Pats give Branch permission to seek Trade

[Handel]

You forgot option #4 and that is he plays out his contract and become a free agent next season.

Will he accept to play with his rookie contract?

 

[Brownfan80]

One big flaw in your logic BMU is the risk that Branch assumes. If he returns to only play the last 6 games, he loses tons of income. He is a 2nd round pick, so it isn't like he has pocketed multi-millions. Even if he does that, the Pats still have the franchise tag over him.

However, that strategy not only costs him tons of money, but also comes with the risk he could lose everything if he is injured. If he comes to play the last 6 games and suffers an ACL, do you think he is going to get $6M per season in FA? That is a huge risk to take on, especially given Deion not being the biggest guy in the world. He has been hurt before.

Exactly. And it's obvious that a huge part of Branch's concern is that LONGterm money and value to extend his career. BMU's hypothetical goes against EVERYTHING that not only Branch has STATED, but also everything that makes sense for Branch to achieve his longterm goal.

 

[nowayback]

great for pats...now branch and useless agent will see what branch is worth ....money is easy for other teams...but a first round pic...no way. i think they were thinking pats wouldnt agree....um dont play poker with bb

 

[smg93]

Will he accept to play with his rookie contract?

Would he rather sit out till game 10 and in effect not make any money this year while putting his career on the line for seven games where he may get injured?

Given that choice, I still think that option 4 is viable. He may not come in for the first game, but he'll come in before game 10 because the fines will begin to hurt way too much.

 

[PlattsFan]

That was the strange part of this entire hold out. They stated that they wanted to get an extension done, but then stated that the only reason that Deion didn't report was for fear of being franchised. But you can't be franchised if an extension is reached. Something sinister in their thinking, methinks.

You don't have to see sinister motives there. Just taking it at face value: they want to get an extension done at the number they are looking for, but, if it's not possible, they don't want to have the franchise tag looming over them in negotiations.

It's simple negotiations and business. They are trying to exercise what leverage they have to weaken the negotiating position of the Patriots. The Patriots are doing everything they can to maintain all the leverage they have already and keep as strong a negotiating position as possible.

I don't know why everyone makes it into some kind of morality play. It's just a (potential) millionaire negotiating with a billion-dollar business. Each side is trying to maximize their position.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

It might just be me.... But I seriously doubt that Branch can use your hypothetical as leverage, being that your hypothetical uses the Franchise to Branch's advantage. He has already publicly stated that part of the reason for his holdout is that he does NOT want to be Franchised, and what WR would? Say he gets Franchised and then seriously injured during that season? Whoopidiedoo he just made 8 Mil in one season sure, but he just lost out on FAR more money that would have been in his pocket from a longterm deal.

So your thinking, IMO, is quite flawed.

In negotiating you never have just 1 option. You enter any negotiating manner with multiple options that you can use. That's what's happening here.

 

[Brownfan80]

In negotiating you never have just 1 option. You enter any negotiating manner with multiple options that you can use. That's what's happening here.

I agree with you as far as having options, I just don't think that playing one year contracts is an option that Branch is aiming for at all and the avoidance of such contracts is EXACTLY why he's holding out. Vinatieri playing on multiple franchises is one thing, but for a WR it is far too risky and Branch knows it and wants no part of it.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

One big flaw in your logic BMU is the risk that Branch assumes. If he returns to only play the last 6 games, he loses tons of income. He is a 2nd round pick, so it isn't like he has pocketed multi-millions. Even if he does that, the Pats still have the franchise tag over him.

However, that strategy not only costs him tons of money, but also comes with the risk he could lose everything if he is injured. If he comes to play the last 6 games and suffers an ACL, do you think he is going to get $6M per season in FA? That is a huge risk to take on, especially given Deion not being the biggest guy in the world. He has been hurt before.

It would be a possible flaw in his logic. Not mine

Any negotiating tactic is about the degree of risk that the parties are willing to take. If Branch is a risk taker he could very well end up going the above route. The other question that needs to be asked. Are the Pats willing to risk not having Branch and starting Caldwell and Childress/Brown in his place? Maybe this is the ace in Branch's camp.

 

[Brownfan80]

You don't have to see sinister motives there. Just taking it at face value: they want to get an extension done at the number they are looking for, but, if it's not possible, they don't want to have the franchise tag looming over them in negotiations.

It's simple negotiations and business. They are trying to exercise what leverage they have to weaken the negotiating position of the Patriots. The Patriots are doing everything they can to maintain all the leverage they have already and keep as strong a negotiating position as possible.

I don't know why everyone makes it into some kind of morality play. It's just a (potential) millionaire negotiating with a billion-dollar business. Each side is trying to maximize their position.

All I'm implying is that the Agent is talking out of both sides of his face. They're negotiating with the Patriots, but all the while eyeing Free Agency, knowing that's where the REAL big bucks are but claiming that they want to re-up with the Pats. It's shady, IMO, but not everyone will look at it with emotion and I know that. And I also know that the Patriots are all business too. That doesn't mean I have to be though .

 

[ATippett56]

It would be a possible flaw in his logic. Not mine

Any negotiating tactic is about the degree of risk that the parties are willing to take. If Branch is a risk taker he could very well end up going the above route. The other question that needs to be asked. Are the Pats willing to risk not having Branch and starting Caldwell and Childress/Brown in his place? Maybe this is the ace in Branch's camp.

That all may depend whether Chad Jackson will be available for the first game of the regular season.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

I agree with you as far as having options, I just don't think that playing one year contracts is an option that Branch is aiming for at all and the avoidance of such contracts is EXACTLY why he's holding out. Vinatieri playing on multiple franchises is one thing, but for a WR it is far too risky and Branch knows it and wants no part of it.

I agree. Branch very likely wants no part of being franchised. Not when he could sign a long term deal with more guaranteed coin. But during negotiations he's not going to reveal this point. He's going to keep all of his options open is my point. Most certainly one of those options is that he'll risk being tagged.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

That all may depend whether Chad Jackson will be available for the first game of the regular season.

Obviously, but he's only practiced 3 times and not of late. Realistically I would think that relying on Chad to replace Branch is a major leap of faith.

 

[brady2brown]

It isn't an open market. An open market would entail having all 31 teams being a serious party to any trade deal.

Ah, here is the root of the problem.

You define open market as 31 teams all being serious parties to bidding.

I define open market as all 31 teams having the opportunity to be serious. They can choose not to bid for any reason they want.

Just because a team doesn't think Deion is worth what he is asking for, doesn't mean it isn't an open market. The market is open. The product is over priced.

 

[Brownfan80]

I agree. Branch very likely wants no part of being franchised. Not when he could sign a long term deal with more guaranteed coin. But during negotiations he's not going to reveal this point. He's going to keep all of his options open is my point. Most certainly one of those options is that he'll risk being tagged.

I hear ya, I just think he's already 'shown his hand' by stating publicly that he'd show up for Training Camp as soon as the Patriots promised Not to Franchise him. After that I think he's got no leverage with the Franchise tag anymore since the FO knows he doesn't want to go down that road.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

Ah, here is the root of the problem.

You define open market as 31 teams all being serious parties to bidding.

I define open market as all 31 teams having the opportunity to be serious. They can choose not to bid for any reason they want.

Just because a team doesn't think Deion is worth what he is asking for, doesn't mean it isn't an open market. The market is open. The product is over priced.

Let's hope that the Pats and Branch's agent don't have the same differring defn of what constitutes an open market.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

I hear ya, I just think he's already 'shown his hand' by stating publicly that he'd show up for Training Camp as soon as the Patriots promised Not to Franchise him. After that I think he's got no leverage with the Franchise tag anymore since the FO knows he doesn't want to go down that road.

Yep, that would be one of the options that the Pats would negotiate from no doubt.

 

[Pats726]

It isn't an open market. An open market would entail having all 31 teams being a serious party to any trade deal. For reasons touched upon several times now, not all 31 teams are in position to be serious suitors to a trade for Branch.

You are making a HUGE assumption that this is all Branch's fault! This may not be the case.

Who is stopping the process of Branch becoming a free agent?? Of him completing his contract?? The Patriots are in no way stopping him. How is it NOT Branch's fault?? If he wants to be in an open market, he needs to complete his contract. As of now he has NOT done that. you can keep saying "it isn't an open market"..but that is NOT the Patriot's fault...it is Branch's for NOT completing his contract. If he wishes to sit out till Game 10...fine. But at that point, he will be irrelevent. As for talking about a true open market..even in March, it truly doesn't involve all 31 teams due to various reasons because not all teams will be in a position for him.

 

[the taildragger]

Curran has a nice perspective on it...

but here's where I think curran's wrong about it being "low risk" -- just because the Pats CAN veto a trade, wouldn't erase the red stain of Deion publicly asking to be traded...if this creates bad blood...can we really force him to return under those circumstances?...NO, too distracting, too cancerous.

so then we let him go...and then Tom looks ridiculous.

but, if it's not exactly "low risk", it's at least a "calculated risk"...and perhaps they are out of options...welcome to the NFL.

 

[DaBruinz]

Hopefully the Pats braintrust will do a much better job in the future of gauging how (un)reasonable their players agents are because this is becoming much too frequent of an occurance.

Only if you chose to ignore all the re-signings that the Pats have accomplished. But, then I guess that it would be too reasonable to expect everyone to remember those things when they are complaining about the Pats management.

 

[DaBruinz]

He's not going to realize his true market value. There isn't a true market for him right now.

You keep saying that, but most people would disagree with you. There is always a market for a proven #2 WR in the league. Its a matter of whether or not there is a team who believes what Branch does and that he is a #1 or is willing to pay him some semblance of the money he's looking for.