Patriots should have kept Deion Branch

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

I'ts not my opinion, it's Jeffri Chadiha's. I don't really agree with his assesment of the situation. I don't know about you but I would rather take a 1st round pick, Adalius Thomas, Randy Moss and Donte' Stallworth than paying Deion Branch and David Givens. While I thought he was a good reciever, he just didn't do enough with the football to warrant the contract he demanded. Same goes with Givens. Moss and Stallworth will give the Pats more big play ability, something that has been lacked. However, I will admit, last year I was upset over the situation because Brady had such a good relationship with him. But looking at what the Pats have done now, it was well worth it.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=chadiha_jeffri&id=2864062

 

[Pats Fanatic]

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/showthread.php?t=55576

 

[ArmyPatsFan]

He just happens to forget the fact that Branch was under contract and holding out.......which is a huge ommision imo. I think the only part the Pats screwed up on was letting his agent field offers....other than that they did the right thing and got rid of him. I hope Seattle is happy with the 5th highest paid receiver in the league.....I'll take what we have.

 

[VJCPatriot]

He just happens to forget the fact that Branch was under contract and holding out.......which is a huge ommision imo. I think the only part the Pats screwed up on was letting his agent field offers....other than that they did the right thing and got rid of him. I hope Seattle is happy with the 5th highest paid receiver in the league.....I'll take what we have.

Letting Branch go was the right move. Where they goofed was they didn't get a replacement for him that year. And it could have turned out to be a superbowl year at that. The Pats are looking stronger than ever this year though, so even mistakes like that can be overlooked if they can deliver the hardware in 2007.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

my bad. Didn't notice it. Thanks!

 

[3 to be 4]

Letting Branch go was the right move. Where they goofed was they didn't get a replacement for him that year. And it could have turned out to be a superbowl year at that. The Pats are looking stronger than ever this year though, so even mistakes like that can be overlooked if they can deliver the hardware in 2007.

brings to mind the Red Sox not going out and getting a closer in 2003 and it bit them in the end. Then they fixed the situation for 2004 and won it all.

the Patriots will do the same thing as long as Brady doesnt get flattened during the season.

 

[spacecrime]

Odd. He says Givens "admitted that he heard a lot of grumbling among the Patriots after the Branch trade went down and New England's offense stumbled at the start of last year."

When the Branch trade happened, Givens was in Tennessee.

 

[Terry Glenn is a cowgirl]

Odd. He says Givens "admitted that he heard a lot of grumbling among the Patriots after the Branch trade went down and New England's offense stumbled at the start of last year."

When the Branch trade happened, Givens was in Tennessee.

just heresay...

 

[solman]

Here are our choices:

OPTION 1:

Get Branch for six years and pay him like one of the top 5 receivers in the league. Keep in mind that in five seasons, Deion has never even made the top twenty list.

OPTION 2:

Get Adalius Thomas for five years
Get the 49ers #1 pick in 2008
Get Randy Moss for one year

This is the biggest no-brainer of all time.

 

[zoostation]

Here are our choices:

OPTION 1:

Get Branch for six years and bay him like one of the top 5 receivers in the league. Keep in mind that in five seasons, Deion has never even made the top twenty list.

OPTION 2:

Get Adalius Thomas for five years
Get the 49ers #1 pick in 2008
Get Randy Moss for one year

This is the biggest no-brainer of all time.

Hmmm.... Can you give me a couple of days to think about this one...

 

[PatsFanSince74]

it's all water under the dam or over the bridge or wherever it is that water goes...it's done...we're movin on.

 

[JoeSixPat]

I'm tired of this debate. Yes I think in hindsight Branch could have made the difference between winning the SB and falling short... one more first down against Indy and we run out the clock to win

But his holdout for 10 games could have been a HUGE distraction and caused an added loss or two - so who knows - we could have missed the playoffs entirely as a result.

With the exception of 20/20 hindsight I can't find fault with how BB played the Branch situation. We can't lose sight of the fact taht BB is always wary of setting a precedent that will affect future negotiations well.

The only thing I would have done is give Deion the private assurance he wouldn't be franchised this season if he reported. The moment that demand was made public by Deion it couldn't be accepted.

 

[RayClay]

If I was supposed to be a sportswriter, I would expect to be fired immediately for writing a column based on a totally incorrect premise.

We would have saved money with Branch's contract? We have 2 first round and two higher second round receiver's for far less than we would have committed to Branch.

As Miguel is my witness, (I could be wrong here), you could throw in Brown Welker and Washington and still not be on the hook for as much as we would have been if we signed Branch in competition with Seattle.

What are we talking, at least 39 mil with a big chunk up front?

How can this guy have a job???

 

[patsfan-1982]

branch never had a 1000 yerd season with the best QB in the nfl now we have a hall of fame WR in moss yes he was great in the playoffs but guess what gaffney led all WR in the playoffs in yerd and rec a castoff WR brady throws to any body and now he has moss and stallworth

 

[solman]

I'm tired of this debate. Yes I think in hindsight Branch could have made the difference between winning the SB and falling short... one more first down against Indy and we run out the clock to win

Even if you accept the notion that a #1 or #2 receiver could have gotten the Pats a fourth ring, Branch still would have been too expensive.

There are numerous receivers that we could have picked up at the trading deadline for a 2007 #2 or less.

 

[mgcolby]

Here are our choices:

OPTION 1:

Get Branch for six years and pay him like one of the top 5 receivers in the league. Keep in mind that in five seasons, Deion has never even made the top twenty list.

OPTION 2:

Get Adalius Thomas for five years
Get the 49ers #1 pick in 2008
Get Randy Moss for one year

This is the biggest no-brainer of all time.

I'm not sure you can associate Thomas with the Branch trade/savings. With the amount of cap space we had we could have afforded Thomas even with Branch making 6+ mil.

Either way I will take Merriweather, Moss and SF's #1 in '08 for Deion Branch everyday of the week.

Only a true dumbass would even try to counter argue that.

 

[spacecrime]

I'm tired of this debate. Yes I think in hindsight Branch could have made the difference between winning the SB and falling short... one more first down against Indy and we run out the clock to win

But his holdout for 10 games could have been a HUGE distraction and caused an added loss or two - so who knows - we could have missed the playoffs entirely as a result.

The second part is the one the media always forgets.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Even if you accept the notion that a #1 or #2 receiver could have gotten the Pats a fourth ring, Branch still would have been too expensive.

There are numerous receivers that we could have picked up at the trading deadline for a 2007 #2 or less.

In my "perfect" world, Branch secretly forges an agreement with BB not to franchise him in 2007, reports prior to the first game, is a good and productive WR, helps us win 4 SBs in 6 years, and then per our agreement not to franchise him, we let him walk and sign Moss, Stallworth, Welker etc....

As far as "numerous" WRs available for a #2, I'm not quite sure who you had in mind... or how quick they'd come up to speed with Brady in terms of timing.

 

[Maroney TD]

I'm not sure you can associate Thomas with the Branch trade/savings. With the amount of cap space we had we could have afforded Thomas even with Branch making 6+ mil.

Either way I will take Merriweather, Moss and SF's #1 in '08 for Deion Branch everyday of the week.

Only a true dumbass would even try to counter argue that.

I'm on the side that loves the Branch trade but you can't include Merriweather, Moss, and SF's #1 vs Branch because SF's #1 and Moss came from the Pats own pick which had nothing to do with Branch. Its either Merriweather vs Branch or Moss and SF #1 vs Branch but not both. I still love the trade though. I always thought Branch was overrated for a guy who never had a 1,000 yard season. Don't get me wrong because I thought he was a great WR but never thought he was a guy you trade a #1 pick for and sign to a big deal like Seattle did.

 

[mgcolby]

I'm on the side that loves the Branch trade but you can't include Merriweather, Moss, and SF's #1 vs Branch because SF's #1 and Moss came from the Pats own pick which had nothing to do with Branch. Its either Merriweather vs Branch or Moss and SF #1 vs Branch but not both. I still love the trade though. I always thought Branch was overrated for a guy who never had a 1,000 yard season. Don't get me wrong because I thought he was a great WR but never thought he was a guy you trade a #1 pick for and sign to a big deal like Seattle did.

Seattle's #24 (Merriweather) allowed us to be in a position to trade our pick (#28) to SF for their 4th round pick this year (Moss) and their 1st round pick next year.

So without the Branch to Seattle trade we would either have Moss and SF's #1 next year or just Merriweather (or someone else, it has been reported that Philly would have snagged at #26).

That is how Branch = Merriweather, Moss and SF #1 in 08.