Seattle ended Deion Branch's New England holdout by sending…
Seattle ended Deion Branch's New England holdout by sending the Patriots a 2007 first-round pick, later used at No. 24 on safety Brandon Meriweather. Seattle got a proven receiver and meaningful production, so the deal was not a failure. The premium pick and Meriweather's value nevertheless gave New England the better long-term return.
New England Patriots Received
- pick 2007 1st round pick (24th overall, Brandon Meriweather)
Seattle Seahawks Received
- player Deion Branch
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
Seattle ended Deion Branch's New England holdout by sending the Patriots a 2007 first-round pick, later used at No. 24 on safety Brandon Meriweather. At the time, each club had a practical roster reason for acting, and the price was small enough or targeted enough to make the exchange understandable before the later results were known.
What the Returns Produced
Branch was a productive starter for Seattle when healthy and supplied several useful receiving seasons, but the Seahawks also committed a large contract and eventually traded him back to New England in 2010. New England converted a difficult contract situation into a first-round selection and used it on Meriweather, who developed into a starter and earned Pro Bowl recognition with the Patriots. Looking only at the names exchanged on the transaction date misses part of the story, because actual playing time, role, longevity and any later use of draft capital determine how much football value each side ultimately created.
How the Value Developed
Seattle got a proven receiver and meaningful production, so the deal was not a failure. The premium pick and Meriweather's value nevertheless gave New England the better long-term return. The longer view matters most here: a short burst of production can still justify a modest acquisition cost, while a draft choice can become more valuable when it is converted into a durable starter or additional selections.
Why This Trade Still Matters
This deal is a useful reminder that trade value should follow the complete return rather than stop at the first transaction line. Later pick movement, roster tenure and meaningful postseason or starting contributions all belong in the comparison. That approach gives both teams credit for what their assets actually became instead of grading only the original labels.
Final Verdict
New England Patriots Win is the best fit. New England Patriots earns a B+, while Seattle Seahawks earns a B-. Those marks account for the cost paid, the direct production received, the length of each contribution and any important downstream draft value. The gap is intentionally narrow when both sides found useful returns and wider when one club received little lasting football value.