The trade of Asante Samuel from Philadelphia to Atlanta was already close, and now it’s a big step closer, as Samuel has agreed to a new contract with the Falcons.
The new contract is a three-year, $18.5 million deal, NFL Network’s Albert Breer reports. Samuel was scheduled to make about $10 million this season and about $11.5 million next season, so $18.5 million over three years represents a significant pay cut compared to what he was scheduled to make over the next two years. But the reality is that if Samuel hadn’t been traded he would have been released, so he wouldn’t have earned his base salaries with the Eagles.
It’s not known yet what the Falcons gave up to acquire Samuel, but it was likely a late-round draft pick. The Eagles made no secret of the fact that they wanted to deal Samuel and weren’t going to hold out for a lot in compensation.
Between the Samuel trade and Brent Grimes signing his franchise tender on Tuesday, the Falcons now have two good veteran cornerbacks under contract. And the Eagles, who also have two good veteran cornerbacks even after this trade, have an expensive player who didn’t fit their long-term plans off their books.