I like Asante's attitude

[Fencer]

I've said this before, but it bears repeating -- Asante has had a great attitude this year. He's the guy screaming "60 minutes." He's the guy racing across the field to get BB to throw a flag. He's expressing the party line to the press with great feeling. And by the way, given that he's having a Pro Bowl year, his holdout didn't wind up doing very much to hurt the team.

If he decides the last few million dollars are more important than staying with the Pats, I'll be disappointed, but that's his right.

I felt the same way about Graham last year, the most obvious evidence being that he was voted to a captaincy halfway through the season.

 

[Satchboogie3]

Wasn't the guy screaming "60 minutes" Brady? I remember him pacing in front of the bench during the INDY game screaming that.

 

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

Wasn't the guy screaming "60 minutes" Brady? I remember him pacing in front of the bench during the INDY game screaming that.

Asante said it to the camera running off the field...

 

[Fencer]

Asante said it to the camera running off the field...

Exactly.

Although a number of others have surely screamed it since (and perhaps even before).

 

[Satchboogie3]

Yea, he's been great this year, but I still didn't like his little holdout stunt.

 

[maverick4]

He seems super mellow all the time.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Actually Asante has appeared to step up and become more vocal of late. At the beginning of the season, in Rodney's absence, it was Ellis calling up the secondary pre game. I noticed a some point after Rodney returned, it was Asante doing the honors. I think this secondary needs that kind of vocal and demonstrative presence - we have missed that in the past when Rodney was out - and I'm sure it's something the FO has noted. Unfortunately being a leader and being realistic contractually are not related, as Graham and Branch recently underscored.

 

[xmarkd400x]

Business is business and football is football.

Contracts, guarantees, incentives, talent evaluation, all that stuff is business.

Work ethic, effort, intelligence, character, all that stuff is what makes a good teammate. Asante would not be on the field if he were not a competitor who gives 100% every day he shows up to work. The Patriots knew what type of effort he would bring early on in his career.

The "holdout", that's business. The "60 minutes", that's football. To a fan, the two are mixed; but to people in the business, the difference is clear.

 

[letekro]

....He's the guy who will be asking for $30m guaranteed. I think we have to pay him market value. Get rid of Colvin, Stallworth and restructure whoever else to make it happen.

 

[dhamz]

Unfortunately being a leader and being realistic contractually are not related, as Graham and Branch recently underscored.

If Graham and Branch were "unrealistic contractually", wouldn't that mean that they overestimated their value on the market and no one met their asking price?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

If Graham and Branch were "unrealistic contractually", wouldn't that mean that they overestimated their value on the market and no one met their asking price?

No, the market isn't always realistic and there is often somebody who miscalculates value based on desperation and need, and overpays for a player. BB won't pay that kind of market. He and Scott set a value on each player based on both market factors and their assessment of that players value in this system. They won't exceed the $$$ amount that formula yields. Because they also budget by unit in a very disciplined approach to roster construction, and every dollar that goes to one player is not available for any others.

If Asante is reasonable, as many others here have been, he can remain on a very lucrative deal. If not, sayonara - he's not getting Brady and Seymour money ($8-10M AAV). There are only so may players in the top 5 at their position contract wise that any team can afford to retain before you end up like the Colts filling out your roster with 14 no experience draftees and UDFA's. And if Asante truly wants to be #1 or top 2-3 compensated corners, he's gonna be cashing someone elses checks.

Remember what Kraft said of Brady after he led the team to it's third suerbowl in 4 seasons? We want to get an extension done, but if he wants Manning money it's going to be a very tough negotiation. Luckily, he didn't and it wasn't.

 

[xmarkd400x]

If Graham and Branch were "unrealistic contractually", wouldn't that mean that they overestimated their value on the market and no one met their asking price?

A player's value to this team and their open market value are sometimes not the same. Adam V. would be a good example. To the Patriots, he was not worth his free-market value (2.75m/yr?).

When the Patriots let a player hit free agency, you know they are not going to bring him back. The Patriots have exclusive bargaining rights to players currently under contract, and would lock them up before free agency if they wanted to.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

i don't think it's a "contract renewal act." I think he's quite sincere. I think he'd like to get his second ring this year with the patriots and then get his money with another team without worrying about whether they are an SB contender. no hard feelings. just business. most players play their whole NFL career hoping to get just one ring. he'll have two and the bucks. who can blame him?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

i don't think it's a "contract renewal act." I think he's quite sincere. I think he'd like to get his second ring this year with the patriots and then get his money with another team without worrying about whether they are an SB contender. no hard feelings. just business. most players play their whole NFL career hoping to get just one ring. he'll have two and the bucks. who can blame him?

I don't blame him, to each his own, but I guarantee you the people he doesn't win a third ring for/with will turn on him long before he sees the full dollar value of any mega deal he signs. That too is human nature. I'm sure the folks in San Francisco would gladly trade their $80M shiny new corner for a couple of impact players on defense AND offense about now...

 

[shmessy]

i don't think it's a "contract renewal act." I think he's quite sincere. I think he'd like to get his second ring this year with the patriots and then get his money with another team without worrying about whether they are an SB contender. no hard feelings. just business. most players play their whole NFL career hoping to get just one ring. he'll have two and the bucks. who can blame him?

I believe it would be his third ring - he was a rookie in 2003, came in the same draft with Geno who stepped up amazingly that year for Milloy.

 

[Amnorix]

Business is business and football is football.

Contracts, guarantees, incentives, talent evaluation, all that stuff is business.

Work ethic, effort, intelligence, character, all that stuff is what makes a good teammate. Asante would not be on the field if he were not a competitor who gives 100% every day he shows up to work. The Patriots knew what type of effort he would bring early on in his career.

The "holdout", that's business. The "60 minutes", that's football. To a fan, the two are mixed; but to people in the business, the difference is clear.

That's exactly right. We as fans need to understand that getting a 50% or 100% raise from someone else and taking it isn't insulting to your former team or its fans.

Who here would turn down a multi-million dollar, 100% raise offer from another team?

Oh, and where is 'Sante from anyway? Right -- Florida. So what love does he have for New England or its team or fans other than a paycheck and mutual respect?

 

[PatsDparty]

I think Asante will actually stay. I think the Pats now realize that he's not a one year wonder, and as BB said , he's one of the best players in the league. If he wants to max out, he's gone, but if he's williing to take slightly less (as does everyone on this team), I think the Pats will pay him.

 

[shakadave]

Do we actually know, or is it just rumored, that ***ante was promised we wouldn't franchise him again in 2008? If it's an option, I think franchising him two more times may be a better deal than laying out the $50m for a long-term contract.

 

[Water Boy]

Asante said it to the camera running off the field...

Are you sure Asante said "60 minutes!" and not "$60 million!" ?

 

[SeymourTrophies]

I really don't see us paying Asante because he's not even as good as Ty Law and we didn't pay him. Ty Law was older though.

A person with football know how can correct me, but it seems that Asante gets shredded for 59 minutes but makes one pick which overshadows the fact he was killed the entire game. The indy game in the playoffs and the philly game this year come to mind. He made a pick early then was mauled the rest of the game. He jumps routes and makes picks 1 out of 10 times and gives up yardage the other 9 times. I would rather have a guy who doesn't put himself in the position to have to make picks to save us.