I Thinks Samuel is as Good As Gone...

[BelichickFan]

Do we get compensation pics is he signs elsewhere?

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

Only if we don't sign some good FA ourselves.

 

[JoeSixPat]

I really wish we hadn't agreed not to franchise him...

This is the same as saying "I wish he didn't play at all for us in 2007"

and/or

"I wish Belichick had sent a loud message to all talented veterans to stay away from the Patriots lest they abuse the Franchise tag and use it to force players to stay on a team against their will and play on one year salaries for multiple years."

Binding a player to a team for multiple years violates the spirit, if not the letter of the Franchise Tag rule

Having Samuel for a full season, with a good attitude, playing for a big time contract,was well worth the compromise. Without him we might not have had home field advantage, let alone 16-0 going into the playoffs.

And sending a message to other players that Belichick is a reasonable coach who can see the folly of sacrificing long-term player relations for the short term gain of forcing a player to remain on a team against his will is also to our advantage.

I'm not sure what you have against both of those things - but I for one am GLAD Belichick's a smart enough coach to realize this - even if some fans lament his decision now.

 

[BelichickFan]

This is the same as saying "I wish he didn't play at all for us in 2007"

He would have had to return by Week 9 or 10 to accrue a year's service and become a UFA. I know it's easy to say now but I'd have traded him like we did Branch, assuming we could get a #1 or so for him. 5 years from a #1 at a reasonable price is worth more to me than one year of Samuel at $7M.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

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

Just imagine the contract Asante would have gotten if he pulled down that pick to end the game. He's still going to get a ton of money, but my god we'd be seeing that highlight 10 times a day.

And even then I'm not sure he was worth it, but I guess you could say he'd have earned it...

 

[JoeSixPat]

He would have had to return by Week 9 or 10 to accrue a year's service and become a UFA. I know it's easy to say now but I'd have traded him like we did Branch, assuming we could get a #1 or so for him. 5 years from a #1 at a reasonable price is worth more to me than one year of Samuel at $7M.

Technically you'd be correct - but I doubt he'd walk into the starting lineup after sitting out 5/8ths of the season - as well as pre-season. Perhaps he might have been ready by the playoffs.

So again - I'd stress that lamenting the Patriots agreed not to abuse the Franchise Tag is the same as lamenting that we had Samuel for an entire season...

Which might as well be the same as lamenting that we had home field advantage in the playoffs and flirted with a perfect season.

And as much as I vaule how trading Branch has effectively given us the #7 pick this year, I still feel that Branch would have been all the difference maker we needed for another SB ring during the Reche Caldwell Era. Same goes for trading Samuel.

And I know I'd definately rather have a 4th Lombardi than draft picks any day of the week.

 

[Deus Irae]

Samuel was terrible for most of the last part of the season. Let him go find that pot of gold at the end of his NFL rainbow. He'd better hope he doesn't go to a team like New Orleans, where David was exposed this season. Samuel without a safety over the top is a touchdown for the offense on a pump fake just begging to happen. He's gotten so enamored with the interception instead of actual coverage that his nickname for most of the back end of the season should have been "toast".

As for the taking less money thing, it's always funny to hear people insist that others don't stay for less, or that people shouldn't expect it, when the very same team Samuel plays for has Brady and Bruschi, not to mention Troy Brown.

 

[Afterlifemobile-86]

Can anyone else take pleasure in a potential Samuel and Moss one on one match up next season.....?

 

[upstater1]

Only if we don't sign some good FA ourselves.

I seriously doubt we'll sign a $9 million a year player this offseason.

As for the rest, I'd say that losing Wilson, Gay, etc, will make up for any other guys that we do sign.

I'm going to edit this and say that if we lose Bruschi, Seau, Stallworth, We'll have another $8 million to play around with, and then by reducing Colvin and Brady's cap number by a couple mill here and there, we may actually find ourselves with $9 million currently + $8 million in retirements/cuts + $5 million in restructuring Brady/Colvin = $22 million under the cap.

We have a lot of wiggle room should we need it. Enough to sign Randy Moss ($7-8 million), redo Wilfork, and still land a big one in FA.

 

[Afterlifemobile-86]

Honestly, I think we could see a major overhaul in the secondary next season, especially at Cornerback. Anyone else here hoping to land Cromartie in the draft?

 

[JoeSixPat]

Samuel was terrible for most of the last part of the season. Let him go find that pot of gold at the end of his NFL rainbow. He'd better hope he doesn't go to a team like New Orleans, where David was exposed this season. Samuel without a safety over the top is a touchdown for the offense on a pump fake just begging to happen. He's gotten so enamored with the interception instead of actual coverage that his nickname for most of the back end of the season should have been "toast".

As for the taking less money thing, it's always funny to hear people insist that others don't stay for less, or that people shouldn't expect it, when the very same team Samuel plays for has Brady and Bruschi, not to mention Troy Brown.

I hope we can find another terrible CB who can give us 6 INTs on the year.

He definately didn't have as many tackles as Sanders, Harrison and Hobbs - but then again, most defensive coordinators probably aren't going out of their way to throw to his side either.

That's not to say that he's worth the type of contract I'm sure he'll demand - but I just don't think I'd go so far to say he had a terrible 2nd half of the season.

Sure his las INTs (2) were in Week 12 - but at that point I think it was a forgone conclusion that DC's weren't going to test him much anymore. Beyond that our system of Defense doesn't stress taking chances and going after INTs. That's what got Ty Law somewhat frustrated as well - but it makes for an effective bend but don't break defense.

I think Samuel is VERY well suited for our style of play - I can't say he's NOT well suited for another team, or as a maverick chance taker who's going to consistently deliver 10 INTS a year - but I think there's every chance another team could give him big bucks and he'd be a virtual bust for the money.

In any effect - I didn't entertain any expectation he'd be back for 2008 back in the pre-season and I sure don't now.

 

[Sivy]

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

yes, it is...we were ahead, he could have made the game winning play and didnt.

 

[Deus Irae]

I hope we can find another terrible CB who can give us 6 INTs on the year.

He definately didn't have as many tackles as Sanders, Harrison and Hobbs - but then again, most defensive coordinators probably aren't going out of their way to throw to his side either.

That's not to say that he's worth the type of contract I'm sure he'll demand - but I just don't think I'd go so far to say he had a terrible 2nd half of the season.

Sure his las INTs (2) were in Week 12 - but at that point I think it was a forgone conclusion that DC's weren't going to test him much anymore. Beyond that our system of Defense doesn't stress taking chances and going after INTs. That's what got Ty Law somewhat frustrated as well - but it makes for an effective bend but don't break defense.

I think Samuel is VERY well suited for our style of play - I can't say he's NOT well suited for another team, or as a maverick chance taker who's going to consistently deliver 10 INTS a year - but I think there's every chance another team could give him big bucks and he'd be a virtual bust for the money.

In any effect - I didn't entertain any expectation he'd be back for 2008 back in the pre-season and I sure don't now.

Samuel was beaten repeatedly in the latter part of the season. Jumping routes only works when you guess correctly. At the end of the season, he was being abused like a red-headed stepchild.

 

[Afterlifemobile-86]

Come on now....It wasn't going to be that easy of a pick, his perception was off or he simply couldn't have gotten that high. This wasn't a Reche Caldwell drop..

 

[Sivy]

Come on now....It wasn't going to be that easy of a pick, his perception was off or he simply couldn't have gotten that high. This wasn't a Reche Caldwell drop..

I would agree with you if we werent talking about the dude that thumps his chest and acts like he's the greatest player of all time. IF you want 100 million dollars, you make that catch. It wasnt an impossible catch Moss would have made it.

 

[Afterlifemobile-86]

I would agree with you if we werent talking about the dude that thumps his chest and acts like he's the greatest player of all time. IF you want 100 million dollars, you make that catch. It wasnt an impossible catch Moss would have made it.

Yeah, i can see where you're coming from.

 

[IcyPatriot]

I think Belichick made a great deal here. He bought Samuels service for 1 more year to make a run ... and it almost worked. Belichick has almost never wasted Krafts money ... if we don't have Samuel we will have another potent weapon with that money in another position.

As long as the money is well spent with as many players taking a cut as possible we will field a better team than most.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

With the amount of money it will take to keep him, I really don't think its worth it. Bye bye Asante.

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

does this mean i can finally delete him as a myspace friend?
im sick of him anyway. thanks for what you did while you were here, now go away!! make your millions elsewhere. in b.b. we trust.

 

[tuckeverlasting]

i thought i read somewhere asante said his chances of re-signing were, on a scale of 10, "10 out of 10".

 

[eom]

I say convert moss to a 2 way player.