Because of that difference, Branch's camp is seeking a commitment from the Patriots to not place the franchise tag on Branch when he is scheduled to become a free agent after this season. Running back Shaun Alexander had a similar agreement with the Seahawks prior to last season. At this point, that seems to be the most likely way Branch would end his holdout.
The breakdown in talks traces to May, when the Patriots attempted to spark negotiations by offering Branch a contract extension through 2009. The offer included a $4 million signing bonus and $4 million option bonus payable in 2007. Branch's base salary for 2006 would be $1.045 million, followed by salaries of $1.4 million in 2007, $4.3 million in 2008, and $4.75 million in 2009. The deal also included workout bonuses of $300,000. Over the four years of the deal, Branch would be paid just shy of $5 million per year. Assessing only the three years added to the original contract, plus bonus money, Branch would be averaging about $6.25 million per year.
Looking at the contract over a four-year period (2006-09), Branch would be tied for 17th among NFL receivers in average salary per year with Washington's Santana Moss, St. Louis's Isaac Bruce, and Dallas's Terry Glenn. Focusing solely on the three years added to the original contract (2007-09), Branch would rank 13th in average salary per year, between Pittsburgh's Hines Ward (12th) and Miami's Chris Chambers and Denver's Rod Smith (tied for 14th). Currently, Branch's base salary ranks him 44th among NFL receivers (all rankings are as of the beginning of July) .
The contract was rejected by Branch's agent, Jason Chayut, who said last month that one problem was the offer included too much money in the final years. Agents try to avoid deals with the majority of money in late years because NFL contracts aren't guaranteed. Another concern was making sure the deal held up over time. While the contract ranks highly among receivers at this time, it would surely dip as more receivers renegotiated contracts.
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