how big of a hit will the franchise tag on Samuel cost the pats?

[DarrylS]

This isn't about cap, Andy. Or about cheap. It's about value and what he values. Bill never knowingly overpays for talent no matter the need. I don't think he believes Asante Samuel is in the same area code as the guys he coached at the Pro Bowl, and appreciates the system can make it appear that way. I also don't think he believes we need that talent level because it's not the way this team is constructed. We just need competent quality corners. If we could get or retain better than competent for a value price that would be great. But competent quality for all pro prices - not gonna happen IMO. If he were going to revise the system to feature shutdown corners he would pay top dollar for top talent like the guys he coached at the pro bowl. Like he said to Ed Reed during that game, if he had Ed and those two corners (Bailey and Mathis) that's all he'd need - all.

Have said pretty much the same thing before and once again at the beginning of the year, he was described as a nickel back put in a starting role(Tom Curran et al), by the end of the year he was playing at a higher level. I did not believe he was as good as he was until we hit the playoffs. Was he playing to his abilities for the contract? Or is he that good? I still am not convinced that he has hit that top tier of CB's who can be relied on continually, he benefits from the strengths of others and team defense. I still do not see us paying him this salary cap hit, first of all it throws out the salary structure they have allocated for the D backfield and second of all is probably not the value they want to pay anyone, because of 1 good year.

So what do they do, keep him under franchise and hope he plays for a contract this year once again or trade him to another franchise??. I still believe the latter, as he wants the big bucks and probably will not find what he is looking for here. Assante has no leverage in this situation, if he *****es or holds out he will be labeled a malcontent, if he plays poorly his value goes down.. right now he has one choice continue to play the way he did in the last half of the season.

 

[Jimke]

Where is Bill Belichick going to come up with a competent quality

cornerback on the cheap? Our recent efforts have landed us

Duane Starks, Hank Poteat, Chad Scott, Antwan Spann, Ray

Mickens, and Eric Warfield. Perhaps we should re-sign Troy

Brown and use him full time at cornerback. The only marginally

good cornerback the Pats pursued last year was Deshea

Townsend of Pittsburgh. He used the Pats as a bargaining chip so

he could get a little more money from Pittsburgh.

 

[Ring 6]

This isn't about cap, Andy. Or about cheap. It's about value and what he values. Bill never knowingly overpays for talent no matter the need. I don't think he believes Asante Samuel is in the same area code as the guys he coached at the Pro Bowl, and appreciates the system can make it appear that way. I also don't think he believes we need that talent level because it's not the way this team is constructed. We just need competent quality corners. If we could get or retain better than competent for a value price that would be great. But competent quality for all pro prices - not gonna happen IMO. If he were going to revise the system to feature shutdown corners he would pay top dollar for top talent like the guys he coached at the pro bowl. Like he said to Ed Reed during that game, if he had Ed and those two corners (Bailey and Mathis) that's all he'd need - all.

BTW Law was signed before BB's watch. And the cap dictated he remain until it dictated he couldn't. So was MacGinest, and he did enough restructures to keep his job in the BB era so he never made top dollar on Bill's watch. Brady has yet to make top dollar, and he certainly could command it and is worth it. Seymour took a small discount - basically realized when he signed a 3 year $30M extension a year early so his AAV cost over the 4 years is $8M (Freeney is looking for $30M in signing bonus alone in FA). Colvin signed for the average of what top end OLB's were getting at the time, not top dollar or a premium. These guys are in lynchpin positions on a BB team. Asante isn't. We've won with retreads and rookies and journeymen manning the corners. BB builds from the trenches out, DL, LB, S, CB in that order.

I think the team knew who and what Asante was in November and what his market would likely be. I look at what they offered him then and I think they think he's a competent corner and a ballhawk whose skills work well in this system. I doubt they will bridge the gap, and I don't believe they should just to retain him unless they believe he's abn emerging shut down, leave who will allow them to spend a little less elsewhere. I think fans are a little squirrley about the alternatives since the Starks fiasco, but even in spite of it we were a few fumbles and a pick and a missed FG from hosting the AFCC that season. And we lost the AFCC this year because of a defensive collapse that the corners, including Asante, couldn't stave off even though they played brilliantly.

I dont think i agree with a single point in that post.