Eagles Should Keep Asante Samuel

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They wouldn't... would they? Nah. Even if they wanted to, they
couldn't... could they? The Eagles have already challenged some commonly
held perceptions about how the organization is run with their recent
spending binge. Yet despite going out and turning the notion that the
franchise operates on the cheap on its ear, it's still hard to believe
they actually intend to carry three Pro Bowl cornerbacks into the 2011
season.

It's not even simply a matter of cheap or not.
Conventional wisdom would suggest the club can't keep Nnamdi Asomugha,
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Asante Samuel, sign all of the other
free agents they already did, and also take care of business with their own
guys. With the trade winds kicking up though, it needs to be said that
the Birds can—and absolutely should—keep the trio in tact for a potential Super
Bowl run.

Many people understandably began jumping to conclusions
right away when the Eagles announced the Asomugha signing. "Who's out?"
quickly turned into "What's happening to Samuel?" He would be the most
logical odd man considering the other two had only been acquired in the
previous 48 hours.

Because he is effective
The first reason that could conceivably be a
very big mistake is because Asante Samuel is still one of the best
players in football. In fact, last season was one of the best in his
eight-year career. His seven interceptions were impressive enough, but
that number doesn't quite do him justice. According to Football
Outsiders
, quarterbacks only tested Samuel 36 times in 2010. That means
nearly one in five passes thrown his way were picks.

In fact, by their measurements, Samuel had a better season than Asomugha. And while we're not as familiar with the situation in Oakland, here it was pretty attractive for opposing quarterbacks to throw at Dimitri Patterson's side last season. Simply put, there are not many players in the NFL with better instinct and ability.

Sure,
with the arrival of Asomugha—another shutdown corner who quarterbacks
rarely look at—and Rodgers-Cromartie, the case can be made Samuel is
expendable anyway. That's not entirely untrue. Having said that, the organization
isn't in a position where their hand is being forced.

Because the team can
Looking at
the contract situations for all three, Asomugha obviously comes in as
the top dog. He'll make $10 million in 2011. Samuel comes in at a close
second with a cap figure at $9.3 mil. Finally, Rodgers-Cromartie will
earn just under $1 million. DRC's cap figure is what makes the entire
thing work. Naturally he'll be rewarded with a raise and extension,
likely next season. Coming off a subpar year in Arizona
however, the Eagles aren't necessarily required to move on that now. (Numbers via eaglescap.com)

They can also release Joselio Hanson and free up a couple million there.

Meanwhile,
the Eagles can look to get cap relief from a potential Samuel trade
next off-season, when the All Pro corner might be looking to renegotiate
in the first place. The guaranteed bonus money in his contract is
minimal after this season, and even though his base salary is still
hefty in 2012 and '13, the future will be heavy on Samuel's mind when he
turns 31 in January. At that point, the Eagles could make the exchange,
which in turn would free up the money to re-sign DRC, who will be on the final year of his rookie contract.

And what's
the rush for? While management entertains offers for their Pro Bowl
corner, they shouldn't even consider a swap unless the return on their
investment is outrageous. The primary consideration has to be what will
help the team most this year: high draft picks next April (keeping in
mind that player-for-player trades are somewhat rare), or a stud
ballhawk in their secondary. After all, barring a catastrophic injury,
his value shouldn't plummet much at all between now and March, when they
will inevitably part ways over his contract. In other words, those
picks will be there.

Because it's what's best for him
As for Samuel's alleged unhappiness with the
current situation, we're not sure that has anything to do with
welcoming Asomugha and DRC. His confrontational attitude seemed to be
more of a response toward reports the front office is listening to trade
offers, and not so much the influx of talent in the secondary. If that
is indeed the case, you could gather that Samuel actually wants to stay,
and be a part of this so-called "Dream Team."

After all, there
really is no reason for Samuel to demand a trade, and according to his
agent, he has not done so. Defensive coordinator Juan Castillo has not
indicated Samuel's role on defense would change, and the team has not
requested he take a paycut or renegotiate. Plus, right now it's just
hype, but Samuel has to realize Philadelphia is his best opportunity to win
another championship this year.

That puts the decision entirely
in the hands of the front office. Maybe the right deal comes along,
something they absolutely can't refuse. We'll evaluate that trade
if/when it happens. With what we know now though, there should be
unanimous support from the fan base for keeping Samuel in midnight
green. The pressure is on this year, and the Eagles shouldn't be taking
any bullets out of the chamber.

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