As you may recall, SI named Robert Kraft the best owner in football last year. Well, he’s done it again. This article by Michael Silver once again places Kraft at the top of the ownership heap. After the offseason the Pats just had, it’s hardly a surprise.
What is a surprise is the statement Silver makes about the Branch trade. He calls it a misstep. Here’s the thing: not only did the Pats come minutes away from another Super Bowl appearance (and a certain victory thereafter), but they also ended up with a much stronger roster this season because of it. In return for Branch, the Pats received Seattle’s #1 pick. With that pick, they took Meriweather. That made the Pats original first round pick expendable. What did they do with it? They traded it, of course. In return, they received San Fran’s 4th round pick in 2007 (110 overall) and their 1st round pick in 2008. We all know what happened with that 110th pick…it went to Oakland for Randy Moss.
So overall, the Pats traded Branch for Randy Moss and San Fran’s #1 pick in 2008. Oh, by the way: Moss is playing for $3 million, while Branch, who is undoubtedly less talented, is playing for about twice as much. That’s a misstep? I’ll take it in a heartbeat.
