Chiefs Safety Tyvon Branch to visit Cards

[kerouac9]

Wow. That doesn't sound like a guy that is worth going after and for that amount of dough. Hmmm, wonder what we are all missing here??

$2.5M guaranteed on two seasons is basically the going rate for a veteran defensive back. Consider him a hedge on Tony Jefferson/Tyrann Mathieu/D.J. Swearinger. He also plays a ton of special teams.

 

[gmabel830]

Just shooting off the hip here, so could be totally wrong, but was he brought into KC as insurance for Eric Berry (who was undergoing cancer treatment) and didn't get much playing time because Berry had such a quick comeback?

Read this when looking into his Chiefs signing: was franchise tagged by Oakland before signing a four-year deal worth $26.6 million, with $17.6 million in guaranteed money w/ the Raiders that summer. As noted above, injuries derailed him after signing that contract.

 

[Chopper0080]

I like this move. He was franchised by Oakland two or three years ago, then got injured. Then got injured again. Signed with KC. Built up his resume as a 3rd S for them. A quality player if he can stay healthy.

 

[Snakester]

Just shooting off the hip here, so could be totally wrong, but was he brought into KC as insurance for Eric Berry (who was undergoing cancer treatment) and didn't get much playing time because Berry had such a quick comeback?

Read this when looking into his Chiefs signing: was franchise tagged by Oakland before signing a four-year deal worth $26.6 million, with $17.6 million in guaranteed money w/ the Raiders that summer. As noted above, injuries derailed him after signing that contract.

He may turn out to be a good signing who knows. He turns 30 this year so he's past his prime. It being his 9th year he has the experience but does he still have the speed? A lot of questions for that kind of money.

 

[Solar7]

I'm ambivalent about this signing - I really though Johnson wouldn't see what he was expecting on the open market and end up coming back here. Although with the news of tendering Swearinger, I'm reasonably comfortable.

I'd like the dominoes to fall on another corner sooner rather than later though.

 

[TJ]

This guy was a stud four years ago. Last year was his first year he played in all 16 games since 2011. 2/$10mil is fair. We'll see.

 

[Chopper0080]

PFF has some good stats on Branch if you are into their stats. I'm sure K9 will find some with football outsiders. Long story short, he is better than Swearinger and Jefferson and probably Johnson.

 

[SeattleCard]

Can't say this was the big splash I was hoping for

 

[GoldGloveschmidt]

3.5 mil plus inventive per year is serviceable starter money. Not expensive at all imo.

 

[kerouac9]

This guy was a stud four years ago. Last year was his first year he played in all 16 games since 2011. 2/$10mil is fair. We'll see.

4 years ago he had 1 interception and 3 passes defensed. Your definition of "stud" is pretty wide-ranging.

3.5 mil plus inventive per year is serviceable starter money. Not expensive at all imo.

Well, he's not a serviceable starter, so that's kind of a problem.

Rashad Johnson had 9 interceptions and 15 passes defensed the last two years. Branch has 23 passes defensed and 5 interceptions his entire career.

 

[b8rtm8nn]

Insurance safety, allows us to draft CB if we don't like the thin crop of safeties this year. I'll assume we are keeping Jefferson and Swearinger

 

[RugbyMuffin]

$2.5M guaranteed on two seasons is basically the going rate for a veteran defensive back. Consider him a hedge on Tony Jefferson/Tyrann Mathieu/D.J. Swearinger. He also plays a ton of special teams.

You keep writing like that and you will be picked up for writing for the Cardinals.

You pretty much nailed what Branch can bring to the team.

This is your typical Keim signing if you ask me. Fair deal, for a good price, and a free agent that is a bit of a risk injury wise.

 

[MrYeahBut]

Can't say this was the big splash I was hoping for

Even a pebble makes waves in the ocean, Grasshopper...

.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Rashad Johnson had 9 interceptions and 15 passes defensed the last two years. Branch has 23 passes defensed and 5 interceptions his entire career.

True, but I have seen grass tackle better than Johnson.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

This guy was a stud four years ago. Last year was his first year he played in all 16 games since 2011. 2/$10mil is fair. We'll see.

I don't know about stud, but he was playing pretty well for the Raiders, he caught my eye in a game or two and then vanished, but it looks like that was due to injury.

What caught my eye is that he had some pretty good speed for a safety of his size, yet that was only a few games that I saw, you may have seen more than I ever did.

 

[Russ Smith]

I thought I remembered this guy, and he is who I though he was. He played for the Raiders for a while, and was pretty damn good for them, and then disappeared.

Turns out he was hurt for 2 years straight in Oakland, and when the new GM and new coach came in, he was released. He was not a big name anymore because of injury, and then ended up with the Chiefs on a prove it deal last year.

Yet, all that being said, he is still very much a question mark, he did not start for the Chiefs last year, except for 1 game.

If I recall correctly he had some serious speed coming out of college.

Thats all I got.

Yeah he had some success returning KO's, very fast.

Don't recall him being much of a S though but that was awhile ago.

 

[TJ]

I don't know about stud, but he was playing pretty well for the Raiders, he caught my eye in a game or two and then vanished, but it looks like that was due to injury.

What caught my eye is that he had some pretty good speed for a safety of his size, yet that was only a few games that I saw, you may have seen more than I ever did.

He had good range for a safety and was very quick. Havent watched him play in a while, but he impressed.

One of the knocks of all of our safeties is that they are overall fairly average in terms of speed.

It's a low-risk move, for sure.

 

[Cheesebeef]

meh

 

[GoldGloveschmidt]

FWIW


Cardinals sign S Tyvon Branch (2 years, $10M; $5M guaranteed): A- Grade
What a steal. Tyvon Branch is a solid safety when he's actually on the field, and the Cardinals desperately needed one after their starters were torched by Cam Newton in the NFC Championship. This is a great, cheap solution.

The only reason this isn't an "A" or higher is because of Branch's dubious injury history. Branch didn't miss any time last year, but he played just five games in the two seasons prior, so the Cardinals can't exactly count on him to stay healthy. However, they're barely risking anything here, as $5 million guaranteed for a quality starting safety is a great price.

http://walterfootball.com/freeagentsigninggrades.php

 

[ARZCardinals]

He was the Chiefs #3 Safety, in Oakland he was injury prone for 2 years.
Cards WAY overpaid for this fool

 

[eastcoastSUN]

I was really hoping we'd go after Eric Weddle from the Chargers to replace Johnson. Same measurements but a year older. The guy plays with fire and unlike Rashad, can actually make a tackle or two when it counts. He was the leader of the Chargers D last year.

 

[Covert Rain]

Wait......what?

 

[MadCardDisease]

Classic Keim signing IMO. Quality Vet at a decent price.

Branch was listed as a FA "most value for the money" in this article:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...agent-bargains-which-players-offer-most-value

Tyvon Branch, safety



Pro Football Focus rated Tyvon Branch ahead of Cincinnati's George Iloka this season despite playing just 435 snaps. The Chiefs' backfield might just be too crowded for a player that should have a market when free agency opens in March. Branch is 29, but bounced back after two injury-plagued seasons in Oakland. He appeared in 16 games for the Chiefs and allowed just 56 percent of the passes thrown his way to be caught. This list is not necessarily the sexiest bunch of names, but teams who are able to find a solid contributor or a starter this way often find themselves in a better position to sign their own stars or swing for the fences at other spots in free agency. -- Conor Orr

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[Jetstream Green]

Classic Keim signing IMO. Quality Vet at a decent price.

Branch was listed as a FA "most value for the money" in this article:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...agent-bargains-which-players-offer-most-value


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This

 

[sunsfan88]

He's good when he's healthy but he's EXTREMELY injury prone.