Can Samuel live up to his contract?
Asante Samuel gambles and he usually wins. That's his style on the field, and that was his style in negotiations with the Patriots last summer, only ending his holdout in exchange for a promise that New England would not use the franchise tag on him again.
The gamble paid off Friday, when the Eagles awarded him a six-year, $54 million contract, with $6 million in incentives. As a Patriots fan, I have watched Samuel's ups and downs. His play was occasionally brilliant but highly inconsistent for his first three and a half seasons. He was often hurt. Then he went on a well-timed (helloo contract) interception binge in the second half of 2006.
Samuel's excellent ballhawking play continued through the '07 season, ending in his first Pro Bowl nod. The honor was deserved, but that doesn't mean Samuel is worth all the money. Unlike many top cornerbacks, Samuel usually stays on one side of the field - he doesn't trail the team's opposing defender. He makes a lot of big plays, but his aggressive style occasionally gets him burned, and he's not much of a tackler.
Still, Samuel landed with a team that suits his skills. The Eagles are aggressive pressuring the quarterback, and Samuel can gamble more when aided by a big pass rush.
Signing Samuel makes the Eagles defense better; the question is how much. They already have two good cornerbacks in Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown. Samuel better be great for that coin.
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