This is the NFL Preseason Thread

[naiwf 0]

From watching him in college and the preseason Matt Leinart looks like he could be a star and a great NFL QB.

Meanwhile Carson Palmer IS a star and IS a great NFL QB.

 

The question is......who will be the bigger star and better NFL QB when all is said and done?

 

 

Also something I noticed....I didn't watch Palmer in college but did he look the same that he does now? Leinart looks like a kid. He's got the shaggy hair and 5 o'clock shadow. He just looks like your typical college kid. Palmer looks like a 35 year old man. Has he always looked like that?

 

Barring injury Palmer will be a HOFer, Leinart won't.

[Precious Roy 0]

Branch has filed a grievance with the Player's Association, based on the Patriots promise that they'd trade him if they got fair market value. He says that a 2nd rd. pick was fair. Kind of shoots his contract demands in the foot.

[Cartman 0]

Branch is KILLING himself here seriously. Sitting out a whole year to become a free agent to get more money is not very bright. What team wants a greedy prick who would do such a thing anyways? Oh, well Dallas could make a stellar WR core with a guy who is much like TO and Glenn.

[Brett Favre 0]

The Jets and Seahawks have no problem taking him. But what the Pats want is pretty unreasonable (2 first rounders?!).

[Precious Roy 0]

The thing I wonder about is what it says in the ESPN article about Branch reporting to the team for the last six weeks just to get his unrestricted FA rights. Wouldn't that be contingent on the Patriots actually letting him back on the team? And at this point I can see them just telling him to stay home. Branch might file another grievance over that, but he IS under contract to the Patriots for this year and is refusing to honor his contract, so I'm not sure he's entitled to anything there.

 

I thought all along that Branch would be back, and I figured a trade wouldn't happen because of the Patriots' asking price, but I didn't anticipate Branch going this route. I can see this whole thing getting really ugly, and now I'm doubtful that Branch will ever play for us again, which is a shame.

 

The part that's pissing me off the most is that the Patriots offer was fair. They offerered him between 6 and 7 million a year, up to 12 million more in performance bonuses, and like 20 million of the contract guaranteed. That's not that different from the Jets/Seahawks offers he got. Him and his agent are just being stubborn because he's the Patriots #1 and Brady's favorite reciever and they think the Pats will break down and overpay. They won't.

 

Oh, and he's being fined $14,000 a day, if he really holds out til week 10 he's basically forfeiting his entire salary for this season.

[the pinjockey 0]

They would probably consider that Keyshawning him, if they just told him to go home. So that is out.

 

I am actually interested to see how this grievance turns out. Granted I don't know how you can prove they promised a trade (unless there is something in writing which would be too stupid for a FO as smart as the Pats). But on the assumption it is true, a market has been set this past week with Donte Stallworth. If I am Branch's agent, I trot out their comprable stats and show he fetched a 3rd and Simoneau (using a 3rd instead of the 4th, because it becomes a 3rd if Stallworth signs and Branch would sign in this scenario). All of a sudden a real case can be made that a 2nd is fair, maybe even above market value.

[KingPK 0]

That brings me back to the question I asked earlier in the thread: Does the NFL have an arbitration system like baseball has to settle contract disputes like this?

[the pinjockey 0]

I believe they do. If it isn't covered in the league rules, then it goes to a arbitrator. That is how the Owens v. Eagles matter went down last year. Remember the arbitrator giving Owens a 30 odd page bitchslap.