwing at him, he's invisible on the field - and he's not on the field that often.

If Branch has some magical connection to Brady and is healthy and productive in NE - great! I just don't see why we couldn't have traded for any of the other 50 WR's out there that are better then Branch that we could have gotten for a 4th rounder and a ridiculously high salary.

We didn't trade for the 2005 SB MVP version of Deion Branch. We traded for the 2010 version.

You do realize that our QB is not named "Without Brady"?

How much would it cost for the other 50 receivers? Hint: Probably more than a 4th. Why do you think the Vincent Jackson and Steve Smith rumours happened?

Are you paying is salary with your kids milk money? Who is paying Moss' salary?

What evidence is there that the Patroits forgot or didn't know that they should scout Branch before trading for him?

 

[Deus Irae]

I've not seen a single shred of evidence to indicate that Branch is anything other then an average 3rd WR in the NFL. Without Brady throwing at him, he's invisible on the field - and he's not on the field that often.

If Branch has some magical connection to Brady and is healthy and productive in NE - great! I just don't see why we couldn't have traded for any of the other 50 WR's out there that are better then Branch that we could have gotten for a 4th rounder and a ridiculously high salary.

We didn't trade for the 2005 SB MVP version of Deion Branch. We traded for the 2010 version.

To be fair (I don't like the trade because of the compensation), Branch is bring brought in to be that WR3/Outside WR2.


WR1/Slot WR1 - Welker
WR2/Outside WR1 - Tate
WR3/Outside WR2 - Branch
Receiving TE1 - Hernandez
Receiving TE2 - Gronkowski

WR4 - Edelman
WR5 - Price/Slater/the guy sitting in row 16, seat 4
Receving TE3 - Crumpler

Branch being an "average" WR3 will be sufficient if Tate is ready to play the Moss role and Welker is still improving over the course of the season.

 

[D-Money]

Hey Pitt because i am a realist fan.They gave up a 4th round pick for a guy who basically has shotty knees.People here are going based on his relationship with Brady which is nonsense!

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Hey Pitt because i am a realist fan.They gave up a 4th round pick for a guy who basically has shotty knees.People here are going based on his relationship with Brady which is nonsense!

So this is based on hours upon hours of studying Seahawks game film or do you just have intuitive insight that Bill Belichick is a very sentimental guy?

 

[D-Money]

BB i am sure is going on hope here that he can resuscitate his career.Thats my feeling here.It was worth a shot maybe if we gave them a 6th round pick.Why dont they bring back David Givens whiled they add it.

 

[D-Money]

I will eat crow if he plays well.