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Missed 1000 by 2 yards last year, close enough I'd say. Also, look at the competition he has on the team this year - a rookie and a guy not good enough to beat out Eric Parker. Even if Ben Watson has a good year Branch should at least as well as last year.
Maybe because he has more TDs in 2 years than Branch has had in 4? And that's while missing 5 games? And we're talking about DETROIT'S QBs, not Tom Brady? Just food for thought...
extension through 2009 that included $8 million in bonuses and was worth just shy of $20 million.
And almost half of the money was due the last year . . . meaning they would force him to redo his deal near the end or get gut when he would be a lot less marketable than today.
Hey, I wasn't taking sides .... just passing along info.
The last thing I read was that Branch's agent and the team hadn't talked since before training camp.I never believe holdouts will last too long, but this one looks like it may. The Pats aren't going to agree to not use the franchise tag on Branch, and I think Branch may be counting on the offense missing him, to make the Pats blink. Which I doubt they will.And if Branch isn't going to give a hometown discount, then I can understand why he will sit out 9 games or so, and lessen the likelihood of injury.
I think this is the big issue, Branch knows that the Pats are up against the wall when it comes to WR options. I could easily see him waiting out the first few games of the season hoping the Pats realize they sorely miss a legitimate WR option. If they don't flinch or the offense keeps chugging along, it's still in his interest to sit out most of the season to reduce the chance of injury and go sign a new contract somewhere else next year.
I'm not really clear on what you're saying here. The Patriots don't need "leverage" based on last season's pre-season - they have all the leverage, he really has none. He's making less than a million in salary this season, and a huge chunk of that is rapidly being taken away in 14k a day fines. He's not made so much money that he can just bat an eye at these fines (which, of course, is the reason for the holdout in the first place).If he sits out until week 10, I could easily seeing the Patriots tagging him in the off-season, and letting him lose that salary as well by holding out if he so chooses. By choosing this course, he could easily kill his market value as a receiver if he hardly plays for two seasons.He'll come back, and he'll come back because he has no other option.
I'll try to clarify. First, I am not saying that he will get what he wants. I don't have an opinion one way or the other about that part of things.I'm thinking about things from his perspective. When players hold out, what are some of the team's stated motivations for the player to get in camp and play in the preseason? Hurting the team, not being up to speed on the playbook, losing playing time in regular season are three things that immediately come to mind. In the Branch's mind, he knows that the Pats really can't say he's hurting the team at this point because he did not make a preseason showing last year. He knows the playbook better than any viable Pats WR who is worth a darn. Givens is gone, and Brown is not a viable #1, so Branch knows he won't lose playing time.In the player's mind, the fines will be worth the $$ in the revised contract. The player is looking at the longterm picture here.In Branch's mind, what does he have to lose by holding out right now? Not much. As for the fines, they are worth the gamble of getting a bigger contract that would render the fines meaningless. He is simply trying to make the most out of a missed preseason, which the team has essentially communicated is not important for Branch to participate in anyway.
His numbers look better if you include playoff games (41/629/2 in eight games), and I see no reason why we shouldn't.
Are the fines over with as soon as camp breaks, or do they continue into the season?
I think his best chance of signing a big contract is by having a big season. Javon Walker got a $40 million deal with the Broncos and he's coming off an injury. He'd have never gotten that contract if he held out before he ever had a 1,000-yard season.
Continue into the season.If Branch holds out until week 10, he'll come back and play the final 7 weeks for...free.
I doubt the Pats will hold him to the fines. Eventually he will come back with the tail between his legs but the Pats will ease off the fines because they are still going to want a productive player when he comes back.
I agree, but the sticking point seems to be he wants a better contract now or a guarantee he won't be tagged. If he plays a big season and gets tagged he's stuck with less upfront money than if he got a new contract. If he plays and gets injured, he potentially gets very little in a new contract from the Pats or a new team. My gut says this really will be settled before the season starts, but I think the conditions are there where we could possibly see a protracted holdout.
