Asante Samuel

Asante Samuel was willing to restructure his contract to play for the Falcons. "I wanted to be a Falcon, so we made it work," Samuel said. The Falcons gave up only a seventh-round draft pick Wednesday when they acquired the four-time Pro Bowl cornerback from the Eagles. The Falcons announced the trade after Samuel agreed to restructure his contract to a three-year, $18.5 million deal. His contract with Philadelphia called for him to earn $9.9 million in 2012 and $11.4 million in 2013.

Asante Samuel was willing to restructure his contract to play for the Falcons. "I wanted to be a Falcon, so we made it work," Samuel said. The Falcons gave up only a seventh-round draft pick Wednesday when they acquired the four-time Pro Bowl cornerback from the Eagles. The Falcons announced the trade after Samuel agreed to restructure his contract to a three-year, $18.5 million deal. His contract with Philadelphia called for him to earn $9.9 million in 2012 and $11.4 million in 2013.

Thirteen days. Thirteen days of hype, reminders, and bravado from that city west of Stamford. Revenge Bowl, 2012. Bring it. Good grief, what a day for football yesterday was. Baltimore has not one, but a pair of Buckners to add to its illustrious sports history, while the Giants staved off the 49ers in overtime to set up a Patriots-Giants Super Bowl matchup. Again. There will be no David Tyree, Asante Samuel, Rodney Harrison, or Michael Strahan. The game will be played indoors in Indianapolis, not the desert, and the hope for Patriots fans is that the...

There are less than two hours for the Patriots to officially place the franchise tag on Wes Welker for the 2012 season. If you're holding out hope that the two sides are hammering out a last-minute long-term deal, it's safe to say you should stop hoping; the two sides are far apart and New England will tag Welker. It will be the fourth straight year that New England has used its franchise tag, and the eighth time overall, though not always with the same result in mind: 2011 - Logan Mankins.

INDIANAPOLIS - Heartache in the heartland. It was there. Everything was in place. The Patriots were favored in Super Bowl XLVI and we were ready to anoint Bill Belichick best coach ever, while boosting Tom Brady to the top of the all-time quarterback list. The Patriots led the Giants by 2 points with less than four minutes to play. But then it all came apart under the man-made sky of Lucas Oil Stadium, 6 miles from the magic gym where "Hoosiers" was shot. Four years after watching their perfect season implode in the desert of Glendale, Ariz., the Patriots were again beaten in the...

There are less than two hours for the Patriots to officially place the franchise tag on Wes Welker for the 2012 season. If you're holding out hope that the two sides are hammering out a last-minute long-term deal, it's safe to say you should stop hoping; the two sides are far apart and New England will tag Welker. It will be the fourth straight year that New England has used its franchise tag, and the eighth time overall, though not always with the same result in mind: 2011 - Logan Mankins.

FOXBOROUGH -- Tom Brady isn't sharing any details of ailments he may be facing but said today he feels great as the Patriots prepare for the Philadelphia Eagles. Brady wrapped up his weekly press conference moments ago and stayed focused on the Eagles. In terms of his health, Brady said he is ready to play. "I feel great. I'm excited about this week," Brady said. "I'll be out there on Sunday unless they tell me I can't be. I'll be out there. I feel great and I'll try to go play my best football.

Asante Samuel has a tattoo that reads "Get Rich To This," and that's exactly what the free agent cornerback did yesterday, leaving the Patriots to sign a six-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. Samuel, the NFL leader in interceptions over the last two seasons with 16, proved he's opportunistic both on and off the field, cashing in on the first day of free agency and getting the lucrative contract - $57 million with $20 million guaranteed, according to the Associated Press - that eluded him last year after the Patriots slapped the franchise tag on him. The Eagles...

Barring an unexpected turn, the Patriots and cornerback Asante Samuel will not reach a long-term contract agreement before today's 4 p.m. deadline for franchise players. The Patriots have not increased their most recent offer, according to a source directly involved in negotiations. Yet Samuel's agent, Alonzo Shavers, has not lost hope that a deal could be struck. "We're still working, the deadline hasn't got here yet," he said. "We've been in conversations. " Shavers would not elaborate on the nature of those conversations, and also wouldn't confirm that the...

HONOLULU - Asante Samuel said "it's gonna take a lot" to keep him a Patriot. But the 27-year-old unrestricted free agent cornerback, who has spent his five-year career in New England, added that on a scale of 1 to 10, he'd probably rate his chances of coming back a 10. "The fans love me and I love them back," he said. "The organization loves me and, hopefully, we can work it out. " Samuel had six interceptions during the regular season and has 22 in his career. He's returned three for touchdowns.

INDIANAPOLIS - Heartache in the heartland. It was there. Everything was in place. The Patriots were favored in Super Bowl XLVI and we were ready to anoint Bill Belichick best coach ever, while boosting Tom Brady to the top of the all-time quarterback list. The Patriots led the Giants by 2 points with less than four minutes to play. But then it all came apart under the man-made sky of Lucas Oil Stadium, 6 miles from the magic gym where "Hoosiers" was shot. Four years after watching their perfect season implode in the desert of Glendale, Ariz., the Patriots were again beaten in the Super Bowl by the New...

INDIANAPOLIS - Heartache in the heartland. It was there. Everything was in place. The Patriots were favored in Super Bowl XLVI and we were ready to anoint Bill Belichick best coach ever, while boosting Tom Brady to the top of the all-time quarterback list. The Patriots led the Giants by 2 points with less than four minutes to play. But then it all came apart under the man-made sky of Lucas Oil Stadium, 6 miles from the magic gym where "Hoosiers" was shot. Four years after watching their perfect season implode in the desert of Glendale, Ariz., the...

We've missed you, New York. Sure, we had our fling with Vancouver. Philadelphia tried to make a pass at us . And Los Angeles? They're just an old flame we get together with every now and then. But they're not you, New York. We miss hating you. Look, we understand that the Red Sox haven't given you much to gripe about, and your Knicks are still a ways away. But the Bruins and Rangers are destined for the Eastern Conference Finals, and now we have the ultimate, a rematch between the Patriots and Giants in the Super Bowl.

Thirteen days. Thirteen days of hype, reminders, and bravado from that city west of Stamford. Revenge Bowl, 2012. Bring it. Good grief, what a day for football yesterday was. Baltimore has not one, but a pair of Buckners to add to its illustrious sports history, while the Giants staved off the 49ers in overtime to set up a Patriots-Giants Super Bowl matchup. Again. There will be no David Tyree, Asante Samuel, Rodney Harrison, or Michael Strahan. The game will be played indoors in Indianapolis, not the desert,...

Thirteen days. Thirteen days of hype, reminders, and bravado from that city west of Stamford. Revenge Bowl, 2012. Bring it. Good grief, what a day for football yesterday was. Baltimore has not one, but a pair of Buckners to add to its illustrious sports history, while the Giants staved off the 49ers in overtime to set up a Patriots-Giants Super Bowl matchup. Again. There will be no David Tyree, Asante Samuel, Rodney Harrison, or Michael Strahan. The game will be played indoors in Indianapolis, not the desert, and the hope for Patriots fans is that the end...

PHILADELPHIA - Asante Samuel warned teammates all week. In another football life, he was a New England Patriot. He tried to tell the Philadelphia Eagles what it would be like facing a Bill Belichick-coached team, the NFL version of a staring contest in which the Patriots' gaze is unwavering. Samuel conveyed the message that any mistake would be magnified, any weakness probed and exploited, any error potentially fatal in a football sense. He knew that Belichick's Patriots, no matter how obscure some of the names on the backs of their jerseys, have one defining...

FOXBOROUGH - Maybe Patriots defensive end Jarvis Green was prescient when he purchased the team T-shirts hailing them as 60-minute men. The Patriots needed almost every minute last night to prevent time from running out on their perfect season. But the clock is still ticking on the status of Don Shula and his 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only undefeated team in NFL history. The Patriots rallied from a 28-24 fourth-quarter deficit to continue their run at the record books with a 31-28 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles last night at Gillette Stadium in front of 68,756.

No deal. No surprise. Yesterday's deadline to sign franchise players to long-term extensions passed, with the Patriots and disgruntled cornerback Asante Samuel unable to strike a deal. The sides never were close to reaching an accord. Samuel's camp was proposing a frontloaded contract, with the focus on the first three years. The first three years of any deal are considered key, because players are generally assured they will earn the money even though NFL contracts aren't guaranteed.

By Christopher L. Gasper, Boston Globe columnist PHILADELPHIA -- Asante Samuel warned his teammates all week. In another football life, he was a New England Patriot. He tried to tell the Philadelphia Eagles what it would be like facing a Bill Belichick-coached team, the NFL version of a staring contest where the Patriots' gaze is unwavering. Samuel conveyed the message that any mistake would be magnified, any weakness probed and exploited, any error potentially fatal in a football sense.