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I completely disagree with this statement.
Sorry Andy. You can disagree all you want, but I've watched Vasher play and he is much better than Asante.
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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.I completely disagree with this statement.
Someone please correct me if I am wrong here.
This deadline passing doesnt mean he cannot resign long term, but if he did the Pats would lose the right to use the franchise tag for the length of that deal.
IIRC, there is also a way around that, by signing a one year deal and then extending it later, but I could be wrong about that.
I dont agree with the one year wonder characterization, but even if it were true, who really cares? He is what he has grown into. Would you pay more for a guy who was better earlier in his career but is now behind what samuel has grown into? You are paying for his future not his past.
I'm not sure why you feel he has a chip on his shoulder. He believes he is so good that he should be paid a certain amount of money, and its more than the Patriots are offering. That isn't a chip on his shoulder, that is a difference of opinion.
He is taking what action is available to him in a case like this.
He was franchised. He tried to negotiate a long term deal.
Now he must play under the tag or refuse to.
That is the system.
Would you feel that anyone who feels they are underpaid (and there are millions of Americans who do) has a chip on their shoulder? Even if they are correct that they are underpaid? Even if they are wrong they are underpaid, and they search for a new job what is wrong with that?
People change jobs every day. People feel eunderappreciated by their employers every day. You seem to be tying a negative character trait to anyone who doesnt shut up, accept whatever they are offered, and say thank you. That isn't what America was built on.
I have no clue about what the organization did for him, or he did for them, but it appears they have both held up their end of the bargain.
He showed up. He got his paychecks. He did his job. He was trained and coached.
What exactly did the Patriots do for him over and above what an employer is supposed to do?
If your employer had a system where after 4 years of employment you either agreed to a new pay scale or were paid the average of the top 10% of people in your position in your field, and told you they would
1) Negotiate a deal with you
2) Pay you that average of the 10% for a year
3) You could stop showing up for work nad not get paid
and you didn't agree that what they were offering long term was fair, and didn't want to waste a year waiting to decide your long term future, what do you do?
Would I be allowed to criticize you and characterize you as a jerk with a chip on your shoulder if I didn't like our decision?
I think we just get too carried away here with assigning value systems to people we know nothing about because we are upset about how their needs fit into the needs of the team we root for.
If Asante was the chef at your favorite restaurant and going through a contract dispute like this, would you judge his morals based on whether he wanted to accept what they offered and shut up, or whether he would go to another restaurant that paid him more?
He'll wind up getting $30 million over three years - its just a question of how and when it comes (barring injury and outright crappy play of course).
I want a team that understands winning the Super Bowl is a crap shoot, but staying in contention to win the Super Bowl year after year is a product of staying within a system and maintaining excellence. For all the crying about the team not winning the Super Bowl last season, they were a bout of the flu and an injury to Maroney away from doing just that. Anyone who thinks that having Branch on the team would have magically dispelled all the flu virus from the Patriots' lungs of turned Maroney into the man of steel is fooling themselves, to say the least.
I've got no issues with Samuel, or any other player, trying to cash in. On the other hand, if they are only about the money and feel a need to get every nickel possible so strongly that they can't accept the concept of a real, but fair, "hometown discount" on the team to keep their teammates around, they can go pound sand. And that goes for Samuel, Seymour, Warren, Brady or any other player on the squad.
All of you should ask yourself a simple question - what do you want? Another SB Ring? Or a disgruntled player who refuses to pay held hostagefor a ransom (two first round picks) that few if any teams are willing to pay?
I think the only way ***ante $amuel gets $30m in 3 years is if we keep franchising him. (8 this year, 10 next, 12 next)
I think he's overpaid this season if he plays. (Being about the highest paid on the Patriots isn't good enough for him?) If we franchise him a 2nd year, as has been suggested from time to time, we'd be offering nearly $10m for the 2008 season, bringing it to over $17m this year + next. He's not worth that much! I can live with the 8m this season, but not the 10m next.
I think the only way ***ante $amuel gets $30m in 3 years is if we keep franchising him. (8 this year, 10 next, 12 next)
I think he's overpaid this season if he plays. (Being about the highest paid on the Patriots isn't good enough for him?) If we franchise him a 2nd year, as has been suggested from time to time, we'd be offering nearly $10m for the 2008 season, bringing it to over $17m this year + next. He's not worth that much! I can live with the 8m this season, but not the 10m next.
P.S. Apparently our strategy is, after the 2007 season, ***ante's value can only go down from where it is (in his mind) right now. We'll see....
Asante isn't a game breaker. He's not a guy that teams game plan for.
Just a point of information, if the Patriots were to Franchise Samuel a 3rd time, he'd be paid at the HIGHEST Franchise level, which is typicall QB. And that is probably going to be around 15-16 million in 2009. So, Asante would actually be looking at 32-33 million if the Pats were to Franchise him a 3rd time (7.79, 9.348, and 15-16)
Do the math - if he plays for the nearly $8 million this year and gets what will easilly be a $22 million plus signing bonus in free agency next year, he's got his $30 million - though he's risking injury this year.
No way was the team going to ante up $30 million this year. I think Asante knew that the best he could do this year was $20 million in a bonus, and assuming his agent can forge an agreement not to franchise him next season, he should be happy to play for the franchise amount this year, with the promise of a better bonus payday next season.
Everyone agrees he's a VERY good CB for our system.
Branch wasn't a game breaker either - but given our WR woes last season, I'd have to think he would have been good for one additional first down in the Colts game at the very least - hence a win, hence a SB ring.
If someone gives me the choice between an extra first round pick and a SB Ring, I'm going with the Championship every time.
It makes no logical sense to willingly go into next season without Samuel if a simple compromise is possible.
I don't think there's a person out there who thinks that would ever happen.
If Samuel gives 110%, I really have no problem paying him the franchise rate for the next two years. I just don't believe that he'll play up to his salary.
If he plays well this year, and we trade him, he will indeed receive the absurd $30M over the next three years.
Considering the drops that Branch had against Denver, I think you are presuming a LOT. There is no guarantee the Pats would have even made it to play the Colts had Branch been on this team. You are assuming WAY too much there.
I agree...I really DO NOT think he'll play up to that..it IS a good test to see where he is. He wants the big bucks, but I assure you if another teams gives him that money..he will be overpaid to the max. I know he wants his money NOW..but the more I see that as a demand, the more the red flag goes up..and how he's more a flash in the pan..By making absurd demands, he is showing less confidence in himself going into the future than he should. I want my money NOW!! What greed.. and I think because he knows it was an annomalie. He sits out and he'll become irrelevent..because NO player will take this team a hostage. The Patriots will find other ways to have strong DB play. If he thinks that he's TOO good for 7 million..he may end up with egg on his face..on the bench. This is NOT baseball where a player can come and go and really have little effect on the team..football is a team sport. And he shows up in Game 10 and he may not be playing all that much until he works his way in with the other DBs. It's a team and I think he'd be making a BIG mistake if he takes that path...but his tatoo says it MOST what he's about.If Samuel gives 110%, I really have no problem paying him the franchise rate for the next two years. I just don't believe that he'll play up to his salary.
If he plays well this year, and we trade him, he will indeed receive the absurd $30M over the next three years.
Sorry Andy. You can disagree all you want, but I've watched Vasher play and he is much better than Asante.