Samuel won't report to minicamp; vows to holdout until week 10

[Rob0729]

the article says he didn't show up to the golf thing today, but dale n holley said he showed up....they started talking comparing his situation to seymore's

Seymour's situation was totally different. Seymour did everything under the radar and he wasn't looking to break the bank before he came to camp. He just wanted at least a token of the Patriots' appreciation for what he did. By all accounts, the Patriots have given Samuel an attractive package, but just not close to Nate Clements range.

 

[Miguel]

So if he does take his ball and go home but tries to report Week 10, and NE is say 9-1, do you think that BB rosters him, or would he just suspend him?

Suspend him on what basis??

 

[Miguel]

Re: poor samuel, he feels mistreated..wont report

Here's a question. What if he's cut before he can sign the franchise tender in week 10?


What team will have money left on their salar cap to sign him at that point? Will he play for short money? Or will he not play this season at all? Then, having taken a year off, will he get the $8 million he's looking for? Or will teams be more likely to offer him $6 million (never mind the fact that you have to pro-rate the loss of $8 million this year into his next contract).

Not a very good scenario for Asante. He better hope some desperate team has plenty of cap space so late in the season.

Several teams had a lot of cap space late in the season last year. I would expect more teams to have a good deal of cap space around Week 10.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Re: poor samuel, he feels mistreated..wont report

I'd take Detroit's #2 in 2008 and 2009 in a second.

Draft picks don't help us now. Like I said before, if you're going to move Samuel, you need to do it before the draft. Otherwise it turns into another Branch situation.
Since we're pretty much out of options as to signing a premier CB at this point in the offseason, the only question now is who blinks first in regards to Samuel's alleged holdout.


How about this: Would it be good for the Pats to offer a 1 year deal with a clause that promised not to franchise him again next year? With the idea that this year is probably one of our best chances to win it all, and then part ways with Samuel in 2008??

 

[thecrazyeye]

I really want another first rounder because I am a draft maniac but I am afraid of the hole at CB that he leaves. I dont think Wilson could just step in and perform.
Any chance of trading for Winfield and a pick? or just Winfield. I know he wants more money, but maybe playing a team like the patriots would help him reconsider, and the way money is being spent, winfield is quite affordable

I know player trades don't happen too much, but I really want immediate help on the team. Say Hobbs goes down, or Wilson. I dont like the idea of Tory James having to cover and of the colts WRs

 

[mgteich]

The patriots are prepared to play the season without Samuel. Otherwise, they could have used our #28 and/or #91 to pick a corner.

 

[BelichickFan]

Re: poor samuel, he feels mistreated..wont report

Draft picks don't help us now.

No but they help us in the future. The other choice may be to get him for the last 6 weeks and the playoffs, hope he's at 100% after sitting out and hope the distraction isn't a problem.

How about this: Would it be good for the Pats to offer a 1 year deal with a clause that promised not to franchise him again next year? With the idea that this year is probably one of our best chances to win it all, and then part ways with Samuel in 2008??

Branch offered that and the Patriots declined; presumably, not definitely, that means they'd decline again.

 

[PatsMyBoyz!]

Breer's reporting AS plans to sit for the season if necessary: http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/patriots/?p=1242

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

I've never expected Samuel to play for us this year. Whatever we get is a gift from the league for allowing us to franchise a player after he fulfill his contract.

That's what I figured to. Samuels, like Grambo, has been a goner for a while in spirit. It always seems to take the rest of us a while to figure that out for some reason. Wishful thinking, I guess.

The type players that leave town are the guys that just ain't worth what they want to make.

The Seymours of the world will make their money with this team, but not a 4th round former QB turned CB who was a decent nickelback and then, after a couple questionable years, came through with several interceptions in a contract year. At the expense, perhaps, of gambling on several plays that didn't look so hot.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Seymour's situation was totally different. Seymour did everything under the radar and he wasn't looking to break the bank before he came to camp. He just wanted at least a token of the Patriots' appreciation for what he did. By all accounts, the Patriots have given Samuel an attractive package, but just not close to Nate Clements range.

Seymour's situation was always destined to be different, since the team was going to do everything within reason to re-sign him.

Asante, on the other hand, is going to get exactly what he is worth, and maybe just a little more to sweeten the deal from the Pats. But at the end of the day, it ain't gonna be enough from Samuel's point of view.

Belichick has seen these situations for years now, he teaches some mess of a rookie the ropes in the NFL, and as soon as the guy has a good year, he thinks he is a potential hall of famer. So he goes elsewhere to fulfill his destiny, and Belichick finds another mess of a rookie draft pick and teaches that guy the ropes.

Other teams have caught on to this method with the realities of the salary cap setting in. You see more and more teams nowadays that let their rookies walk after their rookie contract runs out, and simply gets another batch of rookies; or a free agent for a position of really imperative need.

 

[DaBruinz]

I took a look at the teams and their respective salary cap numbers to see which teams had about 10 million or so to be able to fit Asante under the cap. I chose 10 million to account for Asante's contract, signing picks, the #52 & 53 players and the 8 practice squadders.

Here are the teams that have at least 10 million still available:

Baltimore, Buffalo, Carolina, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Miami, Minnesota, New Orleans, New York Jets, Oakland, San Diego, and Tennessee.

Of these, I would LEAST want to trade with New Orleans, San Diego, Miami, And the Jets.

Dallas, Chicago, Cleveland, and Minnesota have players (either at LB or CB) who they could send back to the Pats. Dallas has Terrence Newman. Chicago has Nathan Vasher or Tillman. Minnesota has Winfield. Cleveland has Andra Davis.

Other teams like Washington could fit Samuel in if they cut some players, but I think that Washington has learned some fiscal responsibility, as amazing as it sounds.

 

[DaBruinz]

Personally, if I was the Patriots, I would tell Asante to provide them with copies of these "contract offers" he received from other teams and work with him to come to a compromise. If Samuel or his agent can't provide the official offers, then they are SOL because its clear that the rest of the league doesn't think that Samuel is worth the money he's asking for.

If Samuel CAN provide the offers, let the Pats approach them regarding a trade. If something can't be worked out, then Samuel is SOL. If something CAN (no less than a 2nd, 3rd and 7th), then take the deal, particularly if it includes a player coming back to the Pats.

 

[mavfan2390]

I doubt we do a straight up cornerback for cornerback trade, it just seems very unlikely. I'm looking at either draft picks or players that a team wants to get rid of for whatever reason...

 

[g-fresh]

Wow I'm so surprised.

The funniest part is how he said "I feel unappreciated. The way they're treating me is just wrong." Yes poor Asante Samuel, those nasty front office guys only offered him $6 million a year, how insulting! Someone should alert the UN about this horrible human rights violation.

I agree with the people who have said that they won't let him hold out for 10 weeks and then play, that would be almost like giving in. If by some chance they do let that happen I wouldn't be surprised if he rarely saw the field and was forced to sit on the bench. I say trade him now, ideally for a DB and a pick so we can get someone else in ASAP to add some depth. We will miss him but as of right now we have a decent crop of DBs without him, but one thing about Asante is that he has not been out for long periods with injuries before like some of our other players have.

Whatever happens I believe that BB and SP saw this coming and have planned for it.

 

[bronk37]

Terrence Newman for Assante Samuel done deal with smiles on the pats end. No joke I love assante but Newman is the next champ bailey that is an easy trade. I love assante but if he is wanting champ money then sianara nice knowing you. When he sucks for some other team with mediocre D-line we will be laughing all the way to the bank. Secondary is overrated in NFL.

 

[pats63]

BB & SP will do what is best for the team...I always liked Asante Samuel,but I think it's time for him to go...Ofcourse teammates will miss him,but will move on....Pats been planning for this...

 

[spacecrime]

Patriot players are never overrated, until AFTER they leave the team. You must think he's gone.

Over-rated per value. At x million dollars, he is fine. At three times that he isn't worth it.

People have been calling him a top five CB from the beginning and he is not. Even if he signs (and I will be glad to get him back) if he is rated as a top 5 CB, he is over-rated.

He is worth 7.9 million bucks. Over-rated is thinking his that is an insult to his ability.

Just a matter of semantics.

 

[spacecrime]

Re: poor samuel, he feels mistreated..wont report

Based on the way the CBA sets up the franchise tag, it doesn't make sense to do anything until at least July 14th. Without a signed agreement, who would risk participating in any team activities? And who would sign an agreement before they needed to commit?

If they were willing to give me $18 million bucks the minute I signed my name, I would NOT wait until July14. I would sign right now.

 

[spacecrime]

The patriots are prepared to play the season without Samuel. Otherwise, they could have used our #28 and/or #91 to pick a corner.

Good point.

 

[solman]

This is a laughable threat. Asante is all about the cash. There is no way he walks away from $5M.

Asante should never have gotten his "get paid" tatoo.

Its possible to believe that Lance Briggs would throw away millions of dollars out of principle.

It is impossible to believe that Asante will ever do anything other than maximize his take home pay. Unfortunately for Asante, that means reporting to camp during week one.

Fortunately for Asante, he's not actually good enough for the Patriots to care. The Patriots will do the math, and figure out that Asante is worth more to the team as trade bait, than on the field.