March 6, 2018
The Patriots declined to pick up Branch's 2018 contract option Tuesday, and he will now be a free agent this offseason,
Doug Kyed of NESN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Branch picked up six starts and appeared in 12 total games but was ultimately passed up on the depth chart in favor of Ricky Jean Francois and ended up being a healthy scratch in the Super Bowl. The veteran Branch said he intends to continue playing football, so he'll be on the lookout for a new home this offseason.