There is a very high probability that the Philadelphia Eagles will trade four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel this week, league sources said Monday.
The Eagles have been shopping Samuel since last year. Now that the team has come to terms with the fact it won’t receive much for him, a deal is expected to be done by the 2012 NFL Draft, which starts Thursday.
Whatever happens, Samuel’s hefty contract, in which he’s owed $21.5 million over the next two seasons, likely will have to be adjusted. He will count for more than $8 million against the salary cap, which is among the factors that reportedly dissuaded teams from trading for him.
The Philadelphia Daily News reported in March that Samuel, 31, might be interested in reducing his salary in order to make a trade possible.
The Eagles are talking to several teams, one of which is the Falcons, a league source told NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi on Tuesday. The key is Samuels must take a reduction in his deal, the source told Lombardi.
Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan said Samuel, who had 30 tackles and three interceptions in 2011, has been a difficult opponent.
“As far as Asante Samuel, I can only speak for having played against him a number of times and I know that’s he’s been extremely difficult to play against and has done a great job against us when we’ve played him in the past,” Ryan said.
The Denver Post reported earlier this month that the Eagles received two offers for Samuel from the Denver Broncos, one in which Philadelphia would receive a fifth- or sixth-round draft pick and the other in which the team would acquire an unnamed player.
The Tennessee Titans also have been interested in Samuel.
UPDATE: Falcons most likely…
