Alan Branch Suspended

[PatsDeb]

Oh for cripes sake...

 

[Brick27]

Shat, shame that he got caught smoking some mind salad. Guess Anthony Johnson left a little too soon. Don't believe they have another DT on the practice squad either.

 

[Rob0729]

The good thing is that pot drug tests frequently get reduced on appeal. The bad news is he is one of the best d-linemen the Pats have.

This season is looking more and more like 2009 minus a gimpy Brady.

 

[supafly]

So who can we get to replace him? Is Adalius Thomas available?

In case we need a strong side, run stopping linebacker, you mean?

 

[aluminum seats]

They say pot isn't addictive, yet all these guys can't stop even knowing there's always testing and the financial penalty is in the six figures and more.

Just drink, man!

 

[TBR]

If he gets it reduced to 2, he'll be back for the Ravens and Broncos games.

I don't expect the NFL* to reduce it though.

 

[BelichicksBlackEye]

Potroast?

 

[AtomicDawg]

Wow. Welp. Branch has been our best defensive lineman all year. Not good news. But they can weather the storm for 4 games.

Valentine's been very impressive so far though, and they usually carry 3 DTs on 46 man gameday roster anyways.
Perhaps a month (or shorter based on appeal) off could do some good for a 31 (soon to be 32) year old man who weighs 350+ lbs. As long as he stays fit and doesn't get the munchies...

 

[PF_SU]

Shat, shame that he got caught smoking some mind salad. Guess Anthony Johnson left a little too soon. Don't believe they have another DT on the practice squad either.

Johnson is not good either way. Hm, have to see what we can grab off the streets. Knighton or Kuhn?

 

[NE_Zealot]

Are the Pats trying to catch up to the Bills for most drug suspensions?

 

[mgteich]

If he gets it reduced to 2, he'll be back for the Ravens and Broncos games.

I don't expect the NFL* to reduce it though.

the penalties are clear

 

[Sicilian]

Guys, I think we might be missing the bigger picture here... I mean, consider the following logic:

A) Branch is on the wrong side of 30, and playing a high number of snaps as a big man.

B) The Patriots don't want him entering free agency at peak value because they want to retain him.

Therefore:

C) There is a 110% certainty that Belichick snuck a pot brownie into Branch's bag lunch on the plane to San Francisco so he'd fail a test, lose value, and get some built in time off without BB having to "bench" him.

THE MAN IS A MENACE TO THE LEAGUE, PEOPLE.

 

[IllegalContact]

Vincent Vega will fill in.....no problem

 

[PatriotsPimp136]

I doubt it get's reduced. We talking about ****dell here. Very dissapointed in branch.

 

[AtomicDawg]

The good thing is that pot drug tests frequently get reduced on appeal. The bad news is he is one of the best d-linemen the Pats have.

This season is looking more and more like 2009 minus a gimpy Brady.

This comparison keeps coming up in so many places and for the life of me I don't understand why. The only way it can be matched up as similar is if they lose more games. That team won 10 games and lost in the playoffs because they were older vets mostly. This team is made up of a mix of young guys and veterans. They've already won 8 games anyway. This team is nowhere near them.

The "locker room is lost" meme is annoying too because right after the game, the players were excited and upbeat in the locker room interviews.
They were all over social media posting about it was a good team win, their teammates, or just a celebratory post on the game. Those little things matter in the long run. Rant over.

 

[bbobbo]

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

damn, run defense takes a big hit..

it's a real drag, a hit like that...

 

[Marqui]

They hate their coach!

 

[Kontradiction]

damn, run defense takes a big hit..

Was that a god damn pun?

 

[aluminum seats]

This season is looking more and more like 2009 minus a gimpy Brady.

The offense is 50 trillion times better this year.