Welker: "Asante chose money over championships"

[condon84]

Hobbs got abused both in last year's SB, and the previous year's AFC CG against the Colts. He gives a great effort for somebody his size, but I see him as a weakness, even if he is the best CB on the team by default.

He's been getting picked on since he became a regular in our defense. He does give great effort and cares about winning and losing, but he's a liability out there.

Asante and Hobbs play a similar game in that both give a good amount of cushion and try to make a quick break for the ball. But the big difference is that Asante is better at reading the QB and reacting to deflect/intercept the pass. It's not like Hobbs isn't fast cause he is one of the fastest guys we have, but he just isn't good enough to break and deflect/intercept passes.

 

[condon84]

Which emphasises a better QB makes those throws...

1 interception in the Wild Card round of the post-season does not make a 6 year $57 million contract in my opinion. If he does it for the next 5 years and is an integral part in the Eagles winning championships (as he was here) then sure he was worth the spending.

You seem eager to jump the gun. I want to give him 3 seasons away from the Pats before I make my ultimate decision on his worth.. like I do most free agents.

My point is that Asante has been making those types of plays with the Pats. That's what the Eagles saw and that's what they got today. There is a reason that Asante is tied for the most INTs in the post season for active players. The guy is a playmaker and did just that for the Eagles today.

 

[ausbacker]

My point is that Asante has been making those types of plays with the Pats. That's what the Eagles saw and that's what they got today. There is a reason that Asante is tied for the most INTs in the post season for active players. The guy is a playmaker and did just that for the Eagles today.

You just don't listen do you. End of discussion for me. No getting through.

 

[condon84]

You just don't listen do you. End of discussion for me. No getting through.

Clearly theres a miscommunication. I never said that 1 interception in the Wild Card round of the post-season equals to a 6 year $57 million contract. What I said was that the Eagles signed Asante to be a playmaker for them and so far he has lived up to it. Whether he does that for the next five years, who know? I'm not here to argue that. But seems like you find it hard to swallow the fact that Asante continues to be a playmaker for the Eagles like he was for NE. Dude, it's okay to root for ex-Patriots players.

 

[PAPatsjunkie]

Good for Asante. I was cheering him on today.

 

[ausbacker]

Clearly theres a miscommunication. I never said that 1 interception in the Wild Card round of the post-season equals to a 6 year $57 million contract. What I said was that the Eagles signed Asante to be a playmaker for them and so far he has lived up to it. Whether he does that for the next five years, who know? I'm not here to argue that. But seems like you find it hard to swallow the fact that Asante continues to be a playmaker for the Eagles like he was for NE. Dude, it's okay to root for ex-Patriots players.

Obviously there has been a miscommunication. I agree Asante is a very very good player. He was a very good player for the Pats. I understand why business wise we let him go.

My moot points were

1. If he does it for Philly for the next 5 years (of which he did for us) and is instrumental in getting Philly a Superbowl then it's money well spent, &
2. A better QB than Jackson makes the throws to the wide open cushions for big completions Samuel was giving.

I understand the whole Eagles coverage theory and Asante fitting the system and being brought in as a playmaker. They were the points. Nothing else.

 

[JFK]

Which emphasises a better QB makes those throws...

1 interception in the Wild Card round of the post-season does not make a 6 year $57 million contract in my opinion. If he does it for the next 5 years and is an integral part in the Eagles winning championships (as he was here) then sure he was worth the spending.

You seem eager to jump the gun. I want to give him 3 seasons away from the Pats before I make my ultimate decision on his worth.. like I do most free agents.

Such as P. Manning? Give Asante his credit please. He is a playmaker who the Pats missed this season. He was unaffordable for the Pats but the Eagles thought he was worth what they are now paying him. So far he has been doing what they want him to do. He helped them win that game. Put an average CB there and Eagles may have been over.

 

[ausbacker]

Such as P. Manning? Give Asante his credit please. He is a playmaker who the Pats missed this season. He was unaffordable for the Pats but the Eagles thought he was worth what they are now paying him. So far he has been doing what they want him to do. He helped them win that game. Put an average CB there and Eagles may have been over.

**** me seriously.

I cannot spell it out anymore clearly for the inept folk.

I THINK ASANTE SAMUEL IS A VERY GOOD CORNER.

 

[Deus Irae]

Such as P. Manning? Give Asante his credit please. He is a playmaker who the Pats missed this season. He was unaffordable for the Pats but the Eagles thought he was worth what they are now paying him. So far he has been doing what they want him to do. He helped them win that game. Put an average CB there and Eagles may have been over.

The men in the booth were noting what the Eagles DBs were doing. I was noting it, as were others with whom I was talking. Despite the fact that the Eagles were pressing up to jump the routes, Jackson threw an out, and he threw it horribly. It was an easy pick, and any NFL quality cornerback makes the play. Whether or not they catch is depends upon their hands, but the play itself was about as easy as they come.

 

[ausbacker]

The men in the booth were noting what the Eagles DBs were doing. I was noting it, as were others with whom I was talking. Despite the fact that the Eagles were pressing up to jump the routes, Jackson threw an out, and he threw it horribly. It was an easy pick, and any NFL quality cornerback makes the play. Whether or not they catch is depends upon their hands, but the play itself was about as easy as they come.

Thank you Deus. As always timely......

 

[JMarr]

Whilst it caused short term pain, Asante wasn't worth the contract he demanded.

Interesting that after two seasons Welker is as much a true Patriot and team leader as ANYONE on this team. I loved his comment about Samuel. Winning and feeling lucky to be a part of this organization is important for some; self interest and ego is what motivates others. I never thought Asante had much loyalty to the Pats, but that could be for a number of reasons.

While I guess it's possible that Welker does the same thing as Asante and leaves if the Pats underbid for him when his contract is up, I wouldn't put my money on it.

 

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

The men in the booth were noting what the Eagles DBs were doing. I was noting it, as were others with whom I was talking. Despite the fact that the Eagles were pressing up to jump the routes, Jackson threw an out, and he threw it horribly. It was an easy pick, and any NFL quality cornerback makes the play. Whether or not they catch is depends upon their hands, but the play itself was about as easy as they come.

Even my grandma would have made that pick. Did Jackson THINK Asante was one of the Viking receivers? It sure looked like it.

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

The men in the booth were noting what the Eagles DBs were doing. I was noting it, as were others with whom I was talking. Despite the fact that the Eagles were pressing up to jump the routes, Jackson threw an out, and he threw it horribly. It was an easy pick, and any NFL quality cornerback makes the play. Whether or not they catch is depends upon their hands, but the play itself was about as easy as they come.

I agree with DEUS.

Im not saying ASSante is a bad corner, before anyone jumps in and says that im implying that, but really that was an easy pick. Alot of people who think that Asante was a god for the Pats, really need to go back, and watch those picks. The MAJORITY were just like his pick against Jackson. Poorly thrown, or underthrown balls, that he simply jumped the route. I would expect an average corner to do that. I was re-watching some of the games from 02-03, and I had forgotten just how good Ty Law was. Asante, in my book, has a long way to go before he should ever be mentioned in the same sentence as Law. The only thing they have in common, is they can now feed their families

 

[jcdavey]

looks like welker's comment doesn't look so smart now

 

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

looks like welker's comment doesn't look so smart now

Oh come on...it was only a couple of weeks ago the Eagles choked away a must-win game against a reeling Redskins team that all but put them out of the playoff race. Then by some miracle divine intervention, thanks to Tampa choking against Oakland, Chicago choking against Houston, and Dallas all but mailing it in, they ended up barely squeaking in.

And their first round opponent was...a Vikings team that barely beat a Giants team playing their backups in the 2nd half! Even I could have intercepted that pass easily.

 

[Clonamery]

looks like welker's comment doesn't look so smart now

Neither do your comments....

 

[NYCPatsFan]

How about waiting to comment on Asante after the Eagles play the Giants, who, IMO, are a far superior team to the Vikings?

 

[DaBruinz]

He deserved his money, as a 4th rounder it was his one time to bank.

He is now has the record for most playoff INTs for touchdowns... tell me again he is a product of the system.

So, because he has 3 Ints for TDs in 14 games, you think that is better than 2 Ints for TDs in 4 games?

This is another of those WORTHLESS "records" and in now way justifies him having received the money that he did. Teams didn't say to themselves, "OH, we're playing Asante Samuel and the Pats. We have to plan on only using half the field ." Teams kept right on throwing at Samuel. And with good reason. For as often as he made a play, he just as often allowed a reception and those receptions tended to end up as big plays against the Pats.

 

[DaBruinz]

Asante had it in his hands and dropped it in the sb. As far as what Welker said. Good for him. The Truth shall set u free and I am not talking Paul Pierce.

Asante was also the one that was burned by David Tyree on the game-tying TD and was the one whom Tyree burned when Tyree came down with that miracle catch.

Asante had plenty of chances to make plays and he didn't. He failed when it counted most.

 

[DaBruinz]

I can't blame the SB loss to Asante. So many opportunities in that game. The bigger crime was the pass Eli floated in the air that Tyree caught with one hand against his helmet with Harrison all over him in between three other Patriot defenders looking on. Not to mention that Eli had to do his Houdini act before he even threw it.

You do realize that one of those 3 defenders was Asante Samuel. The man who was supposed to have been covering Tyree to begin with. I didn't think so.

Another play that makes me cringe is Hobbs getting burned to a crisp by Burress with the game winning TD. {/quote]

You mean when the safety over the top blew the coverage because they left an injured Hobbs to cover Burress?

All year long, Hobbs got picked on by opposing teams and I feared that something like that was going to happen in the biggest moment, and when it did, it freaking sucked. That TD pass wasn't even competitive. How this guy still gets defended on this board for the past 4 years of mediocre play is mind boggling. Whatever.

People who know the game and who deal with all the facts defend Hobbs to people like you who ignore facts. Like Hobbs being injured (sports hernia, seperated shouler), but still playing. Why was Hobbs the one going up against Burress all game? If Samuel is so great, why wasn't he over there?

Why is it that people like you don't use all the facts to form your opinion? That is what is mind-boggling.

The opportunity for Asante's interception, the ball was rifled high that Asante had to leap right on the sidelines that went through his hands. It would have been a spectacular INT if he caught it AND stayed in bounds. He still should have made it anyway.

Actually, Samuel landed IN BOUND and the ball wasn't THAT high. If it had skipped off the tops of his fingers at the height of his leap, you might have a point, but it went through his hands.