Brown: Branch trade is a great move for the Pats

DEION BRANCH REPORT

THE NEWS
 Branch returns to Pats in exchange for fourth-round draft pick

THE PROS
Troy Brown: Great move for the Pats

THE CONS
Curran: Pats get Branch back, but will he help?

Sports Tonight: Branch can't replace Moss

THE ANALYSIS
AOL FanHouse's Dan Graziano on the deal

Former Patriots wide receiver -- and ex-Deion Branch teammate -- Troy Brown heartily endorses Branch's reacquisition from the Seahawks.

"I think it's a great move for the Patriots and a great move for Deion Branch," Brown told Jackie Pepper Monday night on SportsNet Central. "Again, another win-win situation for everybody involved in the trade."

Brown's relative lack of production in Seattle doesn't concern Brown.

"He's had some unfortunate things happen to him out in Seattle, just some freaky injuries that he's had the past few years," said Brown, who later added that the Seahawks' system was "just not the right type of system for him to play in; the West Coast offense is not really his thing. He's a route-running guy and he does it very well."

And that, says Brown, is what the Patriots need.

"It's a situation where the [Patriots] can use a route-running guy. Some of the younger guys have stepped up and done pretty well, but you still would like to have the veteran presence of a Deion Branch, especially in clutch situations when they got to have a play made, somebody to run a nice route . . .

"I think it's going to give Tom Brady a familiar face to throw to and another great route-runner that knows this offense. Obviously, there's going to be some learning with some of the new plays they do have in, but Deion Branch is a smart football player. And the base of the offense is still the same. I was in the same offense going back to the early days of the late 1990s when Ray Perkins was running the offense. So everything's still the same, you call the plays the same way, just the new terminology he's got to learn. He'll be all right from here on out."

Plus, Brown believes he'll be a good addition to the clubhouse.

"Branch was always well-liked when he was with the Patriots when I was there," Brown said. "Everybody loved the guy. He goes out and he plays hard and he works hard . . .

"It's just a great overall trade for the football team and I'm sure Tom's feeling a little more comfortable being able to throw to a familiar face again."