Re: Any Chance Pats trade Assunte Samuel on darft day?
There's always a "chance", but from the way Asante himself was talking a few weeks ago, it seems unlikely. There may be a deal done, in principle (as well as principal), with the parties awaiting the proper time to announce it.
Is there any cap advantage to holding off announcing a new contract? That is a question for better capologists than I. In any event, these possibilities make the draft a compelling spectacle.
There is no cap advantage in holding off on a deal with a franchise tagged player. Any deal would certainly lower his 2007 cap hit to 1/5th or 1/6th of his bonus (amortization) plus salary (which on the heels on a signing bonus is generally in the minimum range), which would likely cut his present cap hit at least in half.
I know some surmize there is some potential great strategic significance to withholding announcing a deal, but in reality other than perhaps causing a team or two just ahead of or behind us to maneuver if they believe we are targeting a specific player as a result, teams draft who they draft based either on their own need or assessment of best available talent.
Not to mention postponing an announcement would also postpone the player's receipt of his signing bonus, and given it would be in the multi millions I just don't see a player or agent passing up investment and interest income on that signing bonus to play draft decoy. A deal isn't official until it's submitted to the league and they sign off on it, and league sources can't keep their mouths shut when in posession of significant information like a deal having been submitted.
Samuel's agent basically said that the tag was not a problem for them so long as both sides continued to view it as a means to an end - that end being a long term deal. Only the team knows at this point how far they are prepared to go to that end. And only Asante and his agent know what their bottom line demands are and whether or not there is anyone else interested in paying him what he wants in a long term deal.
If they cannot get a deal done then it will eventually become a problem/issue, because after July 15th they cannot do a long term deal regardless of whether the team or player might still want to. At that point the tag represents what the agent said would be a problem for them - playing under a one year deal with no possibility of a long term deal.
I just don't see Belioli heading into a season with that kind of potential for disruption and disharmony on the heels of last season's debaucle with Branch. Not with all the positives they have created already this off season with the FA signings of Thomas, Welker and Stallworth. And since trading him would necessitate having someone else in mind to replace him, I can't see it happening except before the draft. After the draft it would almost have to involve a player in place of or in addition to picks. There just isn't anyone on the roster you can honestly pencil in to replace a starting CB. Gay has yet to prove he can stay on the field or be anything more than a one year wonder three years removed. And Wilson hasn't played the position since college and has struggled with injuries as it is.
