Tag: Asante Samuel

17 former Eagles nominated for 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

Brian Westbrook, Michael Vick Donovan McNabb, and Eric Allen are among the 17 former Philadelphia Eagles nominated for the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

The NFL just announced that nine players in their first year of eligibility are among the 173 Modern-Era Nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.

The list of first-time nominees includes running back Jamaal Charles, wide receiver Brandon Marshall, wide receiver Jordy Nelson, tight end Antonio Gates, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, and defensive end Julius Peppers.

The list of Modern-Era Nominees will be reduced to 25 Semifinalists in November and, from there, to 15 Finalists whose names will be announced in early January.

Here’s the list of 17 former Eagles among the nominees.

Asante Samuel thinks Bill Belichick should have kept Tom Brady

Asante Samuel thanked Bill Belichick for making it easy for him to be a critic.

Former New England Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel is known for being a harsh critic of Patriots coach Bill Belichick. On Thursday, however, he poked fun at himself on Twitter.

Samuel has been vocal with his opinion that Belichick wouldn’t have had the same level of success without Tom Brady as his quarterback. Most recently, he accused Belichick of setting up third-year quarterback Mac Jones to fail by running the team like Brady is still under center.

However, this time, Samuel suggested that Belichick should have found a way to keep Brady in New England. If that happened, he admitted he wouldn’t have any material to constantly criticize Belichick.

“Belichick created this unnecessary situation… they should be retiring together and I wouldn’t have [expletive] to say Thanks for the content Bill!” Samuel posted on social media. 

Samuel is self-aware at the very least, but at the same time, he isn’t afraid to stand behind his words, even if it means drawing the ire of the Patriots faithful.

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Patriots LB Matthew Judon explains Twitter beef with Asante Samuel

Matthew Judon commented on his back-and-forths with former Patriots CB Asante Samuel.

New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon and former Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel have been engaged in back-and-forths on Twitter, regarding Judon’s contract situation with the Patriots.

Now, Judon is telling his side of the story.

The linebacker has been a key piece of the Patriots defense ever since his arrival in New England. He recorded 15.5 sacks last season and was a key piece for the defense.

Over the weekend, Samuel commented on Judon’s reworked contract. The linebacker quickly responded, as the social media battle continued. When meeting with reporters, Judon explained why he responded to Samuel’s comment.

“This game is a fraternity of brothers,” Judon told reporters via NESN’s Gayle Troiani. “And sometimes you joke around and argue, but the relationship outside of what y’all see is better; it’s always better.

“Y’all really don’t be knowing the half, so when we be posting stuff and talking back and forth, that’s just because we have respect for each other’s game and respect for each other as human beings and as people that played in the NFL.”

Judon’s comments are another reminder that social commentary often comes without the full story intact. Sometimes, there are real relationships and deeper meanings behind the scenes that we might not understand.

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Asante Samuel has surprising pick as the Patriots’ best receiver

Asante Samuel name dropped the Patriots’ best receiver, and his answer might surprise you.

Former New England Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel was once again critical of his former team on Twitter. This time, he criticized the organization’s use of wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, who he believes is the best receiver on the team.

Bourne had tremendous success with the team in his first season. He caught 55 passes for 800 yards and five touchdowns. He did not find the same offensive success with New England in 2022. He only tallied 35 catches for 434 yards and a touchdown. The wide receiver could never get into a groove in an offense run by former Patriots play-caller Matt Patricia.

Bourne did have a breakout game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Christmas Eve. He recorded six catches for 100 yards and a touchdown in a game that did not even see him in the starting lineup.

Samuel believes that New England is doing him dirty, as he wrote in a social media post.

“Kendrick Bourne, the patriots best wide receiver, do you see how they are playing with his career,” Samuel posted.

Bourne could have a key role in the offense this season. The unit will be more organized, and that could lead to more opportunities for him to find success on the field.

Still, on the surface, this seems like Samuel taking another opportunity to knock the Patriots. Regardless, the upcoming season will tell a lot.

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Chargers 2023 roster review: CB A.J. Uzodinma

A.J. Uzodinma left Ball State as the school’s record-holder in pass deflections.

Training camp is approaching and with a few more weeks of dead time in the NFL offseason, Chargers Wire is documenting each of Los Angeles’ players before it kicks off.

Following the 2023 NFL draft, the Chargers signed former Ball State cornerback A.J. Uzodinma as an undrafted free agent.

Uzodinman, the 5-foot-11 and 189 pound corner, appeared in every game from 2018 to 2022.

Uzodinma left as the school’s record-holder in career pass deflections with 44. He finished with ten interceptions. Additionally, Uzodinma led the team with 24.2 yards per kickoff return last season.

Uzodinma is looking to beat the odds to push for snaps during training camp and the preseason, but he faces an uphill battle as an undrafted free agent addition.

If Uzodinma raises some eyebrows, he could very well be a candidate to be signed to the practice squad.

Contract (2023): $750,000 base salary, $666 prorated bonus, $750,666 cap hit.

Acquired: Uzodinma was signed by the Chargers as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL draft.

Highlight: 

Seahawks S Julian Love tells GMFB why DBs talk so much trash

If NFL wide receivers are competitive to the point of psychosis, defensive backs are on an entirely different level.

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If NFL wide receivers are competitive to the point of psychosis, defensive backs are on an entirely different level.

This week we got yet another example of cornerbacks arguing with each other over who’s better, both in today’s league and back in the day. Darrelle Revis and Asante Samuel went at it on Twitter yesterday for a while, while it started as a debate over Tariq Woolen vs. Sauce Gardner in 2022. This is hardly unusual, though. As Eagles corner Darius Slay put it:

So, why are DBs so eager to talk trash? Seahawks safety Julian Love was asked that question on Good Morning Football. Here’s how he answered.

More Seahawks Wire stories

Ranking the top 33 wide receivers in the NFL

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Asante Samuel says Tariq Woolen had a better rookie year than Sauce Gardner

While Gardner jumped in to defend his game, Woolen stayed above the fray.

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The top two cornerbacks in the 2022 NFL draft class appear to be Sauce Gardner of the Jets and Tariq Woolen from the Seahawks. While Sauce eventually won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award there are some (present company included) who believe Riq is the superior defender. Apparently you can count four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel among them.

Yesterday on Twitter Samuel tweeted that Woolen had a better rookie year than Gardner.

Somehow that statement turned into an all out war of words between Samuel and Darrelle Revis. While Gardner jumped in to defend his game, Woolen stayed above the fray.

We’re not going to argue that Samuel was better than Revis, but the stats do show Woolen was better than Gardner last year.

Playing cornerback is one thing, but when it comes to opinions, it’s worth noting that both Revis and Gardner appear to be paying for Twitter’s pathetic fascist-friendly $8 blue check service, while Woolen and Samuel have had the sense to abstain.

More Seahawks Wire stories

Ranking the top 33 wide receivers in the NFL

Best case scenario for each NFC West team

Chargers 2023 roster review: CB Asante Samuel Jr.

Asante Samuel Jr. looks to show improvement in run defense as he enters Year 3.

Training camp is nearing, and with a few more weeks of dead time during the quietest part of the NFL offseason, Chargers Wire is endeavoring to document each of Los Angeles’ players before it kicks off.

Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. is entering the third season of his NFL career.

Samuel served as the outside corner opposite Michael Davis after J.C. Jackson tore the patellar tendon in his right knee in Week 7 last season. It was an up-and-down campaign for Samuel, as he allowed six touchdowns and struggled as a run defender.

Samuel finished the 2022 season with 57 tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions, including three in the Wild Card game against the Jaguars, a fumble recovery and 11 passes defended.

With Jackson still working his way back to full health, Samuel should see time as the starter. But once Jackson returns, he would presumably replace Samuel. Samuel could move back in the slot and rotate with Ja’Sir Taylor depending on the matchups and packages on a week-to-week basis.

Contract: Samuel signed a 4-year, $7,222,946 contract, with a $2,613,052 signing bonus, $3,601,368 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $1,805,737.

Acquired: The Chargers drafted Samuel in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft (No. 47 overall).

Quote: Derwin James on Samuel:

“To me, football is just confidence and knowing your job. I feel like if you know your job and you know it well enough, and you’re confident to go do it, you can do it. Year three with Asante, I feel like he is going to have a lot more confidence, for sure.”

Highlight:

Ex-Patriot supports Mac Jones, while throwing shade at Bill Belichick

Asante Samuel thinks Mac Jones can be good this season with one caveat.

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Former New England Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel has never minced words when it comes to criticizing Patriots coach Bill Belichick, and he was at it again with a recent tweet regarding quarterback Mac Jones.

Jones is entering a pivotal third season, as New England looks to make it out of the cellar of the AFC East. The quarterback struggled last year, throwing for 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Despite those struggles, Jones still has a lot of believers in his corner, including college commentator Kirk Herbstreit, who has been highly confident in Jones’ ability to have a bounce-back season. It would seem as if Samuel is also confident in Jones’ chances to improve with one caveat.

“Let’s go Mac! He can actually do good if Bill stop doing stupid shit thinking he got Tom,” Samuel posted on Twitter.

Samuel was a major part of the New England defense in the early-to-mid 2000s. He won two Super Bowls with the organization and was a four-time Pro Bowler in his career.

It appears he is rooting for Patriots quarterback Mac Jones.

This will be a crucial year for Jones and the team alike when trying to get back into the playoff hunt after missing last season.

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You have $15, build the best defensive unit in Eagles’ history

Can you build the greatest Philadelphia defense of all time? With a $15 budget, try to assemble the best DE, DT, LB, CB, S combination in Eagles history

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Philadelphia has had some all-time great defensive players, but what five players at multiple positions could give fans a dynamic unit on offense?

The Bird’s official Twitter account created a frenzy when they asked fans to build the ultimate roster.

The goal is to create the ultimate Eagles defensive unit with a $15 budget. Your team must consist of a defensive end, one defensive tackle, one linebacker, a cornerback and a safety.