Schefter: Branch to New England for 4th round pick

[MoLewisrocks]

btw who did the pats draft with the Seattle seachickens 1st round pick?

We traded it back to SF for a 2007 4th and a 1st in 2008. We got Moss and Mayo.

 

[emoney_33]

We traded it back to SF for a 2007 4th and a 1st in 2008. We got Moss and Mayo.

We selected Brandon Meriweather in the 2007 NFL draft with Seattle's pick. We traded our own pick to SF.

 

[coolguy]

OMG IS THIS MOVING COMING BACK TO HAUNT the pats YouTube - Dallas Cowboys Draft 2010: Dez Bryant

This may have been a mistake

 

[jah]

OMG IS THIS MOVING COMING BACK TO HAUNT the pats YouTube - Dallas Cowboys Draft 2010: Dez Bryant

This may have been a mistake

If we took Bryant, then we wouldn't have McCourty. How would you like Butler and Arrington as your starters at CB? :bricks:

 

[emoney_33]

You're the only one here who doesn't believe Brady is better in the playoffs. Brady's playoff numbers are great, better than any other QBs of the era. In the playoffs, you play the toughest teams and the best defenses. He has excelled. You're braindead if you think otherwise.

I never said Brady's playoff numbers were bad or that he played poor in the playoffs. He's simply played as GREAT as he -always- plays. He doesn't play mediocre in the regular season and then great in the playoffs. He constantly plays great all year round.

Brady AND Branch have performed well at the highest levels, when their teams needed them.

This is absolutely indisputable. It's deranged to say otherwise.

What is indisputable is that Branch was invisible in the Titans playoff game in 2003. A game in which an open Titans receiver bobbled a pass that would have put them in position to AT LEAST tie the game. What's indisputable is that his playoff averages mimic his regular season averages. What's indisputable is that there is NOT a repeatable skill to increase your talent or skill in the playoffs. What's indisputable is we needed Brady to have a better game in the 2005 divisional round.

Look I'm a fan as much as anyone of Brady and have fond memories of the Brady Branch connection. But there is no "playoff" skill that Branch has that he's bringing here. He's going to be in the playoffs about what he is during the regular season. So if he's healthy and on the same page as Brady again I expect him to contribute a decent amount. If he's really that far off what we remember and doesn't play well during the regular season, he's not going to play well in the playoffs.

I haven't been following this thread - but any attempt to compare statistics in the regular season vs. playoffs is pretty silly. Obviously, by design, the playoffs bring a much higher level of competition. And, as we all know, many of Brady's playoff starts have come in rather inclement weather. To blindly throw stats out there to say he's better or worse in the postseason is not a productive exercise, at all.

In general, I would say its time to move on from the Moss debate. The team traded Moss, they brought in Branch. It's time to move on.

This had nothing to do with Moss or either trade btw. I'm just pointing out that Brady is great more often than not no matter what time of year it is. He doesn't all of a sudden turn great in the playoffs, he plays AS WELL as he plays all year. He suffers the same mistakes from time to time and can't avoid the playoff timing of them (see Denver 2005).

For Branch he's going to be what he can be, but "good in the playoffs" is not a skill that he can bring. If he's good he's good, if he's not he's not.

 

[WhiteWesWelker88]

We had a fantastic draft and ppl need to stop with the (shoulda, coulda woulda) gibberish



omg... ppl here can be so naive and ungrateful


I tell it like it is.



The sky is not falling, Gisele is still smoking, BB is a legendary coach and we have a damn good young team.

 

[coolguy]

I never said Brady's playoff numbers were bad or that he played poor in the playoffs. He's simply played as GREAT as he -always- plays. He doesn't play mediocre in the regular season and then great in the playoffs. He constantly plays great all year round.



What is indisputable is that Branch was invisible in the Titans playoff game in 2003. A game in which an open Titans receiver bobbled a pass that would have put them in position to AT LEAST tie the game. What's indisputable is that his playoff averages mimic his regular season averages. What's indisputable is that there is NOT a repeatable skill to increase your talent or skill in the playoffs. What's indisputable is we needed Brady to have a better game in the 2005 divisional round.

Look I'm a fan as much as anyone of Brady and have fond memories of the Brady Branch connection. But there is no "playoff" skill that Branch has that he's bringing here. He's going to be in the playoffs about what he is during the regular season. So if he's healthy and on the same page as Brady again I expect him to contribute a decent amount. If he's really that far off what we remember and doesn't play well during the regular season, he's not going to play well in the playoffs.



This had nothing to do with Moss or either trade btw. I'm just pointing out that Brady is great more often than not no matter what time of year it is. He doesn't all of a sudden turn great in the playoffs, he plays AS WELL as he plays all year. He suffers the same mistakes from time to time and can't avoid the playoff timing of them (see Denver 2005).

For Branch he's going to be what he can be, but "good in the playoffs" is not a skill that he can bring. If he's good he's good, if he's not he's not.

Branches post season numbers with tb12
SB 39 11 REC 133 yards 0td
sb 38 10 rec 143 1 td

moss 3 post season games in 2007 only had 7 rec for 94 in the 2007 playoffs
sb 5 rec 62 yards 1 td


Once moss gets in cold weather he shuts down.

 

[emoney_33]

Branches post season numbers with tb12
SB 39 11 REC 133 yards 0td
sb 38 10 rec 143 1 td

moss 3 post season games in 2007 only had 7 rec for 94 in the 2007 playoffs
sb 5 rec 62 yards 1 td


Once moss gets in cold weather he shuts down.

I suppose by "shuts" down you mean "catches the go ahead TD late in the superbowl" but yeah your point is understood... oh wait no it's not. Branch did pretty much nothing to help win the Titans game in 2003, and without an open bobble by the Titans in the last minute of the game Branch never gets to see SB 38.

And I especially love how you define "playoffs" as the 2 superbowls for Branch and ignore the rest of the playoffs.

Anyway, again this is not a Moss vs. Branch debate. The simple FACT is that there is no "steps up in playoffs" skill. Branch and Brady were good together it's no shock that they had some good games in the playoffs (along with some bad ones).

 

[Kontradiction]

Branches post season numbers with tb12
SB 39 11 REC 133 yards 0td
sb 38 10 rec 143 1 td

moss 3 post season games in 2007 only had 7 rec for 94 in the 2007 playoffs
sb 5 rec 62 yards 1 td


Once moss gets in cold weather he shuts down.

Most high flying offenses like the one Moss played on during his 2007 stint get "shut down" due to a combination of factors such as cold weather (the anti-potent offense) and great defense. You typically get both in the playoffs.

 

[goheels22002]

Maroney is not a wide receiver, and was not traded just days before the trade that brought in Branch. Is this news to you? If not, you should be capable of understanding why the Maroney trade does not equate to the Branch trade.

Usually, I do not agree with DI, but these moves seem entirely independent of one another. Moving Maroney was about cap space, clearing a logjam in the backfield and I believe, about giving Maroney a change of scenery with a team that needed a back and a coach with whom he could prosper. Belichick said as much in the post Maroney trade presser.

The Moss move became a team chemistry necessity and Belichick et al were looking at a WR market that included Branch. No matter. BJGE is better than Maroney and Branch is a dependable WR in this offense who will complement the youngsters and not be a distraction. The Pats look better today than they were before the Dolphins game.

 

[rookBoston]

If we took Bryant, then we wouldn't have McCourty. How would you like Butler and Arrington as your starters at CB? :bricks:

Not only did we get McCourty for Bryant, but we also got the picks that became Aaron Hernandez and Taylor Price. Hernandez is not Bryant, but Hernandez + McCourty feels like a pretty good outcome.

 

[coolguy]

I suppose by "shuts" down you mean "catches the go ahead TD late in the superbowl" but yeah your point is understood... oh wait no it's not. Branch did pretty much nothing to help win the Titans game in 2003, and without an open bobble by the Titans in the last minute of the game Branch never gets to see SB 38.

And I especially love how you define "playoffs" as the 2 superbowls for Branch and ignore the rest of the playoffs.

Anyway, again this is not a Moss vs. Branch debate. The simple FACT is that there is no "steps up in playoffs" skill. Branch and Brady were good together it's no shock that they had some good games in the playoffs (along with some bad ones).

Dude, what branch did to Pittsburgh in in 2004 nullifies the past, the pats would not have beat the 15-1 steelers if it was not for him.

dUDE STOP WITH THE WHAT IFS!!
If tom brady wasn't injured the pats would have won the superbowl
iF WELKER DIDN'T GET HURT the pats would have beat the ravens.
if assante buckner didn't drop the interception the pats would be undefeated
i could go.....PLEASE DON'T ACT LIKE A CUBS FAN!

Where was moss when welker went down? oh thats right 5 rec for 48 yards

 

[Patsrock]

Moving Maroney was about cap space,

What cap space?

 

[mgteich]

Facts are rarely relevant to the arguments of posters.

What cap space?

 

[Patspsycho]

Facts are rarely relevant to the arguments of posters.

Post of the week.

 

[jmt57]

What cap space?

Facts are rarely relevant to the arguments of posters.

Post of the week.

Obviously it was in reference to the cap hit that would have taken place in 2011.



Or maybe not.

 

[goheels22002]

What cap space?

Laurence Maroney was being paid $825k by the Patriots and with his signing bonus amortized, the cap hit for 2010 was $1,077,000. The Broncos picked up their portion or close to $900k. While not a huge amount, still more than any other RB on the team. It was important to build some flexibility with Mankins hanging out there and likely to come back to get his year's seniority before the strike year and to afford options to increase depth at OL and RB (now at WR).

 

[goheels22002]

Obviously it was in reference to the cap hit that would have taken place in 2011.



Or maybe not.

Maroney was signed only through 2010. There would be no cap hit next year, so Belichick et al were getting something for a player who would have become an UFA.

 

[Patsrock]

Laurence Maroney was being paid $825k by the Patriots and with his signing bonus amortized, the cap hit for 2010 was $1,077,000. The Broncos picked up their portion or close to $900k. While not a huge amount, still more than any other RB on the team. It was important to build some flexibility with Mankins hanging out there and likely to come back to get his year's seniority before the strike year and to afford options to increase depth at OL and RB (now at WR).

I really hope you are not serious!

 

[TomPatriot]

Disagree. Once you put Hernandez in the slot, you're telegraphing pass to the defense. One reason why Hernandez is so effective right now is he is lined up tight, with a LB assigned to cover him in case its a pass. No LB can cover him. Plus, with him lined up tight, the defense doesn't know whether its a run or a pass.

You can run the ball with the TE in the slot. The Giants did it for years with Bavaro. If the SS has to cover the TE slot it leaves gaping hole in a Tampa 2, so it basically forces the defense to change. If the safety peels off you throw slants and hitches. If the Sam covers him slot it is tougher to seal the edge on a strong side running play. It gives Brady options because he can see this at the LOS.

Hernandez can run very well and he runs precise patterns and he's big and he's got nice hands. He'd be a ***** to cover slot.