Source: Asante Samuel Deal to Atlanta Close to Done

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The Inquirer's Jeff McLane is reporting that sources are telling him a deal sending Asante Samuel to the Atlanta Falcons is close to being completed. He writes:

The Eagles would get a late round pick, likely a sixth rounder, in this
week's draft in exchange for the 31-year-old cornerback. Samuel has
agreed to restructure his contract so that the deal can get done.

We wrote about the Eagles potentially only getting a fifth or sixth round pick for Samuel last week, asking if it was some sort of sick joke.

Here's part of what Kulp wrote at the time:

We knew the Eagles were never going to get a return equal to what a
playmaker like Samuel is actually worth. He's 31 years old, and set to
make $10 million this season, $11.5 million in 2013. Without a
restructured deal that includes an extension, he's nothing more than an
expensive rental -- albeit a very talented one. Plus, the front office
has been shopping Samuel since last summer, and word is out that he no
longer fits with what Philly's defense is trying to do, so the Eagles
have no leverage.

Still, we hadn't lowered our expectations that
far. Samuel is still one of the top corners in the NFL, and while the
price tag is high, it's not so outrageous when you look around the
league. By comparison, the five-year deal Nnamdi Asomugha signed last
year is worth $60 million, an average of $12 mil per season. Brandon
Carr and Cortland Finnegan agreed to five-year, $50 million dollar
contracts this offseason with the Cowboys and Rams respectively.

The
DeMeco Ryans trade, which went down under similar circumstances, seemed
like a good barometer for Samuel's value. The Texans received a
fourth-round pick and swapped thirds in exchange for a two-time Pro-Bowl
middle linebacker, simply because he was making too much money to play a
diminished role in a new defensive scheme. He also had the Achilles
injury in 2010.

It's stunning to think Samuel isn't worth at
least that much. Though he is older than Ryans, he hasn't suffered any
career-threatening injuries that would give teams pause. Cornerback is
often a more valuable position than linebacker as well, and while his
interception total was down last season, advanced metrics show Samuel is
still one of the best at his craft.

Sometimes a player is only worth what the market will dictate it seems.

The Eagles host the Falcons on October 28th at the Linc. You think Asante would love to pick his old pal Michael Vick in that one?

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