Asante Samuel close on a deal?

[patsfan579]

http://ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2007/07/14/sports/sports01.txt

This is a positive sign that a deal might get done by the end of the weekend.

 

[SeanBruschi54]

Awesome thats great news.

 

[Bruschi 3:16]

What a great weekend this would be for the Pats if they can get this done.

 

[Oswlek]

Some of it sounds very optimistic, but there is enough doublespeak in there to get too happy about it.

 

[AirForcePatFan]

No, I don't think they know.. I hope they are close... I'm not holding my breathe though... I would love to see Samuel here as a Patriot, he just needs to get a reality check- he will not be as good as he is here, the system makes him look good, and 2, he may get more money else where, but he will probably be playing on a sorry ass team with no chance of making the playoffs. Take the money they offer you, it's good money, and will "take care of the family"... Ask Ty Law if it's a good idea to leave...

 

[AirForcePatFan]

Some of it sounds very optimistic, but there is enough doublespeak in there to get too happy about it.

That's precisely what I was thinking... They don't know...

 

[BB_dynasty]

So he cares about his family. I could take care of a family with less than 1 mil a year, yet he needs 10 million for his. I just think that part is stupid. I just hope they can get a deal done. With him on the team it would secure our defense, and we would have no big holes on defense.

 

[Pats726]

It is very good news...of course..cautious optimism....heard it all before and..it MAY happen and it may not...but THIS is a lot better than some of the baloney heard months ago.. Would like to get it done..and get ON with teh season.

 

[CrazyDave]

Wow, lot's of positive spin type stuff from the agent.

‘‘We’re not looking to grab money and leave. We’re looking to build a future here. It’s worked (for Samuel and the Patriots so far). It’s been great. It’s been magic.’’

‘‘We respect Coach (Bill) Belichick - he’s a visionary; he’s got a great system. We don’t want to disrespect the system by any means. We want to do something that works

‘‘He’s in the business of playing. He’s not in the business of negotiating or posturing, so we’re not posturing. We want to posture by holding up a world championship trophy.’’

I guess you'd call that "saying all the right things".

 

[miamipat]

Hate to rain on this parade but RotoWorld is saying:

There is "virtually no chance" that either Asante Samuel or Lance Briggs will sign long-term contracts before the July 16 deadline for franchise players.

Both players are threatening to sit out the first ten games of the 2007 season. If they don't sign multi-year deals before the deadline, the only way Samuel and Briggs will be able to play is under the one-year franchise tender.

They got this info from ESPN insider.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

I'm optimistic, that's entirely different language that the crap that has been coming off his side. If there was NO progress, they would have said nothing. They may be overstating things a touch on just how close they are in order to stimulate the final weekend of talks, but at least they appear that they've not left the table.

It's more encouraging then where I thought they were. I was just hoping he'd sign the tender. I pretty much assumed the long term deal was DEAD. Sounds at least like it isn't.

 

[Oswlek]

Hate to rain on this parade but RotoWorld is saying:

There is "virtually no chance" that either Asante Samuel or Lance Briggs will sign long-term contracts before the July 16 deadline for franchise players.

Both players are threatening to sit out the first ten games of the 2007 season. If they don't sign multi-year deals before the deadline, the only way Samuel and Briggs will be able to play is under the one-year franchise tender.

They got this info from ESPN insider.

Considering one is from a party directly involved with the negotiations and one has absolutely no relevence whatsoever.....

I don't see any rain at all.

 

[patsgo]

nothing to get excited until a deal is done, this is all pr posturing,thats it all it is

 

[37Harrison]

nothing to get excited until a deal is done, this is all pr posturing,thats it all it is

How do you know?

And it is exciting to hear that they are at least talking when many of us have believed that a long term deal wasn't in the cards. Just the fact that they are talking when it was reported that no talks were going on is exciting. I am going to hold out some hope that this deal gets done. It would be smart for the Pats to shore up that secondary long term.

 

[psychoPat]

Very interesting ... especially coming when it does, just before the deadline.
Here's what i take from this report:

Agent Toby didn't give that interview simply to oblige a diligent reporter who inquired.
He gave it for some strategic purpose within the context of a high-stakes showdown.
The best idea that occurs to me is that Toby is trying to apply some pressure to the management side
by letting the world think that a deal is all but done ... but if it doesn't get done,
that could only be due to some niggardliness by the front office.

Toby wouldn't be in that position if the club had not already offered real good money.

So don't expect anything until, say, about 3:30 Monday afternoon.
That's because Pioli doesn't have to materially improve whatever offer he already has out there.
My guestimate is that as "little" as about 13 million ... in this year's cash ... should do it.

Asante is on the threshold of one of the greatest days of his life. (Perhaps there might be another
such payday in 5 or 6 years. Perhaps not.)
Samuel knows it is a fine offer. He abhors the alternative.
Saturday and Sunday his agents will try to get Pioli to give even more.
Pioli can stand pat.

Monday afternoon he'll make one small final concession.
As the clock ticks to (metaphorical) midnight, the pressure on Samuel to sign
will become overwhelming.

And the Patriots will have their #1 cornerback locked up for another 4 or 5 years (regardless of the nominal duration of the contract.)

 

[Mike the Brit]

Very interesting ... especially coming when it does, just before the deadline.
Here's what i take from this report:

Agent Toby didn't give that interview simply to oblige a diligent reporter who inquired.
He gave it for some strategic purpose within the context of a high-stakes showdown.
The best idea that occurs to me is that Toby is trying to apply some pressure to the management side
by letting the world think that a deal is all but done ... but if it doesn't get done,
that could only be due to some niggardliness by the front office.

Toby wouldn't be in that position if the club had not already offered real good money.

So don't expect anything until, say, about 3:30 Monday afternoon.
That's because Pioli doesn't have to materially improve whatever offer he already has out there.
My guestimate is that as "little" as about 13 million ... in this year's cash ... should do it.

Asante is on the threshold of one of the greatest days of his life. (Perhaps there might be another
such payday in 5 or 6 years. Perhaps not.)
Samuel knows it is a fine offer. He abhors the alternative.
Saturday and Sunday his agents will try to get Pioli to give even more.
Pioli can stand pat.

Monday afternoon he'll make one small final concession.
As the clock ticks to (metaphorical) midnight, the pressure on Samuel to sign
will become overwhelming.

And the Patriots will have their #1 cornerback locked up for another 4 or 5 years (regardless of the nominal duration of the contract.)

I REALLY hope that you're right, pp!

It could also be that they already know that they will turn the offer down and are putting some spin out there to prepare for when the details of it are known, having earlier dismissed the Patriots' offers as completely inadequate.

"No, it wasn't an insulting offer. In the end they came up with a very good offer, but one that didn't meet what we know Asante to be worth. Now if they'd only gone that extra yard ..."

 

[BradfordPatsFan]

The agent is saying the right things, the proverbial "you attract more bees with honey than vinegar" argument.

I'll be watching Reiss and co. carefully for the next 48+ hours with cautious optimism. I hope this gets done so we can move on to the start of training camp with the full complement of players and get back to the important stuff.

 

[Bruschi 3:16]

Obviously this is how a good agent works. Perhaps Jason Chayut should take notice.

 

[patsgo]

How do you know?

And it is exciting to hear that they are at least talking when many of us have believed that a long term deal wasn't in the cards. Just the fact that they are talking when it was reported that no talks were going on is exciting. I am going to hold out some hope that this deal gets done. It would be smart for the Pats to shore up that secondary long term.

i thought i was on your ignore list, if im off please put me back on, thanks

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Considering one is from a party directly involved with the negotiations and one has absolutely no relevence whatsoever.....

I don't see any rain at all.

I tend to agree. The ESPN Insider stuff was based on the players earlier comments. This is much more positive and consiliatory to the point of the agent almost sounding a little contrite about some earlier spin. Perhaps given time to think and obviously make as many calls as they like past the point of early FA hysteria, his agents have found the real market for Samuel has cooled somewhat - in a way bridging some of that gap that we figured the team simply couldn't. Now of course if some nefarious HC/GM team like the dynamic young duo in the Meadowlands reads this kind of upbeat spin and decides to re-insert a monkey wrench into the works at the 11th hour and this could all be for naught.

I still really think they get something done that gets him in during camp, be it a deal by Monday or a compromise on retagging by the end of the month, or he's gone. I don't think they intend to play the waiting game.