Oh my God! Felger had an excellent point

Peter King has an interesting take on this in today's Monday Morning QB article on Si.I.com

7. I think the Patriots will keep Asante Samuel at his one-year franchise number, not sign him long-term, and see him the week before the first game. This is a player who made $721,600 last year. If he plays for the franchise number ($7.8 million), he'd be making $458,824 a week. I see a lot of sense in holding out next year and forcing the Patriots to trade him. But not this year ... not when the Patriots won't be inclined to trade him and certainly won't be inclined to send him to the Jets, who you've got to know would love to have him.

foxborofan

foxborofan said:

Peter King has an interesting take on this in today's Monday Morning QB article on Si.I.com

7. I think the Patriots will keep Asante Samuel at his one-year franchise number, not sign him long-term, and see him the week before the first game. This is a player who made $721,600 last year. If he plays for the franchise number ($7.8 million), he'd be making $458,824 a week. I see a lot of sense in holding out next year and forcing the Patriots to trade him. But not this year ... not when the Patriots won't be inclined to trade him and certainly won't be inclined to send him to the Jets, who you've got to know would love to have him.

foxborofan

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I wonder if they will get a deal done for a long term contract next year? Probably not. Either Samuel will do well and price himself out of our market or he will do poorly and his asking price will be too high for a "one great year" guy.

No..I seriously think AS is basically pricing himself quite out of the Pats possibilities....but that is OK..he MAY blow it all if he sits out 10...MORE chance of stumbling and having a bad year...the chances of that big day go down if he's playing bad..not playing up to this year..he could blow it all if he'
s not smart...

spacecrime said:

One that all of us missed.

Talking tonight on Fox's Two Loonie's show (yes, I broke down and watched it), he points out that one reason Samuel is not getting much support is that he is treating an $8 million dollar year paycheck as an insult. He then listed all the solid Patriot players who never got $8 million in any year. It was quite a list.

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He had me at #54!

The patriots can't make Samuel care about the team. Perhaps you are all correct that he won't be able to pass on the money. OK, he shows up the week before the first game, in shape, but not in game shape, not caring, with a GET PAID tatoo on his arm. He has a a mediocre year and the pats can do what they want. Sure he'll be worth less on the market, but someone will pay an acceptable price, or the pats can pay him a $10M franchise.

I didn't want this diversion, but I was wrong. The diversion is fine. INHO, we will trade him before Game One to a team mutually acceptable, presumably in the NFC. And we'll get a 3rd or a 2nd or a 1st, more than we had before we franchised him, and he will get what all free agents have a right to: a market price for his talents, and right to choose.

mgteich said:

The patriots can't make Samuel care about the team. Perhaps you are all correct that he won't be able to pass on the money. OK, he shows up the week before the first game, in shape, but not in game shape, not caring, with a GET PAID tatoo on his arm. He has a a mediocre year and the pats can do what they want. Sure he'll be worth less on the market, but someone will pay an acceptable price, or the pats can pay him a $10M franchise.

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OR maybe he will sign with the Pats long term...the point is there is MORE chance of a mediocre year if he sits 10 games OR really shows up at the last minute..he has a better chance the earlier he shows...How much of a gamble is it?? For the Pats..I think little...but AS is trying to make it all count or his 1/2 a year play now..and I would not buy it...I think the Patriots were quite smart in franchising him...