Branch locked up (4 years)

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Tyvon Branch, Oakland Raiders reach four-year deal
By Marc Sessler

Oakland Raiders safety Tyvon Branch has agreed to a four-year deal with the team, NFL Network's Michael Lombardi reported Saturday.

Branch had already inked his $6.212 million franchise tender, but the sides were interested in an extension to help lower the safety's cap number for the 2012 season.

NFL.com's Steve Wyche reports the deal at $26.6 million with $17.1 million guaranteed over four seasons.

Branch has been one of the few bright spots in Oakland's secondary, recording 100-plus tackles in each of the past three seasons. He's valued for his play against the run, and ProFootballFocus.com rated Branch as one of the better safeties when facing the league's premier tight ends.

Covering the New England Patriots' Rob Gronkowski in Week 4 last season, Branch held the beast to one catch for 15 yards on four targets. We point this out because Branch did the same against Antonio Gates, shutting out the San Diego Chargers tight end one-on-one, according to PFF.

Defenses are going nowhere if they can't stop these new-age, monster tight ends. Branch isn't a premier safety, but he's an important piece of the puzzle in Oakland.
 
Tyvon Branch agrees to terms with Raiders on 4-year deal
By Ryan Wilson | NFL Blogger
July 14, 2012 10:55 am ET

Safety Tyvon Branch has agreed to terms with the Raiders on a four-year deal, sources tell CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora. The team used the franchise tag on Branch in March, which allowed running back Michael Bush, once thought to be a franchise-tag option, to hit free agency. (Bush landed with the Bears where he was signed as insurance in case their franchise player, Matt Forte, doesn't report on time while looking for his new deal.)

Without a new contract, Branch was expected to earn $6.2 million under the franchise tag, which is $2.2 million below the going rate for franchised safeties in 2011, a consequence of the collective bargaining agreement's new formula for determining the position-by-position tag value.

By agreeing to a four-year contract (most franchise players sign for five years), Branch can hit free agency before he turns 30. He joins Saints quarterback Drew Brees as franchised players to reach long-term deals with their respective teams over the weekend. La Canfora has noted previously that there may not be much progress elsewhere around the league; the aforementioned Forte and the Bears have made some headway, but names like Dwayne Bowe, Wes Welker and Cliff Avril are less likely to secure new deals before Monday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.

Branch, meanwhile, is a former fourth-round pick out of Connecticut. He came out of college as a cornerback and caught the Raiders' interest in part because he ran a 4.31 at the combine. His pre-draft scouting report explains how the college cornerback ended up as an NFL safety:

"Despite his impressive 40 time and success as a kick returner, Branch struggles changing directions. An instinctive, physical defensive back, Branch is best suited to playing cornerback in a two-deep scheme or making the transition to free safety."

Branch has started every game since 2009, and had 109 tackles, four passes defended, a sack and an interception last season. CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco wrote in March that Branch "should have been on the Pro Bowl team last year. He had an impressive season at a weak position in the NFL. It makes sense for the Raiders to keep him."

And that's exactly what they've done.
 
Now we're talking.

Now, go get your damn punter extended.
 
Good player, did'nt grotesqely over-pay. I like it. Palmer also recently re-structured. Will they finally ink Ced Benson ?
 
Postmaster said:
Tyvon Branch, Oakland Raiders reach four-year deal
By Marc Sessler

Oakland Raiders safety Tyvon Branch has agreed to a four-year deal with the team, NFL Network's Michael Lombardi reported Saturday.

Branch had already inked his $6.212 million franchise tender, but the sides were interested in an extension to help lower the safety's cap number for the 2012 season.

NFL.com's Steve Wyche reports the deal at $26.6 million with $17.1 million guaranteed over four seasons.

Branch has been one of the few bright spots in Oakland's secondary, recording 100-plus tackles in each of the past three seasons. He's valued for his play against the run, and ProFootballFocus.com rated Branch as one of the better safeties when facing the league's premier tight ends.

Covering the New England Patriots' Rob Gronkowski in Week 4 last season, Branch held the beast to one catch for 15 yards on four targets. We point this out because Branch did the same against Antonio Gates, shutting out the San Diego Chargers tight end one-on-one, according to PFF.

Defenses are going nowhere if they can't stop these new-age, monster tight ends. Branch isn't a premier safety, but he's an important piece of the puzzle in Oakland.
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I bet after this year, in this new D...he WILL be a premier safety.
 
Raidervinny said:
I bet after this year, in this new D...he WILL be a premier safety.
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I am very intersted to see this defense. I don't know whether they will be good, terrible, or somewhere in-between. I just am curious to see these guys without the influence of Al's demands as to who, and how they play defense.
 
Armyr8rfan said:
I am very intersted to see this defense. I don't know whether they will be good, terrible, or somewhere in-between. I just am curious to see these guys without the influence of Al's demands as to who, and how they play defense.
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Amen...I can't wait to see what our players can do this year. I haven't been this excited for a season to start since back in the Gannon years.
 
Raidervinny said:
Amen...I can't wait to see what our players can do this year. I haven't been this excited for a season to start since back in the Gannon years.
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Should be exciting. I know we (on paper), have a tough schedule. But every team in the West has questions to answer. Should be a tight race for the division. Any team could win it IMO.
 
war_reggie.gif
 
Cool beans... About right in line with Michael Griffin's extension(5yr/36M/15MGuar/9M SB) depending on the signing bonus...


Can we push the created cap space into next year, or was that a one time thing? Other than Andre Carter, there's really nobody out there that'll get more than vet minimum at this stage of FA...
 
CrossBones said:
war_reggie.gif
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One thing Al did not do was get key players locked up before the July deadline he liked to see them sweat it out a little it seemed. Good for Red and yet another sign pointing to culture change. Red is content to build the team and let the fans be the cocky, glaring, irrational cooks with bad judgement. That's what we have been conditioned to do and in that way the spirit of Al lives on.
 
Matthew Pope ‏@ESG_Pope
Congrats to @tyvonbranch. We Finalized his four yr deal last night via Skype. Enjoy your trip, TB.
Axx-qk6CIAAy1gH.jpg
 
I had a weird dream where I signed a big ass (first round) rookie contract last night. I could already tell the coach didn't like me. Trippy.
 
And we don't have to worry about him again next Off Season.
 
You know your legal system needs some adjustment when Tyvon gets locked up longer than McClain.
 
Your 2012 Lil Al Champion believes that $3.3M in cap space should suffice in filling the remaining two roster spots currently open with a couple of lower tier Free Agents... Your 2012 Lil Al Champion is thinking probably already agreed to Ced Benson and hopefully some DLine depth...


Branch's deal is worth a minimum of $26.6 million over four seasons with incentives that could reach as much as $1.4 million. He received a signing bonus of $5.6 million which pro rates to $1.4 million over four seasons. The deal will pay Branch $16.1 million over the first two seasons.

At an average of about $8 million over the first two seasons of his deal, that should lower his 2012 cap number to about $4 million. That is the $5.6 million signing bonus plus $2.5 million in base salary with only $1.4 of the $5.6 million counting against the cap this season. $8.1 million in real money goes to Branch in 2012 with $3.9 against the cap.

With his franchise tag, his cap hit stood at $6.2. These new figures would offer $2.3 million in cap relief. The latest cap numbers before the deal had the Raiders coming in at right around $1 million under. That would put the Raiders $3.3 million under the salary cap.
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