I Thinks Samuel is as Good As Gone...

[PatsFaninAZ]

I don't think "loyalty" is the right word.

I also think that stuff like this is a bit hypocritical. Our franchise has shown zero loyalty -- it has made personnel decisions with no sentimentality whatsoever and always with the idea that the team comes first.

I think we all agree that this is one of the reasons for the team's long-term success in the salary cap/parity era, and so most of us tolerate (even embrace) it.

Yet, when players on the team take the same mindset on the other side of the negotiation table we excoriate them. It's fine to say that it's disappointing that players won't chose to play here over monetary considerations. But to question their loyalty or sentimentality is just plain wrong, IMHO, given the way the team does business.

If they bad mouth us on the way out, all bets are off. But I've seen nothing like that from Asante to date. He made his point with his hold out, played in all of the team's games, has not publicly expressed any negative feelings about the team since the hold out, and was by all accounts a leader this year. While under contract or the franchise tag, he expressed plenty of loyalty. Now, it appears, his loyalty will be to someone else.

 

[Disco Volante]

Re: I Thinks Samuel is as Good As Gone....

At least he had a nice view at the Pro Bowl.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Re: I Thinks Samuel is as Good As Gone....

Well if it makes any of you feel better Merrill Hoge just -when asked who the Pats number 1 priority is for re-singing - chose Asante Samuel over Randy Moss.

And I'm sure the Steelers are still first in his power rankings.

Hahahaha, I'd take Moss over Samuel any day, and it's not even close. I don't even care that we need CBs more than WRs- Moss is a position-defining, once-in-a-generation talent whose presence alone fundamentally alters gameplans. Asante isn't, and I'd even go so far as to say that, under the current rules, a CB maybe can't have that type of impact anymore.

 

[eom]

randy moss went for the money when he went to oakland.

how'd that work out?

 

[BradyFTW!]

randy moss went for the money when he went to oakland.

how'd that work out?

He got his money. That's a large part of why he was willing to come here at a severe discount this year, so I'd say that it worked out pretty well. And once again, different players have different priorities. There are plenty of players to support the other side of the case, too.

 

[eom]

He got his money. That's a large part of why he was willing to come here at a severe discount this year, so I'd say that it worked out pretty well.

yeah, that's why he gnawed his own leg off to get out of there and flushed millions to sign w/the pats.
now, let's ask him and see what he says.

 

[Sivy]

Anyone who gives Asante **** for going after top dollar is a goof. The guy has every right to make as much money as he can. You strive to make the most money you can in every proffesion. Any of you clowns sitting here claiming they would not change jobs if they had the chance to make a monster amount of money is full of it.

Asante will listen to the pats , they will low ball him , and he will move on.


Thats how the pats operate. They wont spend the kind of money Asante will command , and he has every right to get paid.


These guys are all one injury away from no career.

Brady and Moss are both better than Samule, yet they play at a discount. You're telling me that if Tom Brady went on the open market, that he couldnt get a lot more money. When people say that making 5 million dollars a year isnt enought to support their family, they are full of sh!t. BYE sammy, guess you never did learn the patriot way, add your name next to branch, and and everyone will be sure to forget you are alive next seaon.

He's a pile of crap, its his fault the giants won the superbowl, let him go NOT make game winning interseptions for another team.

 

[upstater1]

Re: I Thinks Samuel is as Good As Gone....

I think we all knew this a while ago

Personally I would have traded him a year ago if we could have gotten something decent for him. But we got him back to try this year and fell a game short. Too bad. His situation is basically the same as Branch's who also said he'd have played his last year had we promised not to Franchise him.

In hindsight, you're right. I don't think he was worth the money we paid him this year.

But if this were September 2007, I would have still voted to keep him on the team for a year. Now that the year is over, yes, I much rather we had taken a high second rounder for him. Fred Bennett or Eric Wright would probably not have played as well as him but I seriously doubt that Asante's presence over Bennett/Wright made much of a difference at all. I was underwhelmed by Asante this year.

 

[upstater1]

Re: I Thinks Samuel is as Good As Gone....

I think athletes are more loyal than the average person. Lets use say Teddy Bruschi for example. We all know for a fact he could have made more money thru out his career but he was loyal.

Show me an average joe who would have turned down the money he did just to stay with the company that gave them their breaks.

It's a two-way street. If Bruschi had broken the bank years ago on a bigger deal, would that team have cut him a long time ago?

Bruschi knew he excelled in the Patriots system. If he had left for another team, he would have been cut and playing for the veteran minimum years ago.

Instead, he earned 6 times the vet minimum for the last 3 years in NE as his skills deteriorated.

It was a good bet for Bruschi.

This is what he signed up for:

Year 1 2.5 million v. 4 million
Year 2 3 million v. 4 million
Year 3 3 million v. 4.5 million
Year 4 3.5 million v. 500k
Year 5 3.5 million v. 500k
Year 6 3.5 million v. 500k

Add it up: 19 million v. 14 million, no agent taking 5-10%

He's a smart man.

Meanwhile, people like Jamir Miller are out of the league, and a bunch of other linebackers who made the Pro Bowl are bouncing around for the min.

 

[upstater1]

Anyone who gives Asante **** for going after top dollar is a goof. The guy has every right to make as much money as he can. You strive to make the most money you can in every proffesion. Any of you clowns sitting here claiming they would not change jobs if they had the chance to make a monster amount of money is full of it.

Asante will listen to the pats , they will low ball him , and he will move on.


Thats how the pats operate. They wont spend the kind of money Asante will command , and he has every right to get paid.


These guys are all one injury away from no career.

This isn't even the point when you consider that Ty Law has made LESS money by turning down that long term Patriot offer. Because of his injury, the Jets and Chiefs paid him less.

Bruschi on the other hand has made more by taking less because no team had to cut him when his skills deteriorated. He never priced himself out of the market.

By the way, I have taken less to stay in a better job situation. So have family members. I know people who stayed at 200k rather than go up to 350k because of job security, or others who took 80k over 140k because of family and aversion to travel.

People make decisions like this all the time.

The key question is the signing bonus, I guess. At that point, Samuel will have a good argument. If it's so much better than what the Patriots will offer he has to take it. But there's always an argument as to whether it's the right thing.

 

[dhamz]

I think this was and remains a forgone conclusion. The realtionship was beneficial for both sides. The Pats have gotten great return on their investment with Asante and he is in position to get a big pay day.

The greater issue for the Pats is how to replace him. With ellis Hobbs as the only returning player at CB that is an area of need that in my mind even exceeds the WR need of a year ago.

 

[Pats726]

Anyone who gives Asante **** for going after top dollar is a goof. The guy has every right to make as much money as he can. You strive to make the most money you can in every proffesion. Any of you clowns sitting here claiming they would not change jobs if they had the chance to make a monster amount of money is full of it..

Comparing what an NFL player will make with the average Joe isn't at all a fair comparison..and you know it.. (or maybe not...) The differences and effect on his life between one deal and the other impact his life a lot less than the average working Joe...What he'll buy 4 houses instead of 2??? PLEASE...If he wishes to be greedy that is fine...and frankly..I have known many who are so happy to have the extra money change jobs..and realize it's a LOT worse in other ways..and NOT worth it..but that is besides the point.

 

[VJ11]

At the risk of repeating what others already have said...
He has the right to shop himself around for the highest bidder, or maybe to a team that pays him enough and be a contender. He could be looking at a $11-12M/year deal, with maybe $10M upfront, and I think that the Patriots would only go as far $8M/year, which is about what the current top 5 CBs make.
And we won't have to look far a team that would want to get him at any price: the jets. Mangini would love to have him. I hope that some other team decides to outbid them. Preferably a team in the NFC North.

 

[Tyler.Durden]

Do we get compensation pics is he signs elsewhere?

 

[g-fresh]

He wants to get paid like a big time player but when it came down to it he choked and let a game winning INT slip through his hands. I really think that one play is going to hurt his earnings on the open market, someone will still pay him but instead of looking like a big time play maker that would have had teams throwing big money at him there may be a slight pause when it comes to how big an offer he should get.

I'm a big Hobbs supporter, but I don't like the idea of him as our #1 corner with Gay or a rehabed Scott at #2 and god knows who at the nickel...

 

[danny88]

Comparing what an NFL player will make with the average Joe isn't at all a fair comparison..and you know it.. (or maybe not...) The differences and effect on his life between one deal and the other impact his life a lot less than the average working Joe...What he'll buy 4 houses instead of 2??? PLEASE...If he wishes to be greedy that is fine...and frankly..I have known many who are so happy to have the extra money change jobs..and realize it's a LOT worse in other ways..and NOT worth it..but that is besides the point.

Thats right call Asante greedy! He worked his ass off and earned every dime someone is willing to give him

Why is he greedy? Because he wants to make all the money he can? Asante put in the work and he has every right. It does not make him greedy.

 

[danny88]

Brady and Moss are both better than Samule, yet they play at a discount. You're telling me that if Tom Brady went on the open market, that he couldnt get a lot more money. When people say that making 5 million dollars a year isnt enought to support their family, they are full of sh!t. BYE sammy, guess you never did learn the patriot way, add your name next to branch, and and everyone will be sure to forget you are alive next seaon.

He's a pile of crap, its his fault the giants won the superbowl, let him go NOT make game winning interseptions for another team.

Asantes fault we lost the sb!!?? AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[marcus]

He wants to get paid like a big time player but when it came down to it he choked and let a game winning INT slip through his hands. I really think that one play is going to hurt his earnings on the open market, someone will still pay him but instead of looking like a big time play maker that would have had teams throwing big money at him there may be a slight pause when it comes to how big an offer he should get.

I'm a big Hobbs supporter, but I don't like the idea of him as our #1 corner with Gay or a rehabed Scott at #2 and god knows who at the nickel...

AMEN. I will NEVER forget him not making that play. That was a once in a lifetime chance and he didn't make it. The aftertaste is awful.
Asante was a very good (not great) cover corner, who could not play physical. Worth 8/year but NOT 10-12.
I'd much rather use that money to pay Moss who truly has exceptional skills.

 

[Run DMC]

Do these A$ante posts ever end? He is gone. Don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out. And If I were him, I'd get all the money I could, so I don't begrudge him.

 

[upstater1]

Do we get compensation pics is he signs elsewhere?

We'll get a pick between the 3rd and 4th round.