SFinAustin

The asking price for Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel is somewhere between $10 and $11 million per season. The Saints are currently the leader to land Samuel, although that could change. Samuel's price got this high because Atlanta's disgruntled DeAngelo Hall is asking for $10 million. The Giants aren't really interested because they won't pay Hall's price, but there is no doubt Atlanta will trade him for a first-round draft choice.

FOX Sports on MSN - John Czarnecki - Talk isn't just about college stars at combine

QBREES9

Asante Samuel, I would love to see him in a Saints UNI. Ijust wonder if there going to open there wallet.

papz

Steep steep asking price. I'm torn on Samuels as I know he's a really good corner but in the back of my mind... I have him as a system corner. 10-11 million dollars a year is a hell of a lot of money. We'll see what happens.

saintsfan1976

Didn't we learn our lesson with Jason David? Why break our bank on a "system guy" when we can draft two CB's with all the upside in the world?

SFinAustin

To put David on par with Samuel is a joke.

Furthermore, can you put your finger on the "system" that the Pats run? The league sure hasn't been able to. Fact is, they run a complex system that incorporates man and zone concepts. And, we don't exclusively run an schemes either. I can't believe some are scoffing at an All-Pro corner possibly coming to New Orleans. Wow...

papz

I'd gladly take him... but it doesn't mean I can't be skeptical. It's not like there haven't been concerns about him possibly being a system corner.

iceshack149

Color me skeptical. I think that the CB position is perhaps the most overrated position in football. That's not to say that it's not important but $10,000,000 a year? I want Samuel to play for the Saints but man, that's a LOT of dough.

Wait. I want playmakers on this defense. Cost be damned.
You've just witnessed a flip-flop.

SFinAustin

But where are the concerns founded from? The fact that he's excelled in such a complex scheme tells me that he's smart, and the 16 picks over the last two years tells me he's a ballhawk. None of the other CB's in New England have come close to his success (unlike a few years back in Cincy when it seemed everybody had at least 4 INT's) so maybe, it's him, not the system. Furthermore, when you look at what we have (and I remind you that David, Toast Thomas, and an injured Mike McKenzie are still on the roster), I don't see how there's any possible downside to Samuel signing on with the Saints.

papz

I don't see a downside besides the fact he's going to cost an arm and a leg. Even if he's a system corner, he's still would be better than anything we have. But hey there's a price to pay for high quality talent. Like I said, I'd glady take him.

Free agent Asante Samuel is rumored to be in search of a ten-year, $100 million contract, including $30 million up front.

Apparently he doesn't just want more than Nate Clements (seven years, $64 million), he wants much more. The way Samuel and his agent are speaking, it sounds like he doesn't have a preference of where to sign. Some GMs are pegging him as a system DB.

Source: Boston Herald

Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege.

All little common sense goes a long way.

SFinAustin

Contracts are never what they appear, never, and Samuel's deal will be no different. He will get a boatload of cash but that $30M wouldn't come up front and if it did, it would still count over the life of the deal. Deals are now structured for guaranteed money over the life of the deal. Guaranteeing $30M over the first 4 or 5 years isn't too much to ask. It's not like he would get every dime. Actually, the player is the only person to lose when those inflated deals are signed. The team gets salary cap rebates the following year when those incentives aren't met (and a corner rarely leads the league in punting), and the agent gets his percentage up front for the total possible amount of the deal. The player pays the agent more even though they never see the full value of the deal. The guarantees were finally put into contracts (and the league owners resisted) to protect the players. I'm fine with that.