Barring an unexpected turn, the Patriots and cornerback Asante Samuel will not reach a long-term contract agreement before today's 4 p.m. deadline for franchise players. The Patriots have not increased their most recent offer, according to a source directly involved in negotiations. Yet Samuel's agent, Alonzo Shavers, has not lost hope that a deal could be struck. "We're still working, the deadline hasn't got here yet," he said. "We've been in conversations."