Tagging Samuel

The Patriots have placed the franchise player tag on potential free-agent cornerback Asante Samuel. This is the sort of move that sometimes angers young players who know that being franchised is at best a mixed bag -- it shows that the team wants to keep him and more than likely to give him a substantial raise, but at the same time it limits his ability to go on the open market and receive a serious jackpot. The two sides will continue to negotiate and hopefully the talks will lead to a long-term deal that makes both sides happy.