Tom Curran of Comcast Sports New England started his morning with this tasty morsel for depressed Patriots fans, pining for Randy Moss:
“With the dust settling from the Moss deal, the Patriots will likely look to add at wide receiver. And an old, familiar face could be in mix,” Curran wrote.
Nope, the team doesn’t have eyes for Reche Caldwell again. They could be interested in acquiring Deion Branch from the Seahawks, according to the Seattle Times and Boston Herald.
Danny O’ Neil writes from the Pacific Northwest that a deal is possible but: “I’ve been told that it’s premature to say that’s a deal on the brink of being made. Will be monitoring that closely.”
It’s hard to imagine the Patriots giving up anything more than a conditional late-round pick for Branch. Even if the move would make Tom Brady happy, Branch wouldn’t be guaranteed a big role in New England.
Branch has four catches over 20 yards in the last two seasons. He has one catch over 10 yards this season. It’s not the same Branch that was once dealt for a first-round pick.
Whether Branch returns or not, Brandon Tate and Aaron Hernandez are the guys that will decide if this passing attack can excel without Randy Moss.