Seattle sent Deion Branch back to New England for a 2011…
Seattle sent Deion Branch back to New England for a 2011 fourth-round pick and used No. 99 on K.J. Wright. Branch immediately helped the Patriots, producing 706 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games in 2010 and another 702 yards in 2011. Wright became a decade-long Seattle starter, Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion. New England received meaningful short-term value, but Seattle turned an aging receiver into a franchise defensive fixture.
New England Patriots Received
- player Deion Branch
Seattle Seahawks Received
- pick 2011 4th round pick (99th overall, K.J. Wright)
Trade Analysis
The Patriots reacquired Deion Branch six years after he had been named Super Bowl XXXIX MVP, and the timing mattered. New England had traded Randy Moss days earlier and wanted a veteran receiver who already understood Tom Brady and the offense. Seattle, beginning the Pete Carroll and John Schneider era, accepted a 2011 fourth-round pick for a 31-year-old wideout.
Branch was not merely a nostalgia move. He caught 48 passes for 706 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games after returning in 2010, then added 51 catches for 702 yards and five scores in 2011. He started 15 games for the 2011 Patriots team that reached Super Bowl XLVI. For a fourth-round pick, that level of immediate contribution to a contender merits a strong grade.
Seattle nevertheless captured the more durable asset. The Seahawks used the 99th pick in 2011 on Mississippi State linebacker K.J. Wright. Wright played 10 seasons in Seattle, became a full-time starter as a rookie, earned a Pro Bowl selection, and finished his career with 161 NFL games played. He was a core member of the defense that won Super Bowl XLVIII and returned to the Super Bowl the following season. His coverage ability, tackling and longevity made him one of the defining players of Seattle's championship-era defense.
This is a good example of a trade that worked for both teams on different timelines. New England gets a B+ because Branch filled a real need and helped another Super Bowl run. Seattle gets an A+ because it converted an older receiver into a decade-long starting linebacker. The Seahawks win the historical comparison without turning New England's side into a mistake.