Signed for one year 3 million. Good luck Branch!
http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/4157/alan-branch
Rat wrote:Would have liked to have seen us match that. Oh well, can't get them all.
The Outfield wrote:$3M makes it seem worth keeping him, but at least he went to a team in the other conference.
mikeak wrote:Yes and not to the above. Sometimes players makes it personal. If they were offered $3million here and $3million with the Bills they may hold a grudge against an organization they played in for not valuing them higher etc.
jlwaters1 wrote:I don't get all the Branch love. He was an ok player. But for a guy who specializes in run-stopping, he wasn't much of a factor when the run defense went down the tube the 2nd half of the year. Add to that he's completely worthless in terms of pass rushing. We certainly needed to find an upgrade for his spot. So I'm not sorry to see him go.
jlwaters1 wrote:I don't get all the Branch love. He was an ok player. But for a guy who specializes in run-stopping, he wasn't much of a factor when the run defense went down the tube the 2nd half of the year. Add to that he's completely worthless in terms of pass rushing. We certainly needed to find an upgrade for his spot. So I'm not sorry to see him go.
Rat wrote:jlwaters1 wrote:I don't get all the Branch love. He was an ok player. But for a guy who specializes in run-stopping, he wasn't much of a factor when the run defense went down the tube the 2nd half of the year. Add to that he's completely worthless in terms of pass rushing. We certainly needed to find an upgrade for his spot. So I'm not sorry to see him go.
Nobody is saying he's some All-Pro or anything like that. He plays what appears to currently be our weakest position, and an "ok player" is much better than anything else that's out there right now, and most likely better (for next season anyway) than anything we could land in the mid-rounds of the draft.
Losing him is very unlikely to be the ultimate difference in how far this team goes next season, but with how our DT group currently looks, I think keeping him would have been much better than not.
Rat wrote:mikeak wrote:Yes and not to the above. Sometimes players makes it personal. If they were offered $3million here and $3million with the Bills they may hold a grudge against an organization they played in for not valuing them higher etc.
I could see that if it wasn't Buffalo. Nobody goes to Buffalo if there's an option to not go to Buffalo.
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DavidSeven wrote:I guess I'm still not seeing a great argument from anyone on what Branch brought to the table last year. Our run defense sucked in the 2nd half of the year, an he was a non-entity in the pass rush. $3 million is a lot to pay for "just a guy."
jlwaters1 wrote:I don't agree. you can find run stuffers in this year's draft. It's not exactly a rare skillset to find. I don't think his value to this team was equivalent to 3million + . Furthermore, looking ahead to this coming year, pass rushing will be more important than run stuffing, IMO . The reason I say this is, let's suppose that RW and the offense take a step forward from where it left off last year and hits the ground running to start the season.
Than there's a very good chance this defense will be playing with a lead in the majority of the games (as opposed to last year were most of the first 8 games where tight affairs.). Which in turn will force opponents to abandon (or severly limit) their running game to keep up. Therefore, we'll have more teams passing on us than ever before. So it behooves us to tool up for a robust pass rush, even if that means sacrificing a little against the run.
The Yugoslavian wrote:Branch was a middle of the pack run stuffing DT last year, but the year prior he was in the top quarter. With Red being reduced to a shell of himself last year thanks to the linsfranc fracture, opposing offensive linemen could devote considerably more attention with double teams etc. Branch's way. I think he is under valued by our community a little bit.
Is his loss going to mean our defense won't stop anyone next year? No, but his retention would have meant we stop more people, more often. One year 3 mil isn't too much for us to afford especially since the trade of Flynn. The only thing I can see as a financial hurdle is the suspected imminent signing of Kam to that long term deal. I don't know for sure, but I do know I would of love to have seen Branch hang around for another couple years
Rat wrote:Not sure how this thread isn't Seahawks related, but that's how it goes I guess.
OrFan wrote:Well I guess he will just have to miss the party at the end of this season. I'm sure the Bills will have one too![]()
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The Yugoslavian wrote:Branch was a middle of the pack run stuffing DT last year, but the year prior he was in the top quarter. With Red being reduced to a shell of himself last year thanks to the linsfranc fracture, opposing offensive linemen could devote considerably more attention with double teams etc. Branch's way. I think he is under valued by our community a little bit.
Is his loss going to mean our defense won't stop anyone next year? No, but his retention would have meant we stop more people, more often. One year 3 mil isn't too much for us to afford especially since the trade of Flynn. The only thing I can see as a financial hurdle is the suspected imminent signing of Kam to that long term deal. I don't know for sure, but I do know I would of love to have seen Branch hang around for another couple years
themunn wrote:I'm telling ya all signs point to Bryant moving to DT
Although has anybody considered we may be considering a 3-4 Defense next year?
I haven't seen it explicitly ruled out, but Bryant and Bennett are ideally built as 3-4 DEs, Mebane as the NT, Avril and Clemons and Irvin as 3-4 LBs and KJ and Wagner as our MLBs.
No?
jlwaters1 wrote:Rat wrote:jlwaters1 wrote:I don't get all the Branch love. He was an ok player. But for a guy who specializes in run-stopping, he wasn't much of a factor when the run defense went down the tube the 2nd half of the year. Add to that he's completely worthless in terms of pass rushing. We certainly needed to find an upgrade for his spot. So I'm not sorry to see him go.
Nobody is saying he's some All-Pro or anything like that. He plays what appears to currently be our weakest position, and an "ok player" is much better than anything else that's out there right now, and most likely better (for next season anyway) than anything we could land in the mid-rounds of the draft.
Losing him is very unlikely to be the ultimate difference in how far this team goes next season, but with how our DT group currently looks, I think keeping him would have been much better than not.
I don't agree. you can find run stuffers in this year's draft. It's not exactly a rare skillset to find. I don't think his value to this team was equivalent to 3million + . Furthermore, looking ahead to this coming year, pass rushing will be more important than run stuffing, IMO . The reason I say this is, let's suppose that RW and the offense take a step forward from where it left off last year and hits the ground running to start the season.
Than there's a very good chance this defense will be playing with a lead in the majority of the games (as opposed to last year were most of the first 8 games where tight affairs.). Which in turn will force opponents to abandon (or severly limit) their running game to keep up. Therefore, we'll have more teams passing on us than ever before. So it behooves us to tool up for a robust pass rush, even if that means sacrificing a little against the run.
DavidSeven wrote:No one seems to be mentioning the fact that Gus and the Jaguars also apparently passed on Branch at $3 million. Telling, especially since they have about a gajillion dollars of cap space.
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