Boston.com reports:
The Patriots’ negotiations with cornerback Asante Samuel took an acrimonious turn last night when Samuel told the NFL Network he wanted to be traded if things did not change course.
“This is to let everybody know that I’m not happy anymore and things are not going well,” Samuel told reporter Adam Schefter. “At first I thought it was going well, but it’s not.
“We have a difference of opinion in my value. They think I’m worth one price and the other teams think I’m worth a lot more. If a long-term deal can’t be done at fair numbers for me and New England, then I want to be traded.”
Samuel, 26, added that if a long-term deal is not consummated with the Patriots, and he is not traded, he would be prepared to hold out for the entire season.
If you’re a Patriots fan, this is probably the last thing you wanted to hear.
Samuel is among the team’s best players and his presence on defense, combined with his youth, make him among the better talents throughout the league, not only in New England. Unfortunately, those very same skills make him a threat to his own team, should he choose to sit out the entire season.
Oddly enough, this is fairly uncharacteristic of New England teams of only a few seasons ago, when the Patriots were in their prime. The one thing they possessed more than anything else was team unity and spirit (remember when they ran out of the tunnel during the Super Bowl — as a whole team, no individuals?). This move by Samuel will certainly do nothing to promote team spirit, and I’m afraid it may mean something far worse.
It could be the end of an era in New England; the “dynasty” complete.
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