The 26-year-old has played in 59 regular-season and 11 playoff games with New England since being drafted in 2003, and would have been an unrestricted free agent if the Patriots hadn't designated him as their franchise player.

Without the tag, the Patriots would not be compensated if he signed with another team.

"Asante Samuel is an outstanding player who has been a consistent contributor for us for several years," coach Bill Belichick said in a statement the team issued. "We hope Asante remains a Patriot for many seasons to come."

Samuel previously said he would like to stay in New England under the "right conditions." He tied Champ Bailey for the NFL regular-season lead with 10 interceptions last season.

New England drafted Samuel out of Central Florida in the fourth round, 120th overall, in the 2003 NFL draft.

BEARS

In an attempt to keep together their Super Bowl defense, the Chicago Bears designated linebacker Lance Briggs their franchise player.

Briggs would have become an unrestricted free agent March 2 if he didn't reach a contract agreement with the Bears before then. The franchise tag means Chicago can keep Briggs by matching any offer sheet he might sign with another team.

If they choose not to match another offer, the Bears would get the other team's first-round draft picks in 2007 and 2008 as compensation.

The Bears must pay Briggs $7.2 million for 2007, the average of the top five salaries at his position.

CARDINALS

The Arizona Cardinals told Leonard Davis that they won't name him a franchise or transition player, clearing the offensive tackle to become an unrestricted free agent.

The move, announced in a team news release, was not a surprise because the Cardinals have long felt that Davis would not be worth the huge investment required either to re-sign him or name him a franchise player.

"In fairness to Leonard, we wanted to let him know our position so he can move forward and make plans," said Rod Graves, vice president of football operations. "Our coaching staff has had an opportunity to evaluate Leonard and how he fits in with our team, and we feel this is an option that makes the most sense from a football standpoint."

If the Cardinals had made Davis a franchise player, he would have received a guaranteed one-year contract of about $11 million.

The Cardinals still could re-sign Davis if he doesn't go to another team, but that possibility seemed remote.

"That would depend on what transpires and how the circumstances play out. It's not about cap room or trying to make it fit, but it's about paying the right value for Leonard Davis," Graves said, indicating the money could be better spent elsewhere.

Davis, a 6-foot-6, 365-pound behemoth out of Texas, was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2001 draft, behind only Michael Vick. He started 91 games for the Cardinals, including all 16 last season, but never became the overpowering Pro Bowl-level player the team had envisioned.