Asante Samuel: Strong Signs Point to the Departure of the Philadelphia Eagle

After tweeting in February about a possible trade, a move involving Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel appeared intriguing.

Now, a recent report from Philly.com suggests that a prospective trade of Samuel would be easier than originally thought.

According to Eagles beat writer Jeff McLane:

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"Samuel's $9.5 million base salary for next season would appear to be a giant obstacle, but the 31-year-old corner would not let a possible restructuring of his contract impede a deal from getting done, a source close to the situation said."

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Originally, there appeared to be two obstacles to trading Samuel. The first was his massive contract. It appears, however, that Samuel would rather be traded and restructure his current deal than remain on a team that sees his skill set as limited and diminishing.

The second obstacle is ultimately finding a trade partner for Samuel.

According to McLane, "The Lions still need a corner. The Buccaneers, Chargers, Titans and Browns are some other teams that could be interested in Samuel."

Of the teams McLane lists, the Buccaneers appear to be the most appealing suitor for Samuel. The Bucs are flush with cap space and they hold six picks in next month's draft.

While controversial cornerback Aqib Talib awaits a court hearing on June 25 for a felony charge of aggravated assault, Samuel could come in and immediately help Tampa Bay, which is in search of its first playoff berth since 2007.