Perhaps irrationally, I like Peerless Price, if only because he's had the experience of the ego-busting departure from the "Moulds/Price" nest in Buffalo.
As I recall, he had 2 seasons in Buffalo in the 1000 yard range... I think in 03 he scored 9TDs as well, as defenses hustled to cover Moulds. If Branch is as tall an order as Moulds circa 2003, you have your "#2" guy - assuming something fundamental hasn't happened to Price's ability to get open, a big assumption given a three year time difference since he played for buffalo.
But I would submit that he's 30, not 35; that 2 years of this time were spent with Atlanta, where receivers go to die and the only other receivers the defense had to handle were the slow white guy, and the tight end; and that last year in Dallas, Keyshawn and Glenn happened to be in the middle of their own resurgences, with a coach who already knew them.
Bad three years, no doubt. Cheap, big upside if there's anything left? Also no doubt. Did the gas suddenly go out of his tank at age 27? Or is it that he needs to be counted on, but not as the savior of a team?
Get him in camp, let him compete, I say. But then, I can't even remember watching him play last year. Could be that he can't get open.
But if he can, he's exactly where you'd want him, as a Patriots pick-up: in mid career after some screwed up experiences, but with a decent amount of talent, and available cheap. You'd think he and his agent would appreciate a couple of years in the New England Finishing School for Inexpensive Talent.
PFnV
