AndyJohnson

Threatened holdouts in the NFL are common, actual holdouts rare.
Under the franchise tag Samuel will make approximately 485,000 per week.

So far in his career combined, he has earned 1.75million.

When he says he will hold out the first 10 games (because he must play 6 to have the year credited) he will lose just under 3 times what he has earned in his life.

By the way, what is somewhat ignorant in his approach is that if he plays under the tag, then signs here or elsewhere next year, he will make more money in the 2 combined years than under any other scenario. In other words, he is getting almost 8 mill SALARY. He will not see 8 mill SALARY in a year for at least the first 3-4 years even on a contract that averages 10mill a year (because the signing bonus is up front and the salaries start low and grow). In essence by ACCEPTING THE REALITY that if he wants to be a free agent and not agree to a deal with the Pats, playing under the tag (even if its 2 years) only postpones his signing bonus, and ultimately earns him more money overall. Additionally, contracts escalate so the sb he would get in 08 or 09 is likely higher than in 07.
The risk Samuel takes is if he were to have a career ending injury. But heres the reality of that. Lets say he would get a 10mill sb and 3mill salary this year. Where is the real injury protection? 13 mill vs 8 mill for a guy who has earned 1.75 mil in his life.
It is a poor decision for Samuel to walk away from 8mill today, because he thinks it should be 13, and be willing to get nothing this year so he can get that 13 next year.
When your lifetime earnings are 1.75mill and there is 8mill on the table, you may gripe that you want more, but you do what your boss tells you to when it comes down to getting or not getting that 485,000 weekly check.

BelichickFan

All he has to do is get an insurance policy on a major injury and your two year scenario works fine. Unfortunately they all seem to let the mind games of respect and comparisons to other players - and with Samuel getting a 9 on the Wunderlich, when he starts thinking, bad things happen

captain stone

That's why I would be surprised if Samuel decides to hold out; the $$ he would lose, per game, would equal his average annual salary for his first 4 years in the league. I wouldn't do it, anyway.

Does this likely mean that it will all come down to: who blinks first?

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AndyJohnson

It seems like a huge issue in the NFL is that these guys look at their rookie contract as an insult if they turn into good players. Its easy to explain why it is, but after 4 years in the league playing at a high level and having made only 1.75 mill total, when mediocre free agents get 5mill signing bonusses, they all of a sudden turn it into being disrespected for having played well for such relatively little money. It seems to be hitting us harder than most teams because we draft very well (or you could at least say we hit big on some later picks).
I wonder if the NFL should look at drastically increasing the rookie cap pool to overcome what could end up being a severe problem. To do so they would have to make accomodations for busts. For example, raise the rookie cap significantly (you'd almost have to slot contracts because this happens with guys in rounds 2, 3 and 4 mostly, since 1st rounders are all paid well, and 5th and beyond rarely turn into highly vauable guys) but give the team a cap out that if a player is cut during his rookie contract, the unamortized signing bonus doesnt count vs the cap. There is still cash risk, but not cap risk, and that way, there isnt such a wide divide between what 2nd-4th round players who start and play well earn vs other starters who were drafted in round 1 or are outside their rookie deal.

MrBigglesWorth

mediocre free agents, Asante, and most everyone has to put in their time before getting that big contract. it's really asante's fault for not being drafted high, maybe he should have picked a better college or marketed himself better or picked a college that highlighted his talents.

much like it takes 4-5 years to get their first big contract, it takes 3-4 yrs of college to buold your stock to get the big rookie contract. so if he's a whiner then he should have made it so he was drafted higher.

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BelichickFan

I think they should significantly lower rookie salaries but have some kind of ERFA after 2 years with much higher minimums. Maybe a #1 pick would max out at $1M his first year but after two years there's a team option (thus, ERFA) in which any player after two years (#1 pick or undrafted) can get to, whatever, $5M or so. Then higher picks get more money the first two years but they don't get huge money until they're proven. Bust after the two years ? Team doesn't pick up the option and the player heads off to some minimum wage job.

hwc

Samuel could have improved his rookie contract at any time by negotiating a long-term extension with the Patriots. Of course, to gain that benefit, he would have to negotiate a deal that is more attractive to the Pats than trying to sign him in a bidding war as an unrestricted free agent.

fgssand

OK..maybe the system needs to be tweaked or overhauled to take care of the injustice when a lower drafted players excels and far outplays his rookie deal.

However, this is NOT the fault of the Patriots, we play by the rules and that is the way things were agreed to by the players union.

It irks me to no end when Asante (and players like him) make it personal and attack the team that really helped to make the player what they have become. This is especially true with New England playing with this group of players, coaches and entire environment dedicated to winning and doing things right.

Sign the Franchise Asante, play your heart out and you'll pocket 7.8MM and I am sure will get your big contract next year (not from us though - we need our cap money for Warren & others).

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PatsFan37

Ten characters.

DarrylS

Following up on FGSSAND what does the player owe the organization?? Since he has come to NE he has been "coached up" and the d plays to the strength of the players.. if he went to a dysfunctional team he might languish and not have achieved what he achieved here. There is nothing empirical here, as employees we all have had experiences where the company has gotten the best out of us and times when they go the worse. When the got the best I was indebted, when the got the worse I was a sore... I know it is about the money, but do not understand the childish behavior of more, more, more.. I know it is the system, but from my pea brain I think loyalty to the organization is paramount particular if they made me a better employee and increased my value.

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