Will the Patriots let Asante walk after 2007?

[drakesta101]

It is great news that he has finally reported and in camp - yet it is still unclear whether or not they Patriots have conceded their right to tag him again in 2008. Will you be disappointed if the Patriots have chosen this route?

 

[QuiGon]

It is great news that he has finally reported and in camp - yet it is still unclear whether or not they Patriots have conceded their right to tag him again in 2008.

I don't think that's "unclear" at all... AFAIK, there is no reason to believe that they made that promise.

 

[drakesta101]

I don't think that's "unclear" at all... AFAIK, there is no reason to believe that they made that promise.

Of course it's unclear, Asante's agent declined to answer whether or not they had made such concessions.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d801e090c&template=without-video&confirm=true

Toby and Samuel's agent, Alonzo Shavers, declined to say whether the Patriots had gotten Samuel to report by promising they would not apply the franchise tag to him again next year.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Could we wait until after the SB, before we tackle this?

 

[Oswlek]

Of course it's unclear, Asante's agent declined to answer whether or not they had made such concessions.

Do you think he would have declined if NE had conceeded the issue? Even if so, don't you think that Asante's camp would have leaked that info through some other channel?

Read between the lines and it is pretty clear that NE has the rigths to tag him next year.

 

[patsox23]

Of course it's unclear, Asante's agent declined to answer whether or not they had made such concessions.

NO. OF COURSE IT'S CLEAR since Asante's agent declinded to answer whether or not they had made such concessions. Wouldn't he have trumpeted this news all over the place? Or are you suggesting that they've all agreed to some super-secret double-probation gag order? I don't think so - the Patriots had absolutely NO REASON to cave on that.

As for the question initially posed, I think the Patriots tag him again and deal Asante for a #1 pick.

 

[patriot lifer]

if they struck that deal, the disappointment would be fleeting. Soon we'll forget there was even an offseason. There will only be the regular and postseason. And there will be bliss

 

[drakesta101]

It's something that will be revealed very soon I would imagine - and it would be typical of the Patriots to not want this sort of information to be publicized. It would be a distraction all year

 

[Oswlek]

It's something that will be revealed very soon I would imagine - and it would be typical of the Patriots to not want this sort of information to be publicized. It would be a topic of conversation all year.

What?

 

[Jimke]

It is likely that Asante would have reported to training camp on

time had the Pats agreed in writing to let him go after 2007.

 

[patsox23]

The Patriots went so far as to DEAL Deion Branch last year, rather than cave and set a bad precedent. There is NO WAY they bent over in this situation, especially given the relative health and talent level at CB even without Samuel. No way, no how. We can tag him next year and, I think, will.

 

[BelichickFan]

Do you think he would have declined if NE had conceeded the issue? Even if so, don't you think that Asante's camp would have leaked that info through some other channel?

Read between the lines and it is pretty clear that NE has the rigths to tag him next year.

Can't disagree with that logic. I am very confident they CAN tag him if they so choose . . . and probably will, even if it's only to maintain his trade rights.

 

[ClevTrev]

It's something that will be revealed very soon I would imagine - and it would be typical of the Patriots to not want this sort of information to be publicized. It would be a distraction all year

Huh? Why is this even relevant now? At this point, I want him in game shape, hope he doesn't get injured by being rushed into a game, and hope he plays at the same level or higher than he played last season.

Any future action by player or team is only relevant to next season, and that's a whole new set of circumstances for the team in general that can't possbily be foreseen until then.

 

[drakesta101]

NO. OF COURSE IT'S CLEAR since Asante's agent declinded to answer whether or not they had made such concessions. Wouldn't he have trumpeted this news all over the place? Or are you suggesting that they've all agreed to some super-secret double-probation gag order? I don't think so - the Patriots had absolutely NO REASON to cave on that.

As for the question initially posed, I think the Patriots tag him again and deal Asante for a #1 pick.

Your right they don't have much of a reason to cave on that. But then again, what did the Bears get in return for letting Lance Briggs walk? Their defense wasn't going to falter all that much. Need I remind you that this is the Patriots we are dealing with? They deny every rumor regarding trades and decline to reveal the severity of injuries - by simply asking his agents to not "trumpet" this information in return for not tagging him would be a small concession for Samuel's agents. By letting that information be public, it could create a potential distraction in the lockerroom all year long.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

The timing of this question is odd.

So much will happen between now and then. Like many others on the team before, he's a player under contract for this year and then all options will be considered when there's a year more worth of information.

Since none of us can't know whether there's any kind of backroom deal struck to not franchise him, unless and until smy or someone else with a source comes and tells us the answer, there's not much we can do expect say: "I think there might be." Or "I think there isn't," which is, IMHO, a waste of bandwith.

 

[BelichickFan]

by simply asking his agents to not "trumpet" this information in return for not tagging him would be a small concession for Samuel's agents. By letting that information be public, it could create a potential distraction in the lockerroom all year long.

You're really reaching now - Samuel came in with the promise not to be Franchised which was promised with the promise that the agents wouldn't acknowledge that the original promise was made.

Nah.

 

[patriot lifer]

what other players are potentially tagged next year??

 

[drakesta101]

You're really reaching now - Samuel came in with the promise not to be Franchised which was promised with the promise that the agents wouldn't acknowledge that the original promise was made.

Nah.

Nah - your reaching to suggest that I thought this was what the deal was hinging on. Who really knows, but its not far-fetched at all to suggest that they did not want it made public.

 

[drakesta101]

what other players are potentially tagged next year??

I think you would have to look at Donte Stallworth, Randy Moss, and Asante Samuel as possible but not likely candidates to be franchised.

 

[BelichickFan]

what other players are potentially tagged next year??

This is Miguel's list of UFA players :

Chad Brown, LB
Tedy Bruschi, LB
Reche Caldwell, WR
Jabar Gaffney, WR
Randall Gay, CB
Tory James, CB
Larry Izzo, LB
Randy Moss, WR
Gene Mruczkowski, C
Mel Mitchell, S
Lonie Paxton, LS
Marcellus Rivers, TE
Chad Scott, CB
Vinny Testaverde, QB
Dante Wesley, CB
Eugene Wilson, S

None will be Franchised.