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Pack an Umbrella, Deion

Deion Branch got what he wanted today. The Seahawks got what they wanted, too.

The New England Patriots may have gotten their heart's desire from the trade that sent Branch westward. Since the Pats received Seattle's first round pick in the 2007 draft for Branch, they'll have to wait and see if that's the case.

Assessing "winners" and "losers" in a player transaction is a specious proceeding more often than not. But if one must play that silly game, the side described in the future conditional tense is never the winner.

Branch has the big contract for which he held out, and has been traded to a team whose Super Bowl prospects are as bright as New England's. The Seahawks have a quality wide receiver they needed at a price they consider a bargain. The future is never more now than it is for the franchise that lost the last Super Bowl.

The Pats? Well, a first round pick, even a late first round pick, is a valuable asset. However, it's an asset that won't issue dividends this season. Any talented player, which Branch certainly is, is difficult to replace. As a group, wide receivers are the least difficult type of talent to replace, IF one has a quality quarterback, which of course New England does. But "least difficult" doesn't equal "won't miss the guy." The Pats will assuredly miss Branch. The question is, how much?

Sorry, this trade actually comes with TWO questions for the Pats. It's easy to see why Branch held out and why the Seahawks were willing to pay his and New England's price for his services. For the life of me, I can't guess why the Patriots let this contract squabble come to this extreme and unfortunate resolution. New England had the cap room to accomodate Branch, but not the will. It's a puzzle Reche Caldwell hasn't yet helped me solve.

posted by Michael Gee @ 1:01 PM