Branch a major upgrade to Seahawks’ offense

By Connor Byrne  |   Monday, September 11, 2006  |  Comments( 2 )

Seattle Seahawks
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There's no question that the biggest off-field story in the NFL on Monday was the Seattle Seahawks' acquisition of disgruntled wide receiver Deion Branch from the New England Patriots for a first-round pick in the 2007 draft. Branch had been holding out for a larger contract since the end of last season, and missed all of the Pats' offseason workouts, training camp, preseason and season opener because of it.

Though New England refused to give Branch the contract he wanted, the Patriots' loss will be quite a gain for the suddenly offensively challenged Seahawks.

In their opening game of the year this past Sunday, Seattle, the defending NFC champions, looked unimpressive in a 9-6 victory over the recently hapless Detroit Lions. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was one of the 'Hawks' lone bright spots, but he still lacked targets in the passing game, especially with the loss of 10-touchdown possession man Joe Jurevicius during the offseason.

Hasselbeck's top two options through the air, Darrell Jackson and Bobby Engram, both had pedestrian days. No. 1 receiver Jackson had five catches for just 47 yards while Engram finished with five for 52. With a one-two punch like that at receiver, it's no wonder why the Seahawks struggled in their season debut. It didn't help Seattle's cause that its big-money offseason free agent signing, WR Nate Burleson, caught just one pass.

Given Jackson and Burleson's track records of injury and inconsistency and Engram's age (33), it makes the Branch pickup even smarter.

One thing the 5-foot-9, 193-pounder has been known for throughout his career is the keen ability to come up with a tough, clutch catch. In two career Super Bowl appearances with the Pats, Branch totaled an eye-popping 21 receptions for 276 yards and a touchdown. The 27-year-old also won the MVP award for the Patriots' Super Bowl triumph over the Eagles in February 2005.

Branch's impact likely won't truly be felt in Seattle for another couple of weeks, since he needs time to adjust to a new offense and a new role. The offense New England runs is actually quite a bit different than the 'Hawks', so don't expect to see Branch lighting the world on fire in Week 2.

By adding the speedy Branch to their roster, the Seattle Seahawks suddenly have a more than respectable, four-deep receiving corps. None of the players is spectacular, but one through four can go toe-to-toe with any other in the league. As long as the trio opposite Branch performs consistently, the offense will be fine. Branch will do his part once he gets a chance.

--Got feedback? Connor J. Byrne responds to readers' comments and questions each day: cbyrne@realfootball365.com.

Get more on the Seattle Seahawks at RealFootball365.com.
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