PATRIOT64

The only way he's worth that kind of money is if he plays up against Rex Grossman's throws every week during the regular season,Unfortunately that won't happen and if you take away those 3 interceptions in 1 game he had last year against Chicago that would make 7 INTs on the year - An Above average CB at best-NOT elite.

Ty Law in his prime would not deserve that much money,Certainly Asante is in dreamworld.



BTW: HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!!

mcbee

Let him negotiate with other teams. If they won't pay him his money then he knows the offers aren't out there and he'll settle for the franchise tag.

If they are our there, then NE gets a nice pick. either way NE wins.

CrazyDave

Wow, this moves me from the "pay him" camp, to the "deal him and ship him out" camp in one fell swoop.
Adios Assante

Pats726

THAT is the way to go BUT..they need to have a backup plan in case. Draft a CB...or find a vet...and if he signs the Franchise tag..GOOD!! If he is traded you get good compensation..it all works out nice..be ready though if he decides to hold out...you know if he threatens to do that..and the team has a backup plan...and he hasn't signed it, that tag can be withdrawn and he is history..

sarge

What he said.

So essentially he is asking for 10 mil a year.

No freaking way!

MoLewisrocks

LOL It's interesting that Mike would tuck that little nugget into page 3 of his Sunday Notes column... I doubt his source was other than his usual. This is quietly step 1 in the FO returning fire vs. the shot Asante sailed across their bow in his sitdown with Schefter. Just so the fan base knows what Asante's talking about when he says all he wants is what's fair.

I figured it was a bad sign when he mentioned Thomas' deal in his whine to Schefter last week. That's 5/$35M with $20M in two tiered bonus and $24M in the first 3. Seymour got $18.6M in his two tiered bonus in the first year and the preceding year of his 3 year $30M extension. If you look at it as a 4 year deal as a result he sees around $25M in the first 3 years. Brady is getting $37M of his 6/$60M deal in the first three years. But teams will often give more up front on what is an undermarket AAV deal to a franchise QB.

The team is willing to slot Asante above the core players on the Oline (whose tag is higher) and well above the aging core players at LB but slightly below core veteran LB replacements going forward and well below the young DLinemen who hopefully should be willing to fall beneath Seymour themselves going forward. and potentially at about the same level they would slot a legitimate #1WR should one ever again emerge. That's about what I figured.

Asante wants to be slotted just behind Brady and at or just below Seymour. He wants to be guaranteed in the first three years at least what he'd make if he was tagged 3 consecutive seasons. Good luck wherever you land, 'Sante. Going forward Pioli should spend a lot more time negotiating with potential trading partners and not waste any more time on trying to extend this player they valued at around $5M per last November long term. For a player who values himself at $9-10M per he should be able to get close to the franchise compensation, and if not the player should significantly lower his sights or at least agree to sign his tag in exchange for a stipulation he is free to go in 2008.

Frankly my preference would be to move him out now and just avoid the inescapable drama that will surround eventually getting him into camp on the eve of the season. As mg said in one of his posts yesterday I'm not all that keen on playing a player who will be continually dealing with the conflicts inherrent in both trying to reprise and career season and not risk getting injured. I would much rather get the best compensation I can for him now than just one more season's use, and pre draft rather than post draft for obvious reasons since whether he plays one more season here or none we are better served to get another young CB situated in the pipeline and on the roster this year rather than next year.

skaIownsIyou

i'd hate to see samuel go but yeah....too much...idk if brady even gets that much and thats with the qb premium, which he didnt get b/c he took a smaller contract to save cap space classy guy lol


i dont see why a 6 year 39 million is so bad....just rounding off numbers 4 mill for his first year then another mill for each following year with the 6th year totaling 9 million, and maybe like a 10 million signing bonus

Mainefan

I agree with Crazy Dave--deal him now.

The problem is that he's come to believe his own press clippings. He is no longer living in the real world.

Everyone on this board, I suspect, has been hoping that his last season wasn't a fluke. Despite the interceptions, we're not really certain he's all that good. We remember his previous seasons, when he was plucky but inconsistent.

Which is the real Asante Samuels? No one knows, including Samuels. I say any team that's willing to gamble a first round draft choice this year, or some equivalent combination, should get their wish.

Far be it for me to remind such a team of David Patten, David Givens, Willie McGinist or even Deion Branch.

MoLewisrocks

I just realized that what Asante apparently thinks he wants is exactly what even Polian is thus far balking at paying Dwight Freeney who reportedly said before the FA signing period opened with him taking up over $10M under an exclusive tag that he wants $30M in bonus and guarantees on a long term deal.

Canada's #1 Pats Fan

Having a veteran presence in the secondary would be huge this upcoming season as it looks like the FO is tooling up for a run this season. We have to remember that an UDFA started in the Superbowl vs. the Eagles and for the most part held his own. I believe that our players (more some than others) are a product of the system. That's why our current starting secondary consists of a 3rd and 4th rounder who were only tagged as being suitable nickel backs coming out of college.