Ever since last summer, the Detroit Lions have been linked to cornerback Asante Samuel as a possible team that could trade for him. The Lions attempted to make a trade for Samuel last summer, but the deal ultimately fell apart. Earlier this offseason, there were once again rumors of interest on the Lions' end, but they were debunked relatively quickly.

It appears that now we can finally put the idea of the Lions landing Samuel to bed. According to Adam Schefter, the Philadelphia Eagles are about to trade Samuel to the Atlanta Falcons for a late-round pick. What is making a deal possible is this news:

Per a league source, Atlanta has agreed to terms on a 3 yr 18.5 deal for asante samuel.

— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) April 25, 2012

A deal never materialized with the Lions this offseason mainly because Samuel is owed far too much money. While $18.5 million over three years is much better than $21.3 million over two years, it's still a lot for a guy clearly on the downswing of his career. Getting a player like Samuel for a late-round pick is a good deal; it's just that the salary he is owed isn't.

UPDATE: Samuel is officially headed to the Falcons. Philadelphia reportedly received a seventh-round pick in exchange for him.

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