I Don't Think Asante is Going to Come Back...

[pats63]

Not really. You have to look at it as five years of solid production for $500k per year. No matter how you cut it, Asante was good value for the Pats.

The real secret to cap management is to get that kind of value from a guy for four or five years and be prepared to move on to the next one when the time comes.

If you can re-sign the guy at a "win/win" price, great. If not, that's life. I seriously doubt that Asante is the last decent CB who will come into the NFL.

You are right on this......Asante was good value.....I hope he resign....I have faith in BB & SP will find a replacement through draft or FA....GO :rocker: PATS!!!!:rocker:

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

I fail to understand some of you fans. When the club doesn't have cap room long term, it conserves money and cap room. Why? SO IT CAN USE IT, when it does have the cap under control. Look at the Colvin signing, and the Law negotiations.

Belichick can pay Graham, Samuels and TBC, a million dollars a year MORE per season each, than the franchise price for each player, and still have mega cap room.

Why won't they remain here?

Asante and Grahambo in particular is a real producer, and BB pays for genuine production. Ask Jarvis Green.

Asante Samuel is becoming a very good CB and a play maker, at a position that BB covets and respects.

TBC has had the investment of four years of training in converting to OLB from college rush end. He had the pass rush; his sack totals are fine. he has controlled the edge. The anti-run statistics are fine. He hasn't yet come around on pass defense but as I recall Willie didn't do much there either.

Cap dollar value is always of prime importance. That is how the Patriots operate (and it has worked well so far). You do not pay more for a player than he is worth (or BB/SP think he is worth). Also, the team has a dollar value/dollar amount per position strategy. Further, finding and retaining a good group of middle class of players. Put these things together and it is a recipe that does not bode well for keeping Samuel or paying a "million" more than franchise for those other players. The Patriots will again be at or very near the cap next year. But paying a player at a level determined by the Redskins or some other foolish team? No way. Samuel is not a franchise plus 1 million a year CB unless it is structured in a team friendly way. Graham is not a franchise plus 1 million a year TE. Add TBC to that list too. I like all 3 but I suspect the Redskins etc etc will like them a hell of a lot more

 

[hwc]

but I suspect the Redskins etc etc will like them a hell of a lot more

Maybe. Maybe not. The Redskins just got skewered in a major Washington Post feature article yesterday. The did finish the season 5-11. 1-5 in their division. The absurd free agency contracts they handed out to stiffs was a focus of the article. The Archuleta deal was described as perhaps the worst free agent signing in the history of the NFL.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Maybe. Maybe not. The Redskins just got skewered in a major Washington Post feature article yesterday. The did finish the season 5-11. 1-5 in their division. The absurd free agency contracts they handed out to stiffs was a focus of the article. The Archuleta deal was described as perhaps the worst free agent signing in the history of the NFL.

I would agree that Washington may rethink their hole(sic) strategy. I just don't think that attitude rests only with them. The 'just win this year' strategy will be alive and well elsewhere. Maybe Seattle or Jax etc etc. In a way I don't blame teams for it. When you've never won anything, one year of success is probably worth paying the price in a few years. Back to the point, I suspect Samuel will not take any hometown discount. I suspect another team will be willing to pay him more than his actual value is. To me that is the 1 - 2 punch that will send him elsewhere next year. The only way that will be different, imho, will be if BB/SP see no decent alternative at CB (unlikely), and have recalculated the cap/money/player chart (unlikely).

 

[Fogbuster]

Asante has come on this year, career year for him, but is he a shut-down corner? Can he do what Champ Bailey does? Or Ty Law in his prime?

I hope Asante stays. I hope the Pats make a solid extended plan for him -- good bonus but also with incentives (ALWAYS needed, lest the NFL become MLB).

Meanwhile, let's hope Samuel keeps rising throughout this run!!


//

 

[Pawn512]

Nate Clements will set the market for Samuel. The Bills gave up their right to franchise him so he will either hit the market or be re-signed with no franchise tag threat. They are comparable players: Clements may be more physically talented, but Samuel has produced more this year. Samuel will (justifiably I think) want a similar contract to what Clements gets.

My take on the Pats strategy: they will try to re-sign Samuel after the season, if unsuccessful they will franchise him and see how the market for Clements develops. If Clements gets something the Pats can live with they will make a similar offer to Samuel and both sides will be reasonable happy. If the market for Clements explodes they will either trade Samuel under the tag or have him play under it for a year and draft a CB in round 1.

Franchised players hold out through training camp and exhibition season to avoid injury risk. They always come back at the start of the season however; the financial incentive is very strong to do so. Every regular season game Samuel holds out under the tag would cost him about $500K ($8M/16).

 

[VJCPatriot]

Any chance we sign Clements & Samuel? That would be a sweet corner tandem.

 

[BelichickFan]

Any chance we sign Clements & Samuel? That would be a sweet corner tandem.

With Hobbs as the Nickel guy that would be sweet - but I think we all know better than that.

 

[hwc]

My take on the Pats strategy: they will try to re-sign Samuel after the season, if unsuccessful they will franchise him and see how the market for Clements develops. If Clements gets something the Pats can live with they will make a similar offer to Samuel and both sides will be reasonable happy. If the market for Clements explodes they will either trade Samuel under the tag or have him play under it for a year and draft a CB in round 1.

Sounds about right to me. I think "tag 'n trade" is probably the most likely scenario. If Asante wanted to stay with the Pats, a deal probably would have already been done. The fact that a deal hasn't been done suggests that Asante has already decided to go the "highest bidder" route. He's all but said so.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Do you guys feel Asante is worth like a 5 year 25M contract with 9M in bonus? I'm thinking he would probably want more like a 6 year deal though.

 

[vyrago]

Maybe. Maybe not. The Redskins just got skewered in a major Washington Post feature article yesterday. The did finish the season 5-11. 1-5 in their division. The absurd free agency contracts they handed out to stiffs was a focus of the article. The Archuleta deal was described as perhaps the worst free agent signing in the history of the NFL.

Seems to me quite a few members of this board wanted Archuleta for the Pats.

 

[mgcolby]

Seems to me quite a few members of this board wanted Archuleta for the Pats.

Yeah, but not at 5 mil a year! He got the biggest contract ever given to a safety in NFL history.

 

[Miguel]

Mo -
Those numbers are incorrect.
Here are the numbers from Miguel's page and I trust him and his research over USA Today in this regard

http://www.patscap.com/patsfreeagency.html

What happened was because of the new CBA this year was the 1st time a franchise player's cap number from the prior year could be included in the franchise player's calculations.

What that mean was the cap number for Charles Woodson who was franchised in 2005 now counted in the franchise number calculation for 2006. His $10 Million cap number bumped off Chris McAlister's $3.872 million from the Top 5 list.