Tannenbaum did add a couple of extra picks yesterday. I can dream can't I? www.profootballtalk.com ELEVENTH-HOUR OFFER FOR BRANCH? Both the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald are suggesting that receiver Deion Branch might have received an offer on Thursday. The Herald regards the news as uncorroborated rumor; Pats-hater Ron Borges of the Globe tries as usual to make the situation seem far more ominous than it might be. But Borges's story curiously buries the notion of Branch dropping a contract offer on coach Bill Belichick's desk on Friday, making us wonder whether Ron is merely going out on a limb (again) for Branch and his agent, Jason Chayut. Citing "several league sources," Borges says in the middle of a long third paragraph that a deal between Branch and a new team was worked out on Thursday. If true, the question then will be what the Pats will want in return, and in support of the notion that the Patriots shouldn't be greedy Borges points only to recent deals involving receivers Donte' Stallworth (a player and a fourth-round pick that can upgrade to a three) and Ashley Lelie (a high third-round pick) and ignores, say, the fact that the Broncos gave up a second-rounder for Javon Walker, who is coming off of a torn ACL. Our take? If there's an offer that Branch has accepted, the goal of the mystery team likely isn't to pry the Super Bowl XXXIX MVP away from the Patriots but instead to drive a greater wedge between team and player, ensuring that the Pats won't have Branch'w services for at least the first half of the 2006 season. (Branch can report as late as Week Ten and still get credit for the final year of his contract.) From the agent's perspective, the objective is to get Branch to harden his resolve regarding his ongoing holdout at a time when Deion might be getting a little nervous about passing on paychecks. If the Pats prevent Branch from accepting an offer elsewhere, chances are that Deion might think twice about caving. Meanwhile, Branch and Chayut will have some ammunition for generating some favorable P.R.; if there's a team that's willing to pay Branch more than what the Pats have offered, why don't the Pats just pay him that amount? Depending on the specific terms of the offer that supposedly has been made, that might be the end result. We still doubt, however, that Branch will be with a new team by 4:00 p.m. EDT Friday, the deadline imposed by New England for a trade. And: www.boston.com "The sides have been mum for the past week, since the team announced Branch would be given until today at 4 p.m. to work out a trade acceptable to New England at a pay level acceptable to Branch. The latter, several league sources said late last night, has been achieved, as the Patriots will learn today."
I'd trade a 3rd or 4th rounder for Branch but NE wants a 1 and Branch is not worth that. he can't stay on the field and playing w/ the best QB in the game has made him look better than he actually is.
I love the drama when Ron Borges writes something to tweak the nose of New England. I'd have to questions why he's the only one citing "several team sources." That would suggest that lips are pretty loose on this rumor, and yet he's the only one that heard it. I'm hoping the "deadline" gets extended through the weekend. Tension. . . drama. . . and so forth.
lol, that would actually be a pretty good move for them, it would give their offense a lot of weapons and 2 very good WR's. But yeah, I do think he is not worth more than a 4th round pick, and he is not worth the money he is asking for.
I don't even want to know what NE wants for this guy. It's not like Tangini to get involved in a bidding war anyway, so we're probably okay.
The Herd on ESPN Radio just mentioned that he has heard Branch is negotiating with the Jets. I'll try and find something in writing.
according to bob glauber on espns cold pizza, the jets and deion branch agreed on contract details, but the jets and patriots have yet to reach compensation agreement. Branch and an NFC team have been in talks as well EDIT: also Glauber said that he doubts draft picks can be compensation since NE really wants to keep branch
Cold Pizza: Deion Branch and the jets reach a contract agreement just saw it on cold pizza. They've reached an agreement on the contract now the trade has to be worked out.
I just heard that too. contract with jets go to go. now jets and pats have to agree on a deal. oh boy.
This was in newsday today: Jets making run at Branch Patriots wide receiver could join Jets if teams can agree on draft-choice compensation BY BOB GLAUBER Newsday Staff Writer September 1, 2006, 10:15 AM EDT Deion Branch in a Jets uniform? It could happen. The Patriots gave their holdout receiver until today to find another team willing to trade for him, and Branch found two – the Jets and an undisclosed NFC team. Newsday has learned that both teams have agreed on the parameters of a long-term contract with Branch, but that neither club has so far been able to agree on draft-choice compensation with the Patriots to complete a trade, according to multiple league sources. The Jets acted almost immediately when the Patriots allowed Branch permission to seek a trade, and a contract agreement was reached late Monday. The NFC team reached agreement on a similar deal yesterday. Terms of the contract were not available, but league sources said the deals far exceeded what the Patriots had offered. Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum declined comment this morning about Branch through a team spokesman, citing the fact that Branch is currently under contract with the Patriots. The Patriots were tight-lipped about Branch's situation last night. After they lost to the Giants in the final preseason game for both teams, head coach Bill Belichick and general manager Scott Pioli declined to comment on Branch. The Patriots are thought to be reluctant to trade the former Super Bowl MVP receiver because he is so valuable to their team, especially because they have little depth at the position. The Patriots' initial rebuff of the Jets' trade offer indicates they might be uncomfortable trading within the division, although they once traded quarterback Drew Bledsoe to the Bills for a first-round pick. Branch is thought to be very interested in playing for Jets head coach Eric Mangini, the Patriots former defensive coordinator. Branch is in the final year of a five-year deal that is scheduled to pay him $1.045 million this season. When the Patriots gave Branch permission to seek trade offers last week, it was considered a way of forcing Branch to resolve his contract situation and thus return to the team, especially if he couldn't find another club willing to meet his demands. But that plan may ultimately have backfired, since several teams expressed interest in acquiring him. The Jets were the quickest to act on contract negotiations, reaching agreement with Branch on Monday night. Several calls to Branch's agent, Jason Chayut, were not returned. Mangini became familiar with Branch's skills during their time together in New England, when Mangini was one of Belichick's top assistants. Branch, 27, is coming off his best season, catching 78 passes for 998 yards and five touchdowns in 2005. Branch was the Super Bowl MVP when New England beat Philadelphia in Super Bowl XXXIX, finishing with 11 catches for 133 yards. That gave him a combined 21 receptions in two Super Bowls, an NFL record. In the Patriots' win over Carolina in the previous year's Super Bowl, he had 10 catches for 143 yards and a touchdown. The Jets-Patriots tug-of-war is the latest in a series of tussles involving the two teams. In 1997, the Patriots accused the Jets of tampering with head coach Bill Parcells before hiring him to coach in New York. Tagliabue wound up awarding the Patriots four draft choices as compensation. A year later, Parcells lured Pro Bowl running back Curtis Martin away from the Patriots with a six-year, $36 million contract offer that New England declined to match. And in 2000, after Parcells had retired as Jets coach and named Belichick to succeed him, Belichick promptly resigned and eventually signed with New England. The Jets were eventually given two high draft choices as compensation.
ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd was ranking the new hires in the NFL this a.m. Called Mangini's hiring a home run; gave Sean Payton a double, Art Shell and GB's McCarthy a single, etc. He also said there's a rumor that Jets were in the bidding for Deion Branch; Boston Globe reported this a.m. that Branch may have a contract agreement in place with another team, but the suitor hasn't been named. http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2006/09/01/patriots_dropped_the_ball/
I really hope they aren't giving up too much if this is true. If they can get him rather cheap it should help out the offense quite a bit. At least I hope.
Word is Branch has a similar agreement with the Vikings. Now it's up to which team can come up with the package the pats will want. IMO, the Jets will have to pay more as a divisional rival. Their 2 & 3rd next year? I can't see the pats letting him go to the Jets for less. I hope this falls thru and they re-sign him.
i'd really hate giving a first round pick because our first round pick could very well be high and we need that first round pick for a running back IMO. I'd be fine with a second round pick considering we have two (ours and washington's).
