Gumby

This is at least the 2nd time I have seen you post this thought.

My hypothesis: You sir have gotten silly. too many trips to the dentist or something.

there is no value added in keeping a deal a secret. If they are going to draft a cb; whether or not they have a deal in place with Samuel will not change that decision.

There is value in getting deal done; i.e. right now he is not coming into training camps or practices or workouts.

The deal is not announced because the deal is not done.

MoLewisrocks

Asante is smiling because he's guaranteed at least $7.8M this season. He's smiling because his agent and the Patriots have a good working relationship which means he will likely get what he wants one way or another (play for tag and FA with no tag in 2008, long term deal here, long term deal elsewhere following a trade).

Despite what their earlier comments indicated about their disappointment with the Patriots November offer, I think this is a pair who actually do see the tag as a badge of honor. In tagging Asante the FO legitimized his value to the rest of the league. This is just business as usual when business is handled rationally and professionally.

patsox23

I don't know if hwc's hypothesis is right or not, but I don't dismiss it out of hand. I could see this F.O. withholding info as the draft approaches, no problem.

fgssand

I absolutely agree.....It makes perfect sense to me that BB/SP would not want that information released for strategic purposes. Why provide any kind of clue about what we plan to do or not do in the draft?

The more I think about the Stearns interview that I watched, the more it makes me think a deal has indeed been agreed to. About the only thing that could screw it up would be Assante hurting himself in Foxboro at the workouts.

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hwc

The heck there isn't. If Asante does not have a long-term deal, then the Pats are extremely likely to draft CB heavy in the draft. If Asante is signed long-term, then the Pats are drafting CB for depth.

Those are two very different scenarios. Why would the Pats want competing GMs to know which is which as they try to plot draft day strategy? How would announcing a Samuel deal before the draft help the New England Patriots? I'm sure the guy is getting in his March off-season workouts, whether it's in Foxboro or Florida.

patriotsdynasty12189

I would rather see if he continue his play into the 08 off-season then we can work out a deal. Because he wasnt exactly a "shutdown" corner before last season.

Gumby

I dunno.

I just dont see the draft pick difference to me if i were the jets philly or NO of knowing that Samuel is locked up long term versus Samuel being Franchised.

Either way the assumption is Samuel is playing for the Pats in 2007-08 and it is unlikely pats are picking 2 CBs with their #1s.

Yes if the Pats were forced to trade Samuel; it would seem almost impossible for them to NOT draft a CB.

But again I don't see the difference between Franchise and long-term signed in that regard. I don't see any information there to conceal. He is Franchised; that is public information.

DaBruinz

Mo - This is false. They changed the time frame and there is no longer that penalty for teams if a player is signed with the new CBA.

From March 1-July 15th, the player can now sign a long term contract.

In fact, a deal has to be in place BY July 15th or Samuel can ONLY sign a one year deal.



Assante hinted that he and the team were very close just a few weeks ago and that he was happy with how things were going. The whole "in discussions" with the team, in my opinion, is a smoke screen. The deal, imho, is done, its just not being announced until right before the draft so that other teams don't have an inkling as to what the Patriots will do.

DaBruinz

Sorry Gumby, but there is plenty of value to not announcing the deal now.

1) Asante IS working out. He got permission from the Pats last year to work out in Florida instead of with the team and that is what he's doing again this year.

2) There are no official camps currently. The only OFFICIAL thing is the off-season program.

3) The Patriots, by waiting to announce the deal, are able to keep other teams guessing as to what the Patriots are going to do.

DaBruinz

There is plenty of difference. There is NO assumption that Samuel is playing for the Pats in 2007 because there is no deal announced. Other GMs have probably been contacted to see the potential for a trading partner, as well. That sends the signals that Asante may NOT be with the Pats. And it gets teams thinking that the Pats will be looking at a CB in round 1.

Just because a player is franchised, it doesn't mean he is part of the team. He is still free agent and can sign with other teams.

Look at it from a draft strategy standpoint. If the Pats want to draft a CB in the 1st round and the person they want is sitting there at 17, but its likely that the Teams at 18, 19, or 20 will take the guy. The Pats would want to move up. If its KNOWN they are probably moving up for a CB, the price for the trade will be significantly higher and its less likely that a deal gets done. In fact, there's a good chance that the team at 17 can get another bid from the guys at either 19 or 20 and the Pats lose out. Now, on the other hand, if no one knows that the Pats are looking at a CB, then the price can probably be easily negotiated without it costing too much. The Pats get the player they want for the price they are willing to pay.