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September 6, 2006

One man's opinion... and mine

NFL.com contributor Pat Kirwan posted a thoughts column this week, and one of them concerned Deion Branch. Here's what Kirwan wrote:

"2. THE BRANCH SITUATION
Deion Branch has been fined all summer to the tune of $14,000 a day and has incurred fines upwards of $420,000. Now the regular season is upon us, and if he threatens to hold out until the 10th game and forfeit 10 game checks, which adds up to close to $600,000, then his million-dollar salary is gone. If he returns for the final six games in order to record an accrued season so he can become a free agent in 2007, he faces the reality that the Patriots could slap the franchise tag on him. Branch doesn't seem to hold the cards in this poker game.

Branch is the No. 1 receiver on a division championship football team and a former Super Bowl MVP. He reportedly was offered a $33 million deal over five years with close to 50 percent of it guaranteed. He wanted more money, and consequently he wants out of New England if they aren't willing to pay. The club gave him the right to seek a trade, and he was unable to come back to the Pats with the compensation the new club would have to surrender for the player.

I asked three front office executives from other clubs what they would want for Deion Branch if he were their property, and all three felt a first-round pick was mandatory, especially at this late date. As one GM said, "There is no way I trade the guy in my division unless I got extra compensation beyond a first and a good player."

My favorite analogy of the situation came from an old school personnel man who said, "I never thought I would live long enough to see a player determine what the appropriate value was for himself to be traded." The third exec said before the Super Bowl in 2005, Branch was playing like a second-round pick: 28 starts in three years, 135 receptions and nine touchdowns. But the Super Bowl and the 2006 production (78 receptions, five touchdowns -- which led the team) upgraded the guy.

My advice to the talented wide receiver is fight battles you can win and be patient when you're in a situation you can't win. Right now you're losing money, damaging your reputation, and you may be a Patriot for another two years before you can hit free agency. Don't blame the Patriots for asking for what they think they deserve, but ask why no team has offered what the Pats want to trade you."

That last line is very true. Deion wants to be paid like a franchise wideout (though not given the franchise tag), but he doesn't want the Pats to be compensated for giving up a franchise player? It's a wacky way of thinking.

It seemed like this could be fixable if Deion remains in New England, but with the news that he may take the team to arbitration seeking damages to get more money for this season if he loses his grievances, we may have reached a point of no return.

From what I've seen of him, Deion is a great guy. But here's the thing that I think he and his agent, Jason Chayut, are not getting:

You. Are. Under. Contract.

You signed it four-plus years ago, you agreed to those terms. Whether you deserve more money or not given how you've performed since you've signed that contract is immaterial. The Patriots were under no obligation to re-negotiate with you, and Chayut laughed in Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli's faces when the team offered two deals, one for three years and one for five.

Tom Brady's base salary in 2004 -- after he had already won two Super Bowls and was leading New England to a third -- was $535,000. Given that, it's hard to feel bad for someone who is slated to make just over $1 million this year and isn't nearly as important to his team's success.

(My thanks to Dana up in Bailey's Island, Maine, for calling my attention to the Kirwan article yesterday. I suppose you can also blame him on getting me into that rant as well.)

shalise

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 3:03 PM | Permalink