Pat's CB Samuel Won't Return Until Week 10 of Season

[ThreeSportStar80]

Disgruntled Patriots corner Samuel sits out minicamp



Updated: June 5, 2007, 12:27 PM ET

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New England Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel says he won't show up for the team's mandatory minicamp, starting Tuesday. Or training camp this summer. Or the first 10 weeks of regular season games.

I'm not coming to camp. I'm not showing up until the 10th week [of the season]. I feel unappreciated. The way they're treating me is just wrong.

Asante Samuel



Samuel, disgruntled after being assigned the team's "franchise" tag, was a no-show at the Patriots Charitable Foundation golf tournament on Monday at the The International Golf Club in Bolton, Mass. Reached by phone afterward, he told The Boston Globe he is unhappy with the lack of progress in contract talks with the team.
"I'm not coming to camp," he told the newspaper. "I'm not showing up until the 10th week [of the season]. I feel unappreciated. The way they're treating me is just wrong."
The prospect of a star player avoiding camp over money is not new for the Patriots. Last offseason, wide receiver Deion Branch sat out camp over his unhappiness with contract talks and was eventually traded to the Seattle Seahawks.

Samuel



Samuel has yet to sign the one-year, $7.79 million contract he was tendered when the Patriots franchised him, so he is technically not under contract and cannot be fined for missing minicamp. Under the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the players union, if a deal isn't reached by the afternoon of July 15, he can sign only a one-year deal and cannot have his contract extended until the regular season ends.
If he shows up for Week 10, Samuel will receive a pro-rated portion of that $7.79 million salary. If he sits out the entire year, he'll get nothing -- and the Patriots will be able to put the franchise tag on him again for 2008.
"He's not coming to camp until a contract resolution can be reached," his agent, Alonzo Shavers, told the Boston Herald on Monday. "Nothing more can be said. His status has not changed. There has been no movement toward a deal."
Samuel is looking for a richer contract after a breakout 2006 season, in which he had 10 interceptions and 65 tackles and became considered one of the NFL's elite cornerbacks.

His teammates said Monday they are ready to move ahead, with or without Samuel.

"If he doesn't come [to minicamp], we have to move on," nose tackle Vince Wilfork told the Globe. "I would love to have him here, but on the same token, we have to move on." "Asante has enough experience to realize that this is a business and it's not personal," added safety Rodney Harrison. "Coach [Bill] Belichick and Mr. [Robert] Kraft, they're going to do what is in the best interests of this team. .. At the same time, we do miss Asante. He's a good guy, a great player, and we miss having him back. Hopefully, in the near future, they can work things out and he'll be here."
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2893597

 

[DallasEast]

"If he sits out the entire year, he'll get nothing -- and the Patriots will be able to put the franchise tag on him again for 2008."

What if the Patriots are having a great year without him and they deactivate him for the rest of the season? Will New England have to pay any of his 7.79 million dollar salary? Adam..?

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

"If he sits out the entire year, he'll get nothing -- and the Patriots will be able to put the franchise tag on him again for 2008."

What if the Patriots are having a great year without him and they deactivate him for the rest of the season? Will New England have to pay any of his 7.79 million dollar salary? Adam..?

I'm guessing the Pats will have to pay, considering they are the one deactivating him.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Disgruntled Patriots corner Samuel sits out minicamp



Updated: June 5, 2007, 12:27 PM ET

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New England Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel says he won't show up for the team's mandatory minicamp, starting Tuesday. Or training camp this summer. Or the first 10 weeks of regular season games.

I'm not coming to camp. I'm not showing up until the 10th week [of the season]. I feel unappreciated. The way they're treating me is just wrong.

Asante Samuel



Samuel, disgruntled after being assigned the team's "franchise" tag, was a no-show at the Patriots Charitable Foundation golf tournament on Monday at the The International Golf Club in Bolton, Mass. Reached by phone afterward, he told The Boston Globe he is unhappy with the lack of progress in contract talks with the team.
"I'm not coming to camp," he told the newspaper. "I'm not showing up until the 10th week [of the season]. I feel unappreciated. The way they're treating me is just wrong."
The prospect of a star player avoiding camp over money is not new for the Patriots. Last offseason, wide receiver Deion Branch sat out camp over his unhappiness with contract talks and was eventually traded to the Seattle Seahawks.

Samuel



Samuel has yet to sign the one-year, $7.79 million contract he was tendered when the Patriots franchised him, so he is technically not under contract and cannot be fined for missing minicamp. Under the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the players union, if a deal isn't reached by the afternoon of July 15, he can sign only a one-year deal and cannot have his contract extended until the regular season ends.
If he shows up for Week 10, Samuel will receive a pro-rated portion of that $7.79 million salary. If he sits out the entire year, he'll get nothing -- and the Patriots will be able to put the franchise tag on him again for 2008.
"He's not coming to camp until a contract resolution can be reached," his agent, Alonzo Shavers, told the Boston Herald on Monday. "Nothing more can be said. His status has not changed. There has been no movement toward a deal."
Samuel is looking for a richer contract after a breakout 2006 season, in which he had 10 interceptions and 65 tackles and became considered one of the NFL's elite cornerbacks.

His teammates said Monday they are ready to move ahead, with or without Samuel.

"If he doesn't come [to minicamp], we have to move on," nose tackle Vince Wilfork told the Globe. "I would love to have him here, but on the same token, we have to move on." "Asante has enough experience to realize that this is a business and it's not personal," added safety Rodney Harrison. "Coach [Bill] Belichick and Mr. [Robert] Kraft, they're going to do what is in the best interests of this team. .. At the same time, we do miss Asante. He's a good guy, a great player, and we miss having him back. Hopefully, in the near future, they can work things out and he'll be here."
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2893597

In the past, this has not been a stratigy that has been particularly succesful for Patriot players. Might be interesting to see how this plays out with the Supplemental draft and the CB out of Georgia. Patriots took Merriweather as a FS out of Miami and they also took Richardson from ND in the 6th but I don't know that either would be ready to play any CB if they had to.

 

[playmakers]

Before reading this article, I would have assumed that they were lowballing him with the likes of 1 year at 2 million. Yes, nice money for anybody but for a player of his stature underpaid. THen I read they franchised him for 1 year at 7.79 mil, what is his problem. If he signed an 8 year deal he would be making roughly 60 million. That is right were he should be and matter in fact I beileve a bit much. He's nuts, and to miss a charity event is just wrong. I can see mini camp and stuff but not when they offer you 8 mil a season.

 

[superpunk]

It's brilliat of the Pats to go out and spend like mad in FA, while ignoring another second round pick who performed brilliantly for them.

Hey - it works so well for Washington, it was only a matter of time before everyone tried it.

 

[BouncingCheese]

IDIOT! The guy has one great season and he is acting like such a prima donna.... which tells me that he is nervous that if he plays badly next year that teams won't pay as much as they would are willing to pay him now, or he is nervous about getting injured.

I think it is a combo of both, because if this guy doesn't think that last year could have been a one-year flash in the pan like so many other players he should go get checked out.

either way, 7.9 million dollars is ALOT of money, I mean there are guys on every team in the league that have $5,000 contracts and here this guy is beeotching and complaining. Ughhh.....

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Like always, he'll report and play. Hurt feelings aren't really worth that $4.9 million.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

The Pats are known for not paying their players and Samuel deserves a nice contract...

 

[WoodysGirl]

Like always, he'll report and play. Hurt feelings aren't really worth that $4.9 million.

You know the saying...

Money talks, BS walks..

 

[Vintage]

It's brilliat of the Pats to go out and spend like mad in FA, while ignoring another second round pick who performed brilliantly for them.

Hey - it works so well for Washington, it was only a matter of time before everyone tried it.

I agree with your premise.....

However, bear in mind, NE put Troy Brown in their secondary and had success with it. If they can do that, I am willing to bet they can "get by" with Eugene Wilson (played CB in college and in pros before moving to S) and Meriweather....Gay is coming back, Hobbs is still there, etc.

While you can debate their recent splurge in free agency (though, LBers tend to have easier transitions).... they've shown they can fill in gaps nicely in their secondary.

Maybe Asante isn't as good as we think he is....or the Patriots think they can replace him easily and isn't worth the kind of long term contract he is demanding.

 

[BouncingCheese]

I agree with your premise.....

However, bear in mind, NE put Troy Brown in their secondary and had success with it. If they can do that, I am willing to bet they can "get by" with Eugene Wilson (played CB in college and in pros before moving to S) and Meriweather....Gay is coming back, Hobbs is still there, etc.

While you can debate their recent splurge in free agency (though, LBers tend to have easier transitions).... they've shown they can fill in gaps nicely in their secondary.

Maybe Asante isn't as good as we think he is....or the Patriots think they can replace him easily and isn't worth the kind of long term contract he is demanding.

Asante Samuel isn't as good as we think he is and I think he knows this. Great points.

DING DING!

 

[AbeBeta]

Before reading this article, I would have assumed that they were lowballing him with the likes of 1 year at 2 million. Yes, nice money for anybody but for a player of his stature underpaid. THen I read they franchised him for 1 year at 7.79 mil, what is his problem. If he signed an 8 year deal he would be making roughly 60 million. That is right were he should be and matter in fact I beileve a bit much. He's nuts, and to miss a charity event is just wrong. I can see mini camp and stuff but not when they offer you 8 mil a season.

They are low balling him by not offering a multi-year deal. A franchised player takes a considerable risk here. If he gets hurt, he's not going to see the HUGE payday that he should get. That's why he'll sit until the 10th week -- that limits the opportunity to get hurt.

The big point you are missing is that his yearly salary is not the sticking point. If he signed a 8 year 60 mill deal, he'd have about $25 million in signing bonus in his bank account right now. That's $25 mill even if he gets hurt and can never play again. Add in to that his yearly salary and it is about 4 times what he'd earn if he had a catastrophic injury while playing under the franchise tender.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I'm guessing the Pats will have to pay, considering they are the one deactivating him.

I'm guessing you mean on the active roster. He wouldn't be active for games. My guess is that he won't even be on the active roster until he returns. At that time, the Pats would have to cut someone from the team to make room for him. The Pats cannot be held responsible for a player who refuses to show up. Think of it like Ricky Williams when he left the Dolphins for Tibet to smoke the wacky tobaccy. The Dolphins didn't have to have an active spot on the roster for him. The Dolphins owned the rights to Williams. Just like the pats own the rights to Samuel.

 

[BouncingCheese]

They are low balling him by not offering a multi-year deal. A franchised player takes a considerable risk here. If he gets hurt, he's not going to see the HUGE payday that he should get. That's why he'll sit until the 10th week -- that limits the opportunity to get hurt.

The big point you are missing is that his yearly salary is not the sticking point. If he signed a 8 year 60 mill deal, he'd have about $25 million in signing bonus in his bank account right now. That's $25 mill even if he gets hurt and can never play again. Add in to that his yearly salary and it is about 4 times what he'd earn if he had a catastrophic injury while playing under the franchise tender.

The thing about Samuel is that he has only had one great year... A player like Lance Briggs has had two Pro bowl seasons and the Bears are lowballing him (though apparently he turned down a six year, 60 million dollar contract, go figure). I don't think the Pats are in the wrong in the least; I wouldn't want to pay all that money for only one great season that could have been a fluke or flash in the pan.

 

[stealth]

how old is samuel?

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

I'm guessing you mean on the active roster. He wouldn't be active for games. My guess is that he won't even be on the active roster until he returns. At that time, the Pats would have to cut someone from the team to make room for him. The Pats cannot be held responsible for a player who refuses to show up. Think of it like Ricky Williams when he left the Dolphins for Tibet to smoke the wacky tobaccy. The Dolphins didn't have to have an active spot on the roster for him. The Dolphins owned the rights to Williams. Just like the pats own the rights to Samuel.

Not to change subjects totally but dude that Avatar pic is hilarious! We will have to see how it works out along with the Lance Briggs situation in Chitown.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Maybe it's me, but he lost a few cool points in my eyes with this...

BOLTON - Asante Samuel [stats] did not join his Patriots [team stats] teammates at Marquise Hill’s wake Friday in New Orleans, nor did he attend the funeral, according to several people who were at the services.

http://patriots.bostonherald.com/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1004881

 

[AbeBeta]

Maybe it's me, but he lost a few cool points in my eyes with this...



http://patriots.bostonherald.com/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1004881

That's not right. If I were his dad, I'd fly to NE to smack him.

 

[David276]

well lets let him come on down to dallas for a 4th rounder and see how he does for a year