The clock is ticking on Asante Samuel. The cornerback is not yet technically a holdout, since he remains a free agent. But Samuel?s options decrease on Monday when the deadline arrives either to agree to a long-term deal or be limited to signing the Patriots? one-year franchise tender of $7.79 million. The sides have remained far apart in negotiations in recent days, increasing the likelihood that Samuel will be a no-show once training camp opens on July 27. However, there is a glimmer of hope. A source close to Samuel yesterday said he wouldn?t be surprised if the corner held out into the season, but thought a more likely scenario would be for Samuel to end his holdout early in training camp so he has enough time to get into game shape and decrease the risk of injury that would come with just jumping into the action halfway through the season.