ESPN Distorts Truth About Patriots

I just got done reading Jeffri Chadiha's column about how the Patriots should have kept Deion Branch. Chadiha makes the argument that if the Patriots had just treated Branch right then they wouldn't have had to make a deal with the devil who goes by the name Randy Moss and they also would have been sending a good signal to the young players on the team by retaining Branch. What a bunch of crap.

Chadiha never mentions that Branch was actually under contract for last year but was holding out. Maybe Chadiha can explain how letting a player blackmail himself into a better contract by holding out helps set a good example for the other young players on the team? Maybe Chadiha can also explain if the Seahawk fans now that they've seen Branch play - whether they think he was worth a first round pick? Maybe instead they would say that it was Tom Brady who made Branch look good (not the other way around).

While I'm at it - let me explain that its not that the Patriots didn't "resign" David Givens - it was David Givens who left as a free agent to accept a larger offer from the Titans. I wonder if Titan fans would explain to Chadiha how they feel about paying big money to a receiver who caught a grand total of 8 passes last year.

The Patriots were right not to cave into Branch's holdout last year. Sure they could have used Branch on the field last season but the decision to hold out and not play was made by Branch and not the Patriots. I guess that distinction is lost on an NFL expert like Jeffri Chadiha.