Seahawks ship Branch to Patriots

When head coach Pete Carroll excused Deion Branch from Monday’s practice, the winds of change began to whip. Change became reality late Monday afternoon as the Seahawks traded the veteran wide receiver to the New England Patriots in exchange for a fourth round pick in next year’s draft. The deal opens the door for rookie Golden Tate to make his first career start at Chicago on Sunday while the Pats acquire an experienced wideout less than a week after the highly publicized deal that sent Randy Moss back to Minnesota. Branch heads back to the team that selected him in the second round of the 2002 draft. The former Louisville standout caught 213 passes in his four seasons with New England and earned Super Bowl 39 Most Valuable Player honors in the Patriots’ 24-21 win over Philadelphia. Injuries plagued Branch in his time with Seattle, who traded a 2006 first round pick to acquire him. He caught 190 passes in his time in with the Seahawks, but never lived up to the fe...