Broncos Seahawks and Eagles according to Mort

[Slagathor]

Sieg Heil yourownself, part of what makes this a good forum is members willing to speak up about what they don't like. Please note that there were a number of other members who offered contrary opinions and a peaceful resolution was reached. This forum operates as much on consensus as it does Ian's rules, given how "Nazi" is viewed as a perjorative, I'd say you over reacted in this case, and not Pats1. Your welcome to disagree, and your even welcome to call folks a few names, but let's keep the really nasty stuff for the trolls, it helps keep Patsfans.com one big "team."

I note that Profootballweekly's rumormill reports Minnisota reporters speculating on Branch's potential value for their team. This is going to be an interesting week.

Trust me when I say my post was more than anything esle, taking advantage of my long desire to have the opportunity to call ANYONE a Thread-Nazi.

It was very fulfilling.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Trust me when I say my post was more than anything esle, taking advantage of my long desire to have the opportunity to call ANYONE a Thread-Nazi.

It was very fulfilling.

Ah, lofty goals, that I can understand.

 

[mgteich]

All right, I'll play. How much cap room do the following teams have?

Minny
Philly
Seahawks and
Carolina

Personally, I think that Philly could convince Branch to come to Philly for about the same as the deal that that has publicized for the pats, which may not be a real offer. Philly has gone from the 3 straight trips to the Championhsip game to 6-10 after having 19 injuries, T.O and internal squabbles. That isn't happening this year. Branch would be very appreciated in Philly. And Philly might be willing to pay a first, or a 2nd and a bit more to be have a better chance of being a contender again.

 

[primetime]

Philly has the most cap room after the Pats, at least according to an older source I read. A trade for Branch would have to start with a guy like Sheldon Brown or Lito Sheppard. You can't have him for nothing, Eagles.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

All right, I'll play. How much cap room do the following teams have?

Minny
Philly
Seahawks and
Carolina

Personally, I think that Philly could convince Branch to come to Philly for about the same as the deal that that has publicized for the pats, which may not be a real offer. Philly has gone from the 3 straight trips to the Championhsip game to 6-10 after having 19 injuries, T.O and internal squabbles. That isn't happening this year. Branch would be very appreciated in Philly. And Philly might be willing to pay a first, or a 2nd and a bit more to be have a better chance of being a contender again.

Would that be the same Philly you have consistently bashed in the past for not spending to the cap? They did that in part because their bonus monies had them spending too much cash over cap, something you cannot do indefinitely. They are as fiscally conservative as Lurie's best friend Bob Kraft. Also horde those draft picks like gold. And don't have a QB whose skill set lends itself to a diminutive cerebral WR, hence their success with TO in 2004. Risky move for any team sans offseason and camp time to assimilate this very different and somewhat limited and fragile WR into an NFC offense he's only seen on occasion.

Carolina is already squeezing Delhomme who just restructured to get them up to $6M under cap. They have an elite #1 on the verge of a new deal...

Minny needs a #1 WR, and a QB not approaching AARP age QB in the twighlight of a decent career, and has a massive debt load and can't seem to get that stadium thing worked out.

Seattle needs WR's who can catch the ball and has an owner who is a gazillionaire, but again their QB doesn't call his own offense and there would be the issue of learning a system on the fly and building rapore which could take most of this season...

Adding Branch for top dollar is something several teams might think long and hard on...in March if he were a FA. But he's not, and it's August, and I think the Pats know that and chose this opportunity to prove to Deion that not only do they understand that, most of their peers do too. This is about what you are worth today, not next March.

Earlier this week Clayton stated on Felger's show that only two teams have more than the $12.2 (before Seymour's bonus gets dealt with) that the Pat's still were sitting on - one was Jacksonville and the other believe Minnesota. Jacksonville is cash strapped though for bonus purposes as Minnesota may also be. It's not just fitting stuff under the cap, it's actually paying for it in the here and now.

 

[mgteich]

IMHO, Philly will offer a 2nd or 3rd, and the negotiations will begin. The patriots will probably end up taking a first. Why? Because if Philly can meet Branch's needs now, he knows that he will be offered much more when no compensation is required, and so he can afford to wait. And of course, there is no point in risking injury for the first nine games. Finally, forget the franchise tag. The patriots won't pay Branch more than $7M next year, and have Branch hold out for next year's camp. There is no point. There will be other options with regard to how to spend $7M. ANd franchise and trade requires Branch to cooperate with a trade. He woudn't. He'd just play a year for $7M.

It does make sense for Branch to cooperate with a trade now.

Philly has the most cap room after the Pats, at least according to an older source I read. A trade for Branch would have to start with a guy like Sheldon Brown or Lito Sheppard. You can't have him for nothing, Eagles.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

IMHO, Philly will offer a 2nd or 3rd, and the negotiations will begin. The patriots will probably end up taking a first. Why? Because if Philly can meet Branch's needs now, he knows that he will be offered much more when no compensation is required, and so he can afford to wait. And of course, there is no point in risking injury for the first nine games. Finally, forget the franchise tag. The patriots won't pay Branch more than $7M next year, and have Branch hold out for next year's camp. There is no point. There will be other options with regard to how to spend $7M. ANd franchise and trade requires Branch to cooperate with a trade. He woudn't. He'd just play a year for $7M.

It does make sense for Branch to cooperate with a trade now.

What? That statement makes no sense. You have it backwards too, Branch and Co. are the sellers here - they need to find a team willing to do a deal with them first, then the team and NE will hash it out. What are you proposing, he finds a buyer who will meet his demands then when the Pats bamboozle a 1st out of them Chayut nixes the deal because he thinks he can get more from that team for his client next year after he finishes his holdout againse NE? LOL Sounds like a Chayut strategy actually.

If he remains here now it will be to play. If he plays well they will either re-open negotiations very very late in the season on a deal that really will be a 3 or 5 year deal, or they will franchise him and trade him for whatever he is worth and he will gladly go to any team who offers him a long term deal in excess of $6M per. Not that Belioli wouldn't pay him $7M to catch for them next season - they'd have paid him $10 by then under the deal he won't take now. And there is always the chance that while he's shopping himself under the tag if the interest appears marginal NE will just pull the tag before the deadline which I believe is in June. Kinda like what Phlly did with Simon last season when they decided they were OK at DL without him and he wasn't all that tradeable. They pulled the tag and he landed with Indy who thought it was a great stroke of luck they could add an overweight unmotivated DL for $6M and no trade compensation, which as usual didn't really help them at all.