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.
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 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."
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Originally Posted by Fingerbang
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