No wonder Deion Branch is fed up.....

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

guys like Antwaan Randle El gets a seven year 31 million dollars and a signing bonus of over 10 million dollars for putting up meager numbers such as 558 recieving yards and 1 touchdown. I know this is old news but I was on CBS rumor mill this morning noticed the comparison between Branch and Randel El. I don't know if Brandon Llyod signed his extention yet but I heard HE will get over ten million in guarentees, which is ridiculous! It's teams like the Redskins that clearly overpay for guys like Randle El and Llyod and now Branch expects to get the same or more money from the Pats. The Pats are doing the right thing and just waiting it out. If I were GM, I would wait and see what kind of a season Branch can give me before I extend him. Sometimes players put up huge numbers in their last year of their contract. However, if the Pats can get a deal done then that would be awesome!

 

[GoWhalers]

That's really a fundamental part of the Patriots' system: sign relatively young players who will overachieve their contract. If you can get enough of those guys together, you will have an excellent and balanced team, yet one that fits under the salary cap.

The downside is that you won't have that team for very long.

Look at the players that fit that mold:
Branch
Brown
Seymour (until his extension)
Brady (until his extension)
Givens
Koppen
Graham (arguable)
Watson (hopefully)
Gay

etc. etc....

With the exception of Seymour and Brady -- one-of-a-kind players -- most of those guys are gone once they hit free agency, UNLESS they choose to take a pay cut to stay. They've outplayed their contract, and they've earned a significant pay raise. But as per the Patriots system, we're not going to give it to them, unless they're a one-of-a-kind player.

And so on come new, young, cheap, players through the draft, who hopefully overachieve their contract. Cycle of life!

 

[spacecrime]

I was on CBS rumor mill this morning noticed the comparison between Branch and Randel El.

They are comparing a rookie contract with a Free Agent contract.

 

[rabthepat]

They are comparing a rookie contract with a Free Agent contract.

Well...Pittsburgh didn't match the offer...so off went Randle eL...I say the same thing for Deon.

 

[Remix 6]

problem is .. he needs to understand that Snyder/Redskins is willing to overpay a lot of people.

Randel El..big contract.
gave a 2nd for Lloyd and then a nice contract.
made Archuleta the highest paid safety for a few months till Ed Reed took over that role
and none of these guys are really worth that much.

 

[JoeSixPat]

guys like Antwaan Randle El gets a seven year 31 million dollars and a signing bonus of over 10 million dollars for putting up meager numbers such as 558 recieving yards and 1 touchdown. I know this is old news but I was on CBS rumor mill this morning noticed the comparison between Branch and Randel El. I don't know if Brandon Llyod signed his extention yet but I heard HE will get over ten million in guarentees, which is ridiculous! It's teams like the Redskins that clearly overpay for guys like Randle El and Llyod and now Branch expects to get the same or more money from the Pats. The Pats are doing the right thing and just waiting it out. If I were GM, I would wait and see what kind of a season Branch can give me before I extend him. Sometimes players put up huge numbers in their last year of their contract. However, if the Pats can get a deal done then that would be awesome!

Isn't this the same notion discussed by Solomon in the globe that was discuseed in another thread on that topic?

http://www.boston.com/sports/footba...06/07/16/branch_not_catching_a_break_on_pact/


http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/showthread.php?t=37872

 

[SoonerPatriot]

We can't even get our rookies signed. I'm not sure how we could expect them to consumate an extension.

 

[Brady-To-Branch]

We can't even get our rookies signed. I'm not sure how we could expect them to consumate an extension.

Why do you say that? Of course we can. We already have 3/10 signed and TC is still 10 days away. Pats have the more cap room than any other team in the league. The problem isn't the cap rather it's assessing Branch's value.




As for Randle El, he's a great special teamer. He's also an underrated WR. Teams don't look at stats alone when judging a player, they look at his game film footage. In 2004 KC Joyner noted that Randle El had very good metrics across the board. Is Randle El overpaid? Yes, but not that much.

 

[sarge]

As for Randle El, he's a great special teamer. He's also an underrated WR. Teams don't look at stats alone when judging a player, they look at his game film footage. In 2004 KC Joyner noted that Randle El had very good metrics across the board. Is Randle El overpaid? Yes, but not that much.

Randall El was a mediocre #2. Not in Branch's league!

 

[Digger44]

I think one thing that you are forgetting is that even though ARE and Lloyd type players are singing these types of huge contracts, they are not getting the cash in the long run. Sure they will get the signing bonus and some salary up front, but many of those contracts are back-weighted to a point that the player must restructure or be cut. Up front money in many of these cases is very low. The Skins always have serious cap issues and restructuring. NE doesn't do this. We don't use cheap ploys to fill a quick roster.

 

[Brady-To-Branch]

Randall El was a mediocre #2. Not in Branch's league!

I didn't say he was. It's El's ST play that adds to his value. Moreover, his receiving metrics suggest that he can thrive in the right system. He very underrated as a WR.

My concerns with paying Branch is that all WRs are successptable to injury. However, he's become Brady's #1 target. Branch's ability to draw double-teams opens up opportunities for other receivers. When you have a QB that's as good at looking at secondary and tertiary options as Brady, a double-teamed WR is a plus.

 

[Welker83]

The problem with waiting is it is the player may get fed up and decide to bolt somewhere else to where they feel wanted ala Vinatierri... And the thing is the pats have very little leverage..what will happen if branch plays out this year and at the end the money the pats are offering is mediocre?... You really think they'll tag him? A franchise tag for a receiver is somewhere between 7-8 million. It's cheaper to just give him an extension.

If the pats make him play out this year they run the risk of having him bolt to FA...

 

[thewaylifeshouldbe]

Thank God TC is only another week away.

Predictions:

Branch will be extended by Sept. 1st.

Ty Law will not be living in New England come Sept. 1st.

Freak snowstorm on Nov. 5th will cause some dude named "Adam" to miss game winning 35 yard field goal attempt with the score 21-20 and 3 sec's remaining. When asked about it during the following press conference he will pause while Peyton Manning whispers in his ear, and then boldly state it was the fault of the offensive line.

So sayeth the Magic 8-ball, so it must be true.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Why do you say that? Of course we can. We already have 3/10 signed and TC is still 10 days away. Pats have the more cap room than any other team in the league. The problem isn't the cap rather it's assessing Branch's value.




As for Randle El, he's a great special teamer. He's also an underrated WR. Teams don't look at stats alone when judging a player, they look at his game film footage. In 2004 KC Joyner noted that Randle El had very good metrics across the board. Is Randle El overpaid? Yes, but not that much.

Your exactly right about stats not painting the entire picture of how good a player really is. However, if I'm going to unload a lot of money on a player, he better have really good numbers to warrent this extention.

 

[fgssand]

It is not New Englands fault that Deion signed a 6 year deal and is still under contract from his rookie season. Seems to me the media should be praising the Patriots for shrewd front office work in signing new talent for as long as they have as opposed to chastising them. Deion will still make over 1MM this year and that, while he has out performed his salary, is still not bad for a rookie contract.

Everyone recognizes he has outplayed his deal - I just think common ground needs to be found and agreed upon, so that we sign him for years to come.

It has been said that although Branch may not be seen at TC, worst case, with or without a new deal - he will show up by 9/2 and play some awesome football for us.

 

[VJCPatriot]

I think Deon's deal was only 5 years since he was a 2nd round pick but I get your point about shrewedness.

IMO it's okay if Branch walks next year. But he needs to honor his contract. If he walks the Pats will just draft another guy or sign a free agent. We'll worry about it then. Hopefully he will play like a man possessed this year so he can get as much money as possible on the FA market.

 

[DB15]

when a players conract comes up, the pats dont reward them with a big time extention (unless your one of the best at your position, see brady/seymour), they reward you with super bowl championships

 

[PromisedLand]

Thank God TC is only another week away.

Predictions:

Branch will be extended by Sept. 1st.

Ty Law will not be living in New England come Sept. 1st.

Freak snowstorm on Nov. 5th will cause some dude named "Adam" to miss game winning 35 yard field goal attempt with the score 21-20 and 3 sec's remaining. When asked about it during the following press conference he will pause while Peyton Manning whispers in his ear, and then boldly state it was the fault of the offensive line.

So sayeth the Magic 8-ball, so it must be true.

Very good post. Keep it up and you'll remain very welcome here!

 

[arrellbee]

Thank God TC is only another week away.

Predictions:

Branch will be extended by Sept. 1st.

Ty Law will not be living in New England come Sept. 1st.

Freak snowstorm on Nov. 5th will cause some dude named "Adam" to miss game winning 35 yard field goal attempt with the score 21-20 and 3 sec's remaining. When asked about it during the following press conference he will pause while Peyton Manning whispers in his ear, and then boldly state it was the fault of the offensive line.

So sayeth the Magic 8-ball, so it must be true.

I can live with those predictions !!

 

[Ochmed Jones]

No one held a gun to Branch's head and said here take more bonus money for the 5 year contract as apposed to less bonus money for a 4 year contract.

Branch needs to be looking very hard at his agent for responsibility for his current situation.

Are BB and the Pats playing games with him or low balling him on the contract??? None of us can know that answer. Although past performance, which is no indicator of future performance, suggests that BB is not like that.

Bottom line: does Branch want to continue playing for New England at what I'm guessing is a fair price or does he want a few extra million elsewhere.

I'm hoping BB goes above fair by a little bit, without tying it to performance clauses.