What would you trade Asante Samuel for?

[Rome]

That 7th rounder will wind up being one of the starting safeties or LBs at some point this year.

I posted almost the exact same comment on FB.

It would actually be funnier if it wasn't true.

[Munson]

He had the 8th lowest completion percentage and 2nd lowest QB rating when QB's threw his way last year....his 'bad' play is significantly overblown

[SD]

He had the 8th lowest completion percentage and 2nd lowest QB rating when QB's threw his way last year....his 'bad' play is significantly overblown

It's really a catch 22

[phattymatty]

wow, someone doesn't like asante

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/eagles/20120426_Marcus_Hayes__In_Samuel_trade__Birds_toss_a_no-hitter.html?viewAll=y

[rjs246]

Stopped reading as soon as he started mocking the dude's name. Did Asante impregnate Hayes' daughter or something? Jesus.

[Seabiscuit36]

Probably called Hayes an uncle tom

[ice grillin you]

holy shtein what a butt hurt cowardly POS hack hayes is...vendetta piece that was written right after assante clowned him in the locker room a few years ago but dook didnt have the guts to publish until 22 was out of town

[PhillyPhreak54]

wow, someone doesn't like asante

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/eagles/20120426_Marcus_Hayes__In_Samuel_trade__Birds_toss_a_no-hitter.html?viewAll=y

lol That is an example of a media member being offended at the way he was with them. A few of the beat guys said that Samuel had a "10 percent rule" in which he only talked to the media 10% of the time and less if they created drama. He told the ATL media yesterday that the Philly media was "dramafied".

Good to see that salty ass Marcus Hayes pulled off girls field hockey to write a column.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Stopped reading as soon as he started mocking the dude's name. Did Asante impregnate Hayes' daughter or something? Jesus.

Worse. Bent Hayes over and gave him "the Joselio" sans lube.

[Zanshin]

That's a pointless article right there.

[SD]

http://www.csnphilly.com/football-philadelphia-eagles/eagles-talk/Reid-explains-reasons-behind-Samuel-trad?blockID=699205&feedID=692

Reid explains reasons behind Samuel trade

April 29, 2012, 5:06 pm

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Why trade Asante Samuel? Late Saturday night, Andy Reid spoke for the first time about the Samuel trade and about the Eagles' new-look secondary, which he believes won't be as "limited" as the Eagles have been in the past.

Reid said he understands why fans were upset that the Eagles not only traded Samuel, a four-time Pro Bowl cornerback, but also received only a seventh-round pick in return.

"I completely understand our fans," Reid said. "He was one of my favorite guys. He was a good football player. But this is the name of the game in the National Football League. There's going to be change that takes place."

And one of those changes was unloading Samuel, who had 25 interceptions in four years in Philly. A day before the draft, after nearly a year of trade speculation, the Eagles shipped Samuel to the Falcons for a seventh-round pick.

The moves allows the Eagles to move Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from the slot, where he struggled last year, to Samuel's left outside corner spot. With Nnamdi Asomugha and DRC, the Eagles have two corners who can play press coverage or play off the receiver. Samuel was exclusively an off corner, and he had great success at it -- 52 interceptions and nine TDs worth.

But the Eagles believe they can be a sounder defense with Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie manning the two outside spots and a true nickel corner inside.

"We try to exploit everybody's strength as players," Reid said. "Asante's best stuff was off and outside. And that's what we tried to do the years that he was here. With that, you're a bit limited. Listen, his production was great. He's a good player. These guys, you can do different things with, and we'll see how their production works out."

Rodgers-Cromartie, who the Eagles acquired from the Cards in the Kevin Kolb trade, didn't play well until he moved outside the last couple games of the season, which Samuel missed with a hamstring injury.

But in his first three seasons, all with Arizona, DRC had 13 interceptions and four touchdown returns. He's one of only 14 players in NFL history with four INT returns for touchdowns in his first four NFL seasons.

Reid said there was no one overwhelming reason the Eagles traded Samuel. Among the factors that went into the decision to unload one of the most productive cornerbacks of his generation were the Eagles' depth at the position, Samuel's high salary and the ability for the projected starters, Asomugha and DRC, to be more versatile.

"A whole lot of things go into it," he said. "We've got enough corners where we can do this. ... You've got a cap situation you've got to work with, looking about the future, and you've got to put all this together.

"It's a little bit of a puzzle. The fans don't necessarily have to do that, and I'm not asking them to do it. I want them to be fans. And I understand. I'm with them. I get it. We've got to make it all fit together and make it work."

One remaining unanswered question is this: Who plays the slot next year?

Joselio Hanson is back, and he's a capable, experienced slot. Reid said the Eagles are considering working last year's third-round pick, Curtis Marsh, into the mix in the slot as well. And fourth-round pick Brandon Boykin, a guy many experts projected as a second-round pick, played a lot of slot at Georgia. There's also Brandon Hughes, who's spent time the last couple years on the Eagles' 53-man roster.

Marsh is kind of the wild card in the cornerback mix. He didn't get a lot of chances to play last year, but when he did, he wasn't too bad. Especially considering he had no off-season as a rookie.

Reid remains high on Marsh, who will most likely end up being the top outside backup, with Hanson, Boykin or Hughes manning the slot.

"He has the ability," Reid said. "He loves to press. He's big and strong. He loves the game. Normally, you have to talk guys into doing that [press coverage]. Between him, DRC and Nnamdi, they like getting right up there, taking their size and trying to lock a guy down."

Reid revealed Saturday evening while chatting with a group of beat writers that one consideration in where to ship Samuel was Samuel's own family situation.

"You make the calls and you try to work it, and at the same time, he's a veteran player, he's had good years for us, so you want to get him in a direction closer to home, which he needed, because of his family," Reid said.

"He has some kids and his mom, she's up there a little bit, his sister, and he wanted to play in Atlanta. So we checked with Atlanta and we checked all over the league, and that's really the best we could do.

"There weren't a whole lot of teams, to be honest with you, that were interested."

E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Curtis Marsh is a bum. Never mention him again.

[ice grillin you]

hater

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Guilty.

[Don Ho]

I am very excited to see Cliff Harris.  Awesome FA signing.