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| 30th November, 2007 - 12:19 pm |  Boston Globe - Unable to reach an agreement on a lucrative long-term deal with the Patriots after they slapped the franchise tag on him during the offseason, Asante Samuel missed a month of training camp, balking at signing his $7.79 million tender. When he finally signed, he got the Patriots to add provisions that prohibit them from franchising him again if he plays 60 percent of the defensive snaps or the team wins 12 games. New England is 11-0 heading into its Monday night matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, and Samuel, who is tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with six, is one win from cashing in on his status as one of the game's best cornerbacks.
"I knew what he was capable of and we needed to make sure he was protected," said Alonzo Shavers, Samuel's agent. "We knew Asante was going to be in this situation. We did know what he was capable of, and we knew if he played to his capabilities, he would be in a situation similar to this. We just wanted to put Asante in the best situation for him."
If the Patriots want Samuel to remain here, it could mean having to offer him a Nate Clements-type deal. Clements, who played out a franchise year with the Bills last season, was rewarded by the 49ers during the offseason with an eight-year, $80 million contract that included $22 million in bonuses and guarantees. Key to Clements's deal is that in the first three years of the contract he is slated to earn $28.9 million. [READ] |
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