BelichickFan

Sorry - but there's not much else to talk about.

First, two assumptions :

1 - Samuel would play the whole season if we promised not to re-tag him after 2007.
2 - The Patriots would decline such as offer to protect their investment at the end of 2007 (keep him tradable).

I think these assumptions are valid as that's what happened with Branch so it's reasonable, though not guaranteed, that the sides would feel the same way with Samuel.

Additionally the reason I think Samuel thinks the Patriots aren't being fair is their demand for two #1s to trade him. Unless a team forks over that incredibly high price, Samuel is stuck.

So . . . middle ground time.

Samuel plays this year including reporting to training camp on time. The Patriots DO NOT promise to not Franchise him next year. However they do agree to take less than two #1s in compensation. Whether that agreement is for one #1 or a #2 would be negotiable - but clearly the less the Patriots are willing to take the more likely Samuel could get his longterm deal while the Patriots would still get to trade him.

It seems like a win-win. The Patriots get their player now and can still trade him for a valuable draft pick but not the insane price of two #1s. Samuel gets his $8M now and knows that he'll get his long term deal next year as the agreed to trade price would be reasonable enough that someone would pay it.

Honestly I'd take a #2. Get Samuel in for this year and have two picks in each of the first three rounds next year. And Samuel could rest assured knowing someone would trade a #2 for him - his only problem would be having an equally, or close to equal, good year next year. And that might be a real problem.

TomBrady'sGoat

I saw the thread title and was ready for something really dumb. I should have looked at who started the thread. It's actually a really good idea. Promise him something but don't entirely sacrifice the value of franchising him again next year.

I actually hope that NE guarantees him nothing and does nothing if he sits. Let him come back in week 10. He'd be guaranteed healthy and it would be in Asante's best interest to play his rear off when he came back. They need him more for the playoffs than the regular season anyway.

BB is rational and unprecitable, and such an approach would fit that description.

patsox23

Definitely not mind-blowingly stupid like a lot of proposals on messageboards are. Good thoughts.

ironwasp

I don't know whether your prescription is right but it's along the right lines. At some point good sense has to prevail in this and a compromise be found, because nobody is benefitting from this senseless impasse. Let's have our season out of him and find a way out at the end of 2007 when he can ride off into the sunset.

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GoWhalers

An interesting idea, but what if the only trade offer comes in from the Jets/Bills/Dolphins?

Imagine this scenario:

1. Samuel plays well next season, wants to be well-paid on a long term deal
2. Jets have a lot of room under cap, offer a 2nd for Samuel
3. Other teams want Samuel and would offer more than a 2nd, but can't come up to Samuel's financial desires

So now there's a situation where:

a) Samuel won't sign with any team other than the Jets because of $$
b) The Patriots cannot raise the price tag on Samuel because of the aforementioned agreement
c) The Jets get to simultaneously weaken the Pats and strengthen themselves for a bargain price

Yikes, no?

Two Eight

Give him nothing, call his bluff, no way he sits out 10 games (losing more money than he's made in his entire life in the process). Giving him anything justs makes the next guy think he can get away with more, this is part of the price we're still paying for the Seymour deal....IMHO

BelichickFan

That is a valid issue - however he can get loose from us a year later anyway. Say we lost him to The Jest - at least we'd get the pick, say a #2, for him. As opposed to losing him to the same team for nothing a year later.

I guess the key would be to make the pick that we agree to high enough that if this worst case scenario happened we wouldn't be getting too little but low enough that Samuel could realistically think he'd get a strong offer with the team also giving up the pick - as opposed to the prohibitive two #1s.

TomBrady'sGoat

I'll never understand the constant fear of trading within divisions, leagues, conferences, etc. in sports.

If the Patriots do not think Samuel is worth $8M a year, and the Jets are willing to overpay him and trade a pick for him, isn't that a good thing? The pick strengthens you while weakening them AND they use their resources unwisely by overpaying him. How is that bad?

This post does do a good job of pointing out why you don't make a deal like this, and if you do you put the deal in writing and try to word it in the most favorable way for the franchise if such a dispute occurs.

Then again, I have no problem giving Asante the right to choose the team as long as NE gets a #1 out of it. As long as NE were to get a first rounder Asante could go to the superbowl champion Jets for all I care.

LOL, "superbowl champion Jets." It's so absurd it makes me smile.

sieglo

So just structure the deal so that he can be traded to any team but the Jets, Dolphins or Bills. Or whatever other team you're worried about -- take your pick.

mgcolby

If he sat out to week 10 I would look for the first bookie that offered an over/under on an injury for him. Karma is a b!tch and there is a long list of folks that have held out only to come back and blow out their knee and I can't think of one person that actually sat out 10 games (while healthy).

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