Patriots' Samuel signs one-year franchise tender

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel has signed a one-year contract worth $7.79 million, ending a contract dispute that had kept him out of training camp for a month.

Samuel

Samuel returned to the team Monday, taking a physical but not practicing. Coach Bill Belichick would not say Tuesday when Samuel would practice.

"I'm glad he's here. I'm glad we got things worked out," Belichick said. "I know that he's been doing things on his own, but it's not the same" as practicing with the team.

Samuel missed much of the preseason because of a dispute that began when the Patriots applied the franchise tag to the fifth-year veteran in February.

That guaranteed him the one-year, $7.79 million contract, but prevented him from becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Samuel and the Patriots failed to agree on a long-term contract by the July 17 deadline for this season. After that, he could only re-sign with the Patriots for one year.

It is not certain what Samuel accomplished with his absence from camp. Unless the Pats agreed to stipulate that they will not use the franchise marker on him again next spring, as the Chicago Bears did with franchise linebacker Lance Briggs, the cornerback will not have made a significant statement by staying away.

New England, it is believed, is opposed to forfeiting its right to use the franchise tag on Samuel again in 2008. Toby and Samuel's agent, Alonzo Shavers, declined to say whether the Patriots had gotten Samuel to report by promising they would not apply the franchise tag to him again next year, according to the AP.

Samuel, a fourth-round draft pick in 2003 out of Central Florida, has started 39 games for the Patriots. He tied Denver's Champ Bailey for the NFL lead in interceptions during the 2006 regular season and then returned two more for touchdowns in the playoffs.

Meanwhile Tuesday, the Patriots released offensive lineman Chris Patrick. The undrafted rookie was claimed off waivers from the New York Giants earlier this month.

New England must cut its roster to 75 players by Tuesday.

Information from The Associated Press and ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli was used in this report.

Source: ESPN.com