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Seahawks deal first-round pick to Pats for Branch
ESPN.com news services
The Deion Branch holdout is over, but he won't be playing for the Patriots this season.
New England traded the disgruntled wide receiver to the Seattle Seahawks for a 2007 first-round draft pick on Monday, ESPN.com's Michael A. Smith has confirmed.
The Seahawks, along with the New York Jets, had fashioned a contract agreement with Branch before the season, agreeing to a six-year, $39 million deal that would have paid him $13 million in combined bonuses and about $23 million in the first three years of the contract. Neither team, however, could satisfy the demands of the Patriots, who were seeking first- and middle-round choices as compensation at the time, and the deadline set by New England passed without a trade.
Wide receiver Darrell Jackson, arguably the Seahawks' best receiver, has twice in the past year undergone surgery to his left knee. After missing 10 games in 2005, his durability has come into question. Jackson will return to the field on Monday, but he hasn't practiced since last February, in preparation for Super Bowl XL, and coach Mike Holmgren acknowledged the team will have to "be smart" in easing him back into action.
In addition, tight end Jerramy Stevens will probably miss the first month of the season because of a torn meniscus in his left knee. Stevens is an often-inconsistent pass-catcher, as evidenced in the Super Bowl, but he does provide Seattle with a big presence in the middle of the field. Wide receiver Nate Burleson, signed as a free agent in the spring, is still assimilating the offense, and is more of a deep threat who may not be the best fit in a West Coast-style passing game. Always-reliable wide receiver Bobby Engram, forced to play outside in 2005 because of injuries, is far more effective working out of the slot.
Branch, whose obvious displeasure with his current New England contract has not overshadowed the fact that he is regarded as a solid locker room presence and hard worker, could be the prescription for what ails the Seahawks' passing game right now.
Information from ESPN.com senior writer Len Pasquarelli was used in this report.
ESPN.com news services
The Deion Branch holdout is over, but he won't be playing for the Patriots this season.
New England traded the disgruntled wide receiver to the Seattle Seahawks for a 2007 first-round draft pick on Monday, ESPN.com's Michael A. Smith has confirmed.
The Seahawks, along with the New York Jets, had fashioned a contract agreement with Branch before the season, agreeing to a six-year, $39 million deal that would have paid him $13 million in combined bonuses and about $23 million in the first three years of the contract. Neither team, however, could satisfy the demands of the Patriots, who were seeking first- and middle-round choices as compensation at the time, and the deadline set by New England passed without a trade.
Wide receiver Darrell Jackson, arguably the Seahawks' best receiver, has twice in the past year undergone surgery to his left knee. After missing 10 games in 2005, his durability has come into question. Jackson will return to the field on Monday, but he hasn't practiced since last February, in preparation for Super Bowl XL, and coach Mike Holmgren acknowledged the team will have to "be smart" in easing him back into action.
In addition, tight end Jerramy Stevens will probably miss the first month of the season because of a torn meniscus in his left knee. Stevens is an often-inconsistent pass-catcher, as evidenced in the Super Bowl, but he does provide Seattle with a big presence in the middle of the field. Wide receiver Nate Burleson, signed as a free agent in the spring, is still assimilating the offense, and is more of a deep threat who may not be the best fit in a West Coast-style passing game. Always-reliable wide receiver Bobby Engram, forced to play outside in 2005 because of injuries, is far more effective working out of the slot.
Branch, whose obvious displeasure with his current New England contract has not overshadowed the fact that he is regarded as a solid locker room presence and hard worker, could be the prescription for what ails the Seahawks' passing game right now.
Information from ESPN.com senior writer Len Pasquarelli was used in this report.
