Tom Curran to the rescue...as usual...

[Pats726]

Wait, the Bills got that superstar Tripplett. Watch out for them this year. That guy really makes a difference. Bottom line: Curran's comments about the Colts are inacurate. They haven't lost those playoff games because of their defense. They lost because their quarterback is a choker in big games. I'm not sure what the Colts front office has to do with that. If they run their team so poorly, why are they the favorites to win the Super Bowl every year? Sounds like Curran is back to kissing ass. First Dillon and now the Pats front office. Also, David Thornton is one of those players that can't be replaced. He has gone to like six straight Pro Bowls, right?

Wrong again..just like the real wrong..

 

[patsox23]

one of the best points Curran brought up is that there is a difference between Reggie Wayne getting a big pay-day AS A FREE AGENT and Branch trying to match that deal with a full year left on his deal.

 

[patsox23]

Sounds like Ron Borges is, as usual, a passive-aggressive child who doesn't like that certain other writes in the N.E. area actually have supportable and praiseworthy thoughts on the subject.

 

[mgcolby]

Wait, the Bills got that superstar Tripplett. Watch out for them this year. That guy really makes a difference. Bottom line: Curran's comments about the Colts are inacurate. They haven't lost those playoff games because of their defense. They lost because their quarterback is a choker in big games. I'm not sure what the Colts front office has to do with that. If they run their team so poorly, why are they the favorites to win the Super Bowl every year? Sounds like Curran is back to kissing ass. First Dillon and now the Pats front office. Also, David Thornton is one of those players that can't be replaced. He has gone to like six straight Pro Bowls, right?

He never said that the Colts lost their playoff games because of the defense. Thornton was the Colts 2nd best LB. Well who did they replace him with? Gilbert Gardner, which one would you take?

 

[mgcolby]

The fact that Reagor did not play in the meaningless end of the season games against the Seahawks and Cardinals and Tripplett did tells me that the Colts consider Reagor as one of the 2 DT starters and not Tripplett. If the Colts consider Reagor as a starter, why should not this board??

We are arguing over semantics. No matter how you slice the guy played an awful lot for that team regardless if he was officially designated a starter or not. He also missed a game late in the season maybe they were just trying to give him some extra reps, who knows. But I am not going to continue to quibble over a label.

Bottom line the Colts lost a starting LB and did not replace him, a heavily depended on "rotation" guy and look to replace him with Brock (sp?) and there kicker with Adam. They lost a top 5 RB in the league and replaced him with a rookie and a backup. Please tell me how they improved? They don't have anyone coming back from the IR that is a significant part of their team, they didn't sign anyone of note at a key position other than Adam, so if anything they took a step back this offseason.

 

[patchick]

one of the best points Curran brought up is that there is a difference between Reggie Wayne getting a big pay-day AS A FREE AGENT and Branch trying to match that deal with a full year left on his deal.

Yes, yes, yes!!! This drives me crazy about contract negotiation arguments. You have to factor in that the Patriots will be giving up a $1 million year by restructuring/extending. If Branch signed a contract effective this season for, say, 4 years $24 million, how much is that per year? Seems to me it's a whopping $7.67 mil/year for three years. That's what's been added on to his current deal.

 

[arrellbee]

True, but players hire agents for the same reason you hire professionals.

When you hire a lawyer or a car mechanic, and they say This is what you should be doing, you tend to do it. When the mechanic says your Constant Velocity Joint needs replacing, do you say, No, it seems to me that it is the transmission, so change that instead?

Yes, the ultimate responsibiity is Deion's, but if he asked the agent for the best way to get a raise, and the agent says do this, it is hard to put the total blame on Deion for listening.

That said, I still think he (and/or his agent) is making a big mistake.

I agree completely with everything you said - very good points. So don't take it the wrong way on the following comment when I try to add a little more perspective.

My family has found out the hard way that when you hire a professional, you have to be very very careful that you evaluate what he is doing for you. Doctors and hospitals, for example, can kill you if you are not careful. My father-in-law lost a leg in such a scenario. So while it wouldn't be surprising for an NFL player to trust his agent blindly, I think they are better served if they make some judgments themselves about what the agent is telling them to do. Ben Watson comes to mind. Arrington comes to mind. In the mechanic scenario, if you take your car in for service and pay the bill and find out the problem isn't fixed, I think that at least by the second time this happens you better think you have a problem mechanic and find someone else.

In Branch's case, as so many posts have said, it approaches 0 probability that the Patriots will budge and if his agent is telling him differently, maybe Branch better do some thinking for himself. I'd hate to see him lose any money for no purpose.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Related to my previous post - my prediction - Branch eventually will realize he has to make the best of two bad choices:

1.) Live with the current contract and go into next season knowing that he faces the real possibility of being franchised for the next few years, or;

2.) Negotiate a new contract that gives him more pay, and more security than he has now, but is one that is very much below what an actual free agent would be able to command.

My guess is that brings him to a contract that is valued as something slightly more than what Givens got from the Titans - but not much more.

That leaves Branch with a contract that effectively pays him for what he currently is - a 1a WR.

If that's not good enough then both sides can protect themselves with incentives that protect the team if he doesn't perform and reward Branch if he does, but I'd bet Branch is more interested in guranteed money rather than incentives.

 

[Pats726]

Joe6..sounds reasonable!!

That sounds very reasonable..BUT..I also thought 5-6 mil was...

 

[Miguel]

We are arguing over semantics. No matter how you slice the guy played an awful lot for that team regardless if he was officially designated a starter or not. He also missed a game late in the season maybe they were just trying to give him some extra reps, who knows. But I am not going to continue to quibble over a label.

Fair enough.

FWIW - Tripplett missed Week 7. Since he appeared on the injury reports with an anke injury, I think that he missed the game because of it. I happen to think that Tripplett started in Week 1 because Reagor was out with a groin injury.

Bottom line the Colts lost a starting LB and did not replace him, a heavily depended on "rotation" guy and look to replace him with Brock (sp?) and there kicker with Adam. They lost a top 5 RB in the league and replaced him with a rookie and a backup. Please tell me how they improved? They don't have anyone coming back from the IR that is a significant part of their team, they didn't sign anyone of note at a key position other than Adam, so if anything they took a step back this offseason.

My point of the post was that IMO, Curran did not say anything in his opinion piece that has not been said in this forum. I do not think that it is a coincidence that TC used the two defensive starters stat because it has been repeated on this board several times.

I learned this summer not to put the Colts in a positive light on this board. It is not allowed, figuratively, so I will refrain from talking about their offseaon.

 

[spacecrime]

I learned this summer not to put the Colts in a positive light on this board. It is not allowed, figuratively, so I will refrain from talking about their offseaon.

No need to. everyone knows they added the missing pieces last off-season. Got rid of the two reasons they couldn't win in post season for the last few years (Vanderjack and James) and replaced them with Vinatieri and Addai.

All the talking heads are pretty much in consensus: The Colts win the SB this year over the Panthers.

I think we should give this year up as a lost cause. We lost the heart and soul of our team (Givens, Vinatieri and WMG), so we are going to have a losing season anyway. Why not play backups from opening day. Make sure no starters get hurt this year and all are healthy and rested for next year. Plus we will have a better draft position. We just have to pray that the Colts don't take another giant off-season step next off season as they did this year.

 

[mgcolby]

Fair enough.

FWIW - Tripplett missed Week 7. Since he appeared on the injury reports with an anke injury, I think that he missed the game because of it. I happen to think that Tripplett started in Week 1 because Reagor was out with a groin injury.

Ok I thought he missed week 12 or 13 as well it seemed later in the season than that. But no problem I don't think it is a big deal.

My point of the post was that IMO, Curran did not say anything in his opinion piece that has not been said in this forum. I do not think that it is a coincidence that TC used the two defensive starters stat because it has been repeated on this board several times.

I said the same exact thing yesterday in a thread when I looked at the playoff caliber teams offseason. I even referred to Tripplett as a starter.

I learned this summer not to put the Colts in a positive light on this board. It is not allowed, figuratively, so I will refrain from talking about their offseaon.

I realize they re-signed some of their own players but no one can tell me that losing James isn't huge. I just won't buy that. Their biggest FA signing was Adam. Look I have a friend who's nephew was signed as an UDFA by the Colts and will most likely make the team. His name is Jamie Goodwin and he will most likely be the 5th maybe the 4th receiver and will be on the Kickoff team he runs a 4.2 40 and has been nicknamed sticky by the coaches and receivers.

 

[flutie2phelan]

No need to. everyone knows they added the missing pieces last off-season. Got rid of the two reasons they couldn't win in post season for the last few years (Vanderjack and James) and replaced them with Vinatieri and Addai.

All the talking heads are pretty much in consensus: The Colts win the SB this year over the Panthers.

I think we should give this year up as a lost cause. We lost the heart and soul of our team (Givens, Vinatieri and WMG), so we are going to have a losing season anyway. Why not play backups from opening day. Make sure no starters get hurt this year and all are healthy and rested for next year. Plus we will have a better draft position. We just have to pray that the Colts don't take another giant off-season step next off season as they did this year.

Classic, space, just classic !

 

[Pats726]

Classic, space, just classic !

Beyond classic...it is the standard of the league..Manning..Manning..we all know they will win it again...didn't they win it last year??? the year before???

 

[shakadave]

Curran just heated up and got on a role. Classic work. A good agent is an all-too-rare and beautiful thing. Maybe Branch will find one next time around.