PatsBlog: A Patriots Blog

More than likely, the Patriots won’t be seeing Asante Samuel on the field until week 10.  Yesterday, he was quoted as saying:

“I’m not coming to camp.  I’m not showing up until the 10th week. I feel unappreciated. The way they’re treating me is just wrong.”

So there you have it, let Asante Samuel’s holdout officially begin.  One thing I didn’t like, was that he didn’t go to Marquise Hill’s funeral.  I don’t think that says anything good about his character.  He’s letting business get in the way of the death of a teammate.  That being said, the Patriots have not handled the Asante Samuel situation correctly.  Asante should have been offered a contract after the franchise tag, but was not.  The Patriots have spent so much money on other free agents, but refuse to give any to Asante.

Why haven’t the Patriots thrown out a contract offer like 5 years 37 million with around 17 million guaranteed.  I believe that it would make both parties.

But now, there is no turning back.  The holdout has started, and a solution needs to be reached.  This also brings up the question, will Asante Samuel be traded?  How much value could he bring?  Could you get a first rounder from a team like the Vikings, Redskins, or Lions? 

Day 1 of the Patriots first mandatory mini camp began today, and it started off pretty well.  The players were dressed in light shoulder pads, helmets, and shorts.

• Players Out
  • Mel Mitchell
  • Asante Samuel (holdout)
  • Brandon Meriweather
  • Chad Jackson (knee)
  • Laurence Maroney (shoulder)
  • Eric Alexander
  • Richard Seymour
  • James Sanders
  • Brandon Meriweather
  • Eddie Jackson
  • Antwain Spann
  • David Thomas
• Quarterbacks
  • Matt Cassel: Threw his third interception of the mini-camp season during a seven on seven drill.
  • Matt Gutierrez: Once again looked very impressive.  At this point, I can’t see the Patriots not giving him a minimum of a practice squad spot.
  • Vinny Testaverde: Still not signed, but was once again present at minicamp.
• Runningbacks
  • Sammy Morris: Continued to wear red non-contact jersey
  • Justise Hairston: Sixth round rookie continues to look good
• Wide Receivers / Tight Ends
  • Donte Stallworth: Stallworth, who was absent for the last minicamp, was on the field for this one
  • Randy Moss: Continues to look good.  Had one impressive catch in the back of the endzone.
  • Wes Welker: Right now, he actually looks like the best receiver on the Patriots roster.  He’s a hard worker, runs good routes, has soft hand, and good speed, plus, he’s extremely versatile (worked on kickoff returns during practice).
  • Kyle Brady: Continues to be one of Tom Brady’s favorite targets.  Kyle should be part of a good 3 headed tight end monster (including Ben Watson and David Thomas).
• Defensive Backs
  • Artrell Hawkins: Intercepted a Matt Cassel pass during seven on sevens.
  • Rodney Harrison: Continues to look healthy which is a very good sign.
• Special Teams
  • Gostkowski started his field goals looking shaky, but was able to finish practice strong
  • Wide receiver Wes Welker was returning kicks

Stay tuned for more day 2!