Another Angle on the Branch Issue

[Ring 6]

Now that reportedly teams have agreed to terms with Branch, the question becomes how much more would they be offering than the Pats have offered?

One angle I havent seen discussed here (it may have been and I missed it, there are 1,000,000 Branch posts) is the Pats ploy to have him seek a trade could have been a negotiating tactic. How much higher can the offers he is seeing be than what we offered? This could be a means to pin Branch down to a counteroffer, which he wasnt making. Think about it. The Pats no doubt will know what the offer is, so it is a de facto counter offer.
Assuming its in line with what the Pats would pay, and I find it hard to believe either of those teams (given the Jets cap status, and the Vikings recent history of frugality) would be substantially higher than what the Pats were willing to pay.
Essentially, it's "Deion, stay here and get rings, or go to a loser that must give up picks to get you". Branch has stated that he wants to stay. IMO, unless the offers are whacky, unless BB has completely changed his opinion of Branch (which was very high 2 months ago) and unless Branch just wants out, the Jets and Vikes may have just done the Pats negotiating for them.

 

[BelichickFan]

The fact that he's evidently agreed with not just the jesters but an NFC team :

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/ny-spjets0902,0,4961374.story?coll=ny-sports-headlines

adds to your point, so that it's not just some B.S. jester thing to screw the Pats with a fake offer. Depending on the offer they might get the chance to match it, and only trade him if it's a nutty offer.

 

[Oswlek]

Now that reportedly teams have agreed to terms with Branch, the question becomes how much more would they be offering than the Pats have offered?

One angle I havent seen discussed here (it may have been and I missed it, there are 1,000,000 Branch posts) is the Pats ploy to have him seek a trade could have been a negotiating tactic. How much higher can the offers he is seeing be than what we offered? This could be a means to pin Branch down to a counteroffer, which he wasnt making. Think about it. The Pats no doubt will know what the offer is, so it is a de facto counter offer.
Assuming its in line with what the Pats would pay, and I find it hard to believe either of those teams (given the Jets cap status, and the Vikings recent history of frugality) would be substantially higher than what the Pats were willing to pay.
Essentially, it's "Deion, stay here and get rings, or go to a loser that must give up picks to get you". Branch has stated that he wants to stay. IMO, unless the offers are whacky, unless BB has completely changed his opinion of Branch (which was very high 2 months ago) and unless Branch just wants out, the Jets and Vikes may have just done the Pats negotiating for them.

Not to be a pain in the ass, but this point was made within 5 posts of the very first "Pats give Branch a week to work a trade" thread.

 

[Ring 6]

Not to be a pain in the ass, but this point was made within 5 posts of the very first "Pats give Branch a week to work a trade" thread.

Like I said, I may have missed it while this site became Deion.com

 

[Pats726]

Branch has stated that he wants to stay. IMO, unless the offers are whacky, unless BB has completely changed his opinion of Branch (which was very high 2 months ago) and unless Branch just wants out, the Jets and Vikes may have just done the Pats negotiating for them.

ANdy...Where have youread that Branch has wanted to stay here??? For one, none of his actions the last many months are at all in keeping with "wanting to stay"... I agree it could be a tactic..and if he truly wished to stay..I could see that, but there are many many more indications he wants NOTHING to do with the team..that he is mad at the team and wants to harm the team in anyway possible. There were rumors of his calls to Walker bad mouthing the Pats..as well as his actions in general. What of his actions indicates he wishes to be here?? I would LOVE to see him stay...but he has acted TOTALLY unreasonably with no class and indicates otherwise.

 

[Murphys95]

You make a good point Andy. Even though it's been discussed here, it's been overlooked as a major point. The Patriots have the first right of refusal here.

The holdout is a tense situation for us fans, but nothing I've seen (including Branch's recent tv interview) lead me to believe there is overblown animosity between Branch and the Patriots.

The Pats may very well look at those trade offers and feel they can match those numbers (minus the compensation) and keep Branch in New England.

Either way, trade or no, I believe Belichick wants this resolved asap. Resolution is half the battle here.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

No the Pats will NOT match
Not because they don't want to but because one or two out of 32 GMs will offer to tear up the present contract and give The Twig a deal that compensates him THIS year. The Pat's won't.

The Twig does not give a fig where he plays. He just want's big time highlight money.

 

[flutie2phelan]

MY "other angle" on this fiasco is ...
this distraction hits precisely during the narrow window when Belioli and their staffs
should be concentrating on TWENTY TWO other roster moves ...
plus scanning more than 600 players who've just been or are about to be released.

 

[Ring 6]

ANdy...Where have youread that Branch has wanted to stay here??? For one, none of his actions the last many months are at all in keeping with "wanting to stay"... I agree it could be a tactic..and if he truly wished to stay..I could see that, but there are many many more indications he wants NOTHING to do with the team..that he is mad at the team and wants to harm the team in anyway possible. There were rumors of his calls to Walker bad mouthing the Pats..as well as his actions in general. What of his actions indicates he wishes to be here?? I would LOVE to see him stay...but he has acted TOTALLY unreasonably with no class and indicates otherwise.

Im going by what he has said publicly, which is he wants to be here, rather wild rumors. His actions are very simple. He feels he is underpaid, and must use whatever leverage he has to get paid what he feels he is worth. That has nothing to do with class, or whether or not he wants to play on this team for this coach.
I know it offends you, but it is Deion Branchs livelihood. It appears he is being offered a much larger deal from reports, so I equate this to anyone in a job that feels they are being underpaid. What do they do? They ask for a raise, and if they can't get what they feel they are worth, they look elsewhere. That doesnt mean they hate the company they are working for. IT MEANS THEY HATE THE COMPENSATION PLAN. I have done it myself. I worked for a company I loved, where my bosses and ownership were personal friends. Over time their business decisions, and my resluting compensation made me, IMO, severely underpaid. I left and went somewhere else where my efforts, ability and hardwork resulted in better compensation for me. I would have readily stayed if the compensation were the same, but would be a moron to walk into one place every day knowing I could walk into a different one, do the exact same thing, and be paid better.

I cannot imagine anyone in any job who if they were told they can go elsewhere, do the exact same thing and make 30,50,100,???% more money, wouldn't go, all things equal. Sometimes we are stuck in this arrogant feeling that being a Patriot is Utopia and going to any other team is Hell. Fact is most NFL players feel a job in the NFL is a job in the NFL and all 32 teams are roughly equal.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

He said publicly that he would not hold out.
His word is no good.

 

[Ring 6]

MY "other angle" on this fiasco is ...
this distraction hits precisely during the narrow window when Belioli and their staffs
should be concentrating on TWENTY TWO other roster moves ...
plus scanning more than 600 players who've just been or are about to be released.

Disagree. It hit at the time that WE LEARN of these decisions. BB/Pioli did walk into work today starting from scratch to make decisions. They are made. They already have scouting books on anyone who will be cut, and will instantaneously know whehter they will be an upgrade.

BB/Piolis work in personell decisions is 99% done.