Pats give Branch permission to seek Trade

[arrellbee]

He is getting that information now without the possibility of a tampering charge and without having the franchise tag being placed on him.

He will certainly get some information that otherwise would not have been possible (unless the practice of tampering is more widespread that we may think).

But I would have to wonder a little bit if any information (deal parameters) he gets now wouldn't, at this juncture, be questionable as to whether it gives much of an indication of what deals might look like next spring in true free agency when the market will probably be much deeper.

He might well get more of an indication of whether there are any teams that would be willing to give up high draft picks as well as a big deal in the case of franchising next year. But even then, who knows. The teams that might be willing to go through what is probably a futile exercise right now might not even be the same ones that would be in the market next spring.

One thing you are probably saying - if he gets even one offer better than what the Patriots have offered, he may think that gives him some negotiating leverage and puts him ahead. He might well feel that this is a tangible benefit from his maneuvering. More fool him.

 

[DaBruinz]

Re: Pats Make Very Shrewd Move On Branch

or, Deion can simply decide which team he wants to go to....make a public announcement...and we're lucky if we get anything for him.

Deion may be humble, but like all players, he has PRIDE.

I'm very concerned. This is not the kind of distraction we needed...it's gone from a simple preseason holdout (from a guy who didn't need to play in the preseason), to a complete disaster, and I don't see a happy ending in sight.

I'm not pointing fingers...nobody here has insider info so let's not make judgements about who is to blame in creating this situation.

the fact is it's now unraveling.

I've given this thought and I'm trying to be positive...but everyone seems to be forgetting that YOU CAN'T KEEP A PLAYER WHO SAYS HE WANTS TO LEAVE. Well, you can, but forget about getting any production or value from him. This is why you do these things confidentially. The fact that they're airing this laundry in public means things are extremely desperate.

The FO has essentially sacrificed their leverage -- for the next seven days, they are at Deion's mercy. It's sadly more desperate than brilliant.

Hopefully he'll return...but there's no way anyone in Foxboro is planning on that at this point.

I don't know how you get the idea that the Pats have sacrificed their leverage. The FACT of the matter is that the Pats have called Deion's bluff and basically don't have to agree to trade him if they don't feel they are getting enough in return. And if that is the case, then Deion is SOL.

This garbage that you think that the Pats are desperate is absurd. It truly is. There is no "laundry" being aired. All they have done is said that Deion can seek a trade to another team. Nothing else.

 

[VJCPatriot]

So now Deion and his agent have a week to prove that other teams really DO think he is worth more than 6.3M per season. AND if a team out there actually believes that, the Pats will get a first day pick in return. I'm thinking a 2nd or 1st round pick. If it's inside the AFCE, I'd definitely demand a 1st rounder. Either way this issue gets resolved.

Either
A: Branch finds out he really is worth the money and the Pats get a high draft pick out of it or

B: He finds out the market isn't as hot for him as he thought and he decides to take the Pats offer or play out the season.

I'll take either one. I like a move that forces the issue. This is such a move.

 

[DaBruinz]

the fact is Deion's agent is fielding calls right now...this won't take a week...and, like the FO, they won't deal with this behind closed doors...we'll hear about the proposal in a press release the same time Bill will.

The front office dealt with this behind closed doors up until today. What are you rambling on about?

The fact of the matter is that Deion is NOT going anywhere unless there is a deal that meets the parameters set by the Patriots.

is anyone considering the fact the cap is about to SKYROCKET...and maybe we're low-balling Deion hoping he'll submit to the value paradigm of the current cap level?, or else look "stubborn" to ignorant media/fans.

The Cap already sky-rocketed. You seemed to have missed the boat on that. It went up almost 17 million this year. Its going up only 7 million next year and then a SET 10 million each of the 2 years following.

is anyone considering how humiliating this tactic is? Deion's not returning with his tail between his legs to help this team...this is no olive branch, it's a kick in the balls. He's not getting great money in late August, the Pats know this, but he has pride and I doubt Tom's phone calls are going to do the trick at this point.

No, the kick in the balls was Deion Branch lying to the Patriots and to everyone else when he said in April that he would honor his contract whether or not he had an extension. THAT was the kick in the balls. What this is, by the Patriots, is them calling his bluff.

is anyone considering chemistry?...it matters. It's worth value. We should not overpay, but we should adjust our value paradigm in-line with the current cost of securing the FUTURE services of a reliable receiver like Deion, who has been a tremendous asset on and off the field for us.

Chemistry can be built over time. That has been proven. This garbage about not having adjusted the value paradigm shows that you haven't been paying attention. The Patriots DID adjust their paradigm. They offered Branch an extension right after the season ended that would have paid him for 5 years and over $30 million with an 11 million signing bonus. Branch rejected it. The Patriots then offered Branch a 3 year 19.75 million extension with a 9 million bonus and he rejected that.

They don't need to adjust it more than they have. What needs to be adjusted is the attitude of a lying sack of garbage like Deion Branch.

is anyone considering that if Branch releases a statement tomorrow saying he wishes to go to team X (philly?, NYJ?, etc...) that we have two lousy options:

1. veto trade, get disgruntled unproductive receiver for '06.
2. allow him to leave, and get very little in return.

where is the leverage?...seems to be with Deion to me.

The leverage is that they hold Deion's fate. The Patriots have shown they can win without the likes of Deion Branch. They have shown that they win as a TEAM, not as a group of individuals. The Patriots, as others have said, have probably told Deion what will be required for them to consumate a trade.

Also, I am sure that the Patriots told Deion that they need to see any offers that he gets so they can validate them.

BTW, Deion may be disgruntled and he may even be stupid. But if you think he will be unproductive, then you aren't bothering to think far enough ahead. This is a CONTRACT year for Branch. If he does poorly, he will NOT get the big payday he's looking for. And it behooves Branch to go out and do better than former Patriot WRs have done (see Givens and Patten).

where is the brilliant plan here? Is the brilliant plan to go into the season without Deion because he's a cancer and we need to get rid of him? Anyone who believes that is a total reactionary who deserves their own talk radio show.

Deion may not be a cancer, yet, but he sure is a lying sack of garbage. The PLAN, by the Patriots, seems to be to let Deion go out and try and find a team who thinks that he is worth the money that Branch is claiming he is worth and then find an acceptable trade that fits into the parameters that the Patriots have set. My bet is that Branch won't be able to find both parts. And the onus will be on him. And he will have hurt his own reputation.

it's not a question of whether we NEED Deion, it's a question of how much worse off we are. Give him an extra million -- still in line with Givens money -- and go win the ******* super bowl.

The Patriots offered Branch BETTER than Givens money and Branch turned it down. What is so hard to understand?

Deion and Tom have chemistry -- in this passing system "rapport" is more valuable than sheer athleticism, because we don't rely on HoF receivers to make huge plays, but rather the unspoken communication that comes from experience.

Brady seems to be developing a good rapport with his other receivers.

I'm not saying he's an all-pro, but you can't throw away chemistry and expect to rebuild it overnight. Jackson is potentially a much more dangerous receiver than Deion, but we're still better off with both of them.

No one is expecting chemistry over-night. But if Deion is there, how can that chemistry develop with other receivers?

We can overcome the loss of Givens, but both Givens and Branch at once? Not sayin' the offense will suck by any means, but is it as good without Deion?

I seem to remember people wondering how the Patriots would overcome the loss of Ted Washington and Bobby Hamilton. They did it.

People wondered how the Pats would overcome the loss of Ty Law and Ty Poole. The Pats did so and won a SuperBowl.

I have no doubt the Pats will over-come the loss of Branch and Givens much the same way. They will develop people and bring people in.

A week ago I was certain a deal would be done...now I'm convinced he'll leave.

This team may indeed still be good enough to go all the way (every team has holes -- this is something the media has trouble understanding), but we're definitely worse off than we would've been with him. And given the fact that our QB stuck his neck out there, you just don't want to send the message to the rest of your players that you can't get a deal done with a SB-MVP, with a sterling clubhouse record, who's still playing on his el cheapo rookie contract.

Damn. You make it sound like its ENTIRELY the fault of the Patriots Management. I think you need to wake up and realize that Branch is the one who set everything in motion, not the Patriots. The Patriots are the ones who attempted to negotiate in good faith. This idea that its going to affect others is just pure garbage.

You people may hate Deion...he may be dead to you...but he's not dead to this team...he's one of the most beloved players in the clubhouse. And unlike Lawyer, his skills aren't diminishing.

How do you know what Branch's standing in the clubhouse is? Are you THERE in the clubhouse? NO. You aren't. So you don't have a clue.

While Branch's skills aren't diminishing, you seem to forget that he's not accomplished much. No 1000 yard season. No season with more than 5 TDs. Hasn't had a healthy season in which he wasn't coddled.

There will be ripples if he leaves...I'm not saying it will split the team, but we will have to deal with it...and ripples like this can -- and have -- sapped the momentum and energy out of many a season.

Why? Because you say so? This is just more BS on your part. Sorry, but I can remember people claiming that "They hate their coach" and that the "Season is over before it began" when the Patriots cut Milloy. And the Patriots proved them all WRONG by winning it all.

again, I'm not saying the FO is wrong or right...and perhaps we should've stayed hardline with him...Borges will call it "arrogance"...not me...but I don't see any brilliance here.

Maybe because you don't want to see any brilliance. You can claim you aren't saying that the F.O. is wrong or right, but your posts smack of just that accusation.

I guarantee Tom is flying off the walls...he's too ambitious to let it destroy HIS future...but that doesn't mean he's a happy camper.

I'm not changing my avatar over this, but it's definitely a kick in the gut.

I guarantee you that Tom is NOT flying off the walls. I can guarantee you that Brady knows the situation and is probably not happy with the arrogance being shown by Branch. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Brady said, "Do what you gotta do, I gotta do what I gotta do." and left it at that.

 

[DaBruinz]

What if he learns that there are teams willing to pay him in 2007 more than the Patriots are willing to do so?? Is that information very bad news for Chayut?? I think not.

Branch plays this season for the Pats.
Forces the Pats to place the franchise tag on him in 2007.
I have said all along that if I were Chayut I would welcome the franchise tag because it establishes a high mininum (around $7.5 million) base cash intake in 2007 for me and gives me a chance to get a double-digit signing bonus in 2008.

Except, Miguel, you are forgetting one of the big things about players who have missed training camp and then gone into the season after missing a game or two. Almost every single one of them has gotten injured. And Branch isn't exactly the Man of Steel. More likely he's the Man of Dry Pine. Branch can ill afford to get injured this year or in a year he's franchised. Also, all that Franchising Branch does is guarantee him that he gets paid less than what he would have earned had he accepted the Pats offer. Now, if Branch gets franchised 2 years in a row, he will make about 4 million MORE than the Pats current offer, but, again, he has to worry about injury.

So, now Branch is looking at 2009 before he could become a real free agent and then he would be looking at entering the season at 30 years old. I doubt that he will get a double digit signing bonus before then. In fact, to my knowledge, no franchise player has been signed by another team in the last few years. So, I doubt that Branch would get signed. And the likely-hood of him getting injured is at least 50%.

 

[DaBruinz]

He is getting that information now without the possibility of a tampering charge and without having the franchise tag being placed on him.

The only information Branch is truly getting is what other teams are willing to pay now and whether or not they think that he is worth a large long term contract. We already know that the Patriots think that Branch is worth a large, long term contract. The problem lies with Branch not liking how much the Patriots think he's worth.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

He is getting that information now without the possibility of a tampering charge and without having the franchise tag being placed on him.

Listening to Chayut's PR rep Borges on the pre game show, Ron kinda slipped in an effort to bolster his I know more than allyou do image. He blurted out that the Branch camp already believes there is at least one team who will make a better offer for him than the Pat's deal. And Borges new instant pick for the frontrunner in the Branch sweepstakes is .....Minnesota. Ziggy Wulf wants players of character but he apparently doesn't have any in his FO. Of course FO's lacking character can turtle when it comes time to put pen to paper too. Tonight Tommy sent a message to the league - Deion did pretty good with me, and why wouldn't he.

 

[Miguel]

The Cap already sky-rocketed. You seemed to have missed the boat on that. It went up almost 17 million this year. Its going up only 7 million next year and then a SET 10 million each of the 2 years following.

Please prove this part - "then a SET 10 million each of the 2 years following."

 

[Miguel]

Except, Miguel, you are forgetting one of the big things about players who have missed training camp and then gone into the season after missing a game or two. Almost every single one of them has gotten injured.

If you say so, that's not the way I remember it.

And Branch isn't exactly the Man of Steel.

Branch did not miss a game in 2005. The only games that he missed in 2004 were caused by Stephen Neal crashing into him.

In fact, to my knowledge, no franchise player has been signed by another team in the last few years. So, I doubt that Branch would get signed.

You must not be including those players who did a sign and trade like Tebucky and John Abraham.

And the likely-hood of him getting injured is at least 50%.

How many players played in the NFL last season?? About 1600 to 1700.
How many of them suffer an injury that would cause their 2006 FA value to drop?? I would not doubt that 50% of NFL players suffer an injury during the season. The question is how many of them suffer an injury so severe that it would cause their FA value in the next year to significantly drop.

 

[Pats726]

The only information Branch is truly getting is what other teams are willing to pay now and whether or not they think that he is worth a large long term contract. We already know that the Patriots think that Branch is worth a large, long term contract. The problem lies with Branch not liking how much the Patriots think he's worth.

That is useful information now..at this time..and we all know how things change..a bad season, an injury, less cap money..less of a need..these will all change what Branch can get as a FA..it's very fliuid. But you are right...the problem lies with the numbers..Deion wanting a lot more than the Patriots are willing to pay. Reiss says it's stratospheres...so it's not even in the ball park. It was a brilliant move because it's broken the logjam and one way or another it will get get resolved.
I would like Branch back, but given his demands, have thought that would be less and less possible..and that is OK. As long as the team gets full value for him..I am fine with it. He and his agent have brought this all on himself and the Patriots have dealt with it as best they could...fairly and with reasonableness.

 

[fgssand]

WHAT are we missing here?

Without a doubt and not to diminish Deions talents - Tom Brady is a for sure reason that Patten and Givens and Branch have enjoyed so much success. Make no mistake, these are all talented recievers - but the Tom Brady factor is undeniable. TB IS that good.

It all seems so clearly evident to the vast majority in here that deals offered by the Patriots (with a little bump as a direct result of negotiations) is very fair at this juncture of his career (under contract for this year). These "offers" are the very offers told to us by HIS agent.

We also feel that the Patriots move will pretty much enable Team Branch to verify this - he may get a few larger offers, but it appears no one will part with a precious #1 or #2 with player(s).

The option of having to play this year with deal as is and be franchised next year - cannot possibly be worth more money and security than accepting what has already been put on the table by the Patiots. Why no counter offer?

So, given the above - where is the disconnect? Can Deion Branch be that blinded by what he sees and what his agent is telling him? Is his agent that misinformed to have so overvalued Deions worth? Might his agent not have Deions best interest at heart and be more concerned with his own pocket here? Might his agent still be trying to make up for his screw up on Deions rookie contract?

Something is missing here - it is not making sense. It appears the Patriots have been fair and that their offers are very close to his worth (again, bonus money or guarantees could be improved through negotiations that his agent, apparently, has refused to enter into).

I don't get it.....anyone?

 

[Pats726]

I tend to think this is an agent trying to make a name for himself... He's NOT an agent who has negotiated anything beyond a rookie contract so he is taking his arrogance a bit far..and fueling each other with crazier statement over and over. The disconnect is with the agents..Going to show the Patriots who they are dealing with.Not surprising he has bungled again and again..alienating the front office and the fans. Basically costing his player money...fines as well as doing about the worst PR job one could do. I think that is what is going on. I agree it makes little sense, but it made little sense when Deion stayed out of camp. I am not saying it's ALL the agent as he is doing what Deion wants, but maybe the are both reinforcing each other in thoughts and thus putting themselves further away from reality.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Last night on the WBCN postgame show that Borges mercifully is not part of when they talked about Deion again and what might come of this week, Gresh asked what would the Patriots do if he did get an offer of say 5 years $30M? Because they all keep harping on the 3 year $19M deal they have lost sight of the "other" alternative offer that was already rejected for 5 years $31M....

So realistically what Deion needs to be able to bring back to the Patriots to win this round is 3 years $24M with $12M in bonus and guarantees or 5 years $35M with $12M in bonus and $18M or more implicitly guaranteed over the next 3 seasons. The team he is traded to will inherit the 5th year of that rookie deal as well, and unless he can get them to make that a $6M+ year he is back in the same divide by 4 boat his agent has been wailing about for the last 6 weeks. So basically this is about whether he can get $5M more from another suitor than he can get out of NE in a short window similar to the one he forced us into when he basically wouldn't enter a normal negotiation complete with offers and counter offers.

Also on the pre show yesterday Jonathan confirmed that the details of the offers and counters that were being widely reported were in fact correct. He also reminded listeners that using the Milloy situation as one example you simply cannot deviate from your financial plan based on emotion if you want to survive and thrive in a capped league. He said that while the player may have appeared to have "won" in the Milloy instance because he got his $$$, what they have to look at is did Buffalo win, and the answer is clearly no. Had we kept Milloy on those terms there would likley have not been room for a Brady or Seymour extension going forward. I get the feeling that while there probably was a little creative wiggle room in those May offers, what they were hearing from Chayut in the remove the tag request as opposed to a normal counter proposal to a very detailed written offer (and probably what they were hearing in suttlebutt about what Deion's side really wanted probably from players and other agents) resulted in this impass.

Johnathan did stress a couple of times that Deion is under contract and there is a value to that contract that any team should appreciate and expect to realize. So unless Chayut gets substantially more in an offer from a foolish team willing to forego that benefit themselves as well as provide compensation for our loss of a $1M year of production from a #1 WR, these guys are not going to blink. And that makes me think there is an agreement in place that he will report on September 2 if he is not traded by then. And unless this whole fiasco has opened Deion's eyes to what he is inches from walking away from to the point that when he comes back he leaves Chayut on the side of the road to nowhere, it will be a playing out the string scenario going forward and they will almost certainly tag and shop him in 2007.

At the end of the day I think this all boils down to a young agent in a relatively new agency looking to vault himself into the big leagues with guys like Rosenhaus and Condon (trumping Condon who could not beat the Pats in the Watson negotiation and walked away as a result). Chayut wants to be the young gun who took on Belioli and won. Deion is just a pawn in all this, but if he's that naive and gullible to still believe this jerk is just committed to getting him his money shame on him (and quite frankly his best friends who worry far too much about stepping on each others business toes at times to talk sense to each other).

 

[fgssand]

Last night on the WBCN postgame show that Borges mercifully is not part of when they talked about Deion again and what might come of this week, Gresh asked what would the Patriots do if he did get an offer of say 5 years $30M? Because they all keep harping on the 3 year $19M deal they have lost sight of the "other" alternative offer that was already rejected for 5 years $31M....

So realistically what Deion needs to be able to bring back to the Patriots to win this round is 3 years $24M with $12M in bonus and guarantees or 5 years $35M with $12M in bonus and $18M or more implicitly guaranteed over the next 3 seasons. The team he is traded to will inherit the 5th year of that rookie deal as well, and unless he can get them to make that a $6M+ year he is back in the same divide by 4 boat his agent has been wailing about for the last 6 weeks. So basically this is about whether he can get $5M more from another suitor than he can get out of NE in a short window similar to the one he forced us into when he basically wouldn't enter a normal negotiation complete with offers and counter offers.

Also on the pre show yesterday Jonathan confirmed that the details of the offers and counters that were being widely reported were in fact correct. He also reminded listeners that using the Milloy situation as one example you simply cannot deviate from your financial plan based on emotion if you want to survive and thrive in a capped league. He said that while the player may have appeared to have "won" in the Milloy instance because he got his $$$, what they have to look at is did Buffalo win, and the answer is clearly no. Had we kept Milloy on those terms there would likley have not been room for a Brady or Seymour extension going forward. I get the feeling that while there probably was a little creative wiggle room in those May offers, what they were hearing from Chayut in the remove the tag request as opposed to a normal counter proposal to a very detailed written offer (and probably what they were hearing in suttlebutt about what Deion's side really wanted probably from players and other agents) resulted in this impass.

Johnathan did stress a couple of times that Deion is under contract and there is a value to that contract that any team should appreciate and expect to realize. So unless Chayut gets substantially more in an offer from a foolish team willing to forego that benefit themselves as well as provide compensation for our loss of a $1M year of production from a #1 WR, these guys are not going to blink. And that makes me think there is an agreement in place that he will report on September 2 if he is not traded by then. And unless this whole fiasco has opened Deion's eyes to what he is inches from walking away from to the point that when he comes back he leaves Chayut on the side of the road to nowhere, it will be a playing out the string scenario going forward and they will almost certainly tag and shop him in 2007.

At the end of the day I think this all boils down to a young agent in a relatively new agency looking to vault himself into the big leagues with guys like Rosenhaus and Condon (trumping Condon who could not beat the Pats in the Watson negotiation and walked away as a result). Chayut wants to be the young gun who took on Belioli and won. Deion is just a pawn in all this, but if he's that naive and gullible to still believe this jerk is just committed to getting him his money shame on him (and quite frankly his best friends who worry far too much about stepping on each others business toes at times to talk sense to each other).

Do you really believe that Deion does not have a mind of his own and as such is totally letting his agent handle everything? If Chayut's agenda is all about Jason Chayut, doesn't anybody in Deions cirlce of infulence realize and point this out to him?

Deion Branch is a very intelligent person quite capable of making his own decisons - makes this all that much more puzzling to me as stated in my post a few spots above.

There has to be something missing here.

 

[Jacky Roberts]

Do you really believe that Deion does not have a mind of his own and as such is totally letting his agent handle everything? If Chayut's agenda is all about Jason Chayut, doesn't anybody in Deions cirlce of infulence realize and point this out to him?

Deion Branch is a very intelligent person quite capable of making his own decisons - makes this all that much more puzzling to me as stated in my post a few spots above.

There has to be something missing here.

But at this point, Branch has to be thinking "what the hell is going on here". What would be great is if Branch fired this idiot Chayut, went into Belichick's office, and hammered out his own deal.

 

[fgssand]

But at this point, Branch has to be thinking "what the hell is going on here". What would be great is if Branch fired this idiot Chayut, went into Belichick's office, and hammered out his own deal.

Yes...he could probably get the deal that was there for the taking, endear himself back within his fans and tuck it to the agent that has screwed this guy up so much. Plus he will not have to pay the agents commission either, so he makes more.

Why it makes so much sense - it won't happen.

 

[DaBruinz]

If you say so, that's not the way I remember it.

Ok, Miguel, if that isn't how you remember it, would you care to offer an example or should we just take your word for it?

Branch did not miss a game in 2005. The only games that he missed in 2004 were caused by Stephen Neal crashing into him.

Branch didn't miss a game because he was coddled through pre-season. And, since you can't predict what would have happened in 2004 had Neal not crashed into Branch, its a pretty lame excuse.

You must not be including those players who did a sign and trade like Tebucky and John Abraham.

You're right. I'm not. No franchise player has been signed, outright, by another team.

How many players played in the NFL last season?? About 1600 to 1700.
How many of them suffer an injury that would cause their 2006 FA value to drop?? I would not doubt that 50% of NFL players suffer an injury during the season. The question is how many of them suffer an injury so severe that it would cause their FA value in the next year to significantly drop.

Miguel, how many of them suffered major injuries? I guarantee you those players had their value drop. Heck, even TY LAW's value wasn't what he thought it was when he signed with the Jets.

 

[Pats726]

Do you really believe that Deion does not have a mind of his own and as such is totally letting his agent handle everything? If Chayut's agenda is all about Jason Chayut, doesn't anybody in Deions cirlce of infulence realize and point this out to him?

Deion Branch is a very intelligent person quite capable of making his own decisons - makes this all that much more puzzling to me as stated in my post a few spots above.

There has to be something missing here.

Deion believes he is being treated unfairly and his agent has told him that and that he will get his pot of gold. Branch is believing in the agent; obviously following his path. It's also probably true that he is insulated and is not understanding what effect it is having on his PR. Again, his circle of friends might be buying this all as wlel..but now, the bubble may be bursting. Odd, maybe..but he is truly believing that and he will go the way of Chyut..down the drain. The Patriots hold the cards..and there are no trump cards left for Branch.

 

[BTTA]

One week isn't enough time for Branch and agent to pull this off

It is a set up by the Pats...as has been said here, puts all the pressure and responsibility on Branch.

There are too many details...where Branch is willing to play, which of those teams have cap room and roster space, what those teams will give the Pat's in return, the Pats approval, Branch's contract going forward, who pays the fines he has incurred thus far, etc. It would take a miracle and a very needy team for all of that to be worked out in a few days.

 

[pats1]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

BRANCH, AGENT CAUGHT FLAT-FOOTED​

Speaking of the Deion Branch situation, we don't seriously believe that he'll be traded to the Cowboys or anyone else by September 1.

Bolstering our opinion in this regard is scuttlebutt we've heard that Branch and agent Jason Chayut were caught completely off guard by the team's sudden offer to allow Branch to explore the market via a trade.​

Though some might contend that Chayut should have been prepared for anything, we're not so sure that he should have been ready for this one. After all, a sudden grant of permission by the Pats to talk to other teams about a potential contract for Branch would have fallen somewhere on the "likelihood of possible occurrences" meter between the Pats coughing up a $16 million signing bonus for Branch and coach Bill Belichick bringing Branch breakfast in bed.​

Either way, the fact that Chayut wasn't ready makes it even harder for Chayut to slap together an acceptable offer to the player and to his current team by September 1.
​

...​

​