From Pro Football Weekly:
The Patriots could be facing a future member of their team Sunday as they take on Nnamdi Asomugha and the Raiders. Word out of Foxborough is that the Pats are primed to sink some big money into the CB position next offseason, and Asomugha, the premier cornerback set to hit free agency, could be their top target. The Patriots have shuffled through cornerbacks this season with little success, as it has become apparent that Bill Belichick’s CB-friendly system can’t simply breed quality production out of marginal players. The team’s reluctance to lock Asante Samuel into a long-term deal when it had the opportunity has come back to bite it. That notion was cemented in the Week 14 victory over the Seahawks, when Belichick was forced into starting rookie Jonathan Wilhite. Wilhite previously had difficulty carving out a role in the dime package, but substandard play from all those in front of him necessitated the call.