The Pats’ Asante Samuel, intercepting a pass intended for the Chargers’ Chris Chambers in last month’s AFC Championship Game, becomes a free agent on Friday.

THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE / David Bauman

INDIANAPOLIS — He had to wait a year longer than he thought for the chance, but one of the agents for Patriots free-agent-to-be Asante Samuel said his client is eagerly anticipating his opportunity to hit the open market on Friday.

“We’re excited, we’re blessed, we’re appreciative,” Alonzo Shavers said yesterday.

Though Pats vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli is here as well, Shavers would not say if the two have met to discuss numbers. New England is the only team that can negotiate with Samuel right now, but at 12:01 a.m. on Feb. 29, Shavers and partner Jay Bianco can start fielding calls from all 32 teams.

“There’s always communication going on with our situation,” Shavers said. “We don’t eliminate anyone until we’ve signed a new deal and move to a new city.”

Shavers called New England Samuel’s “birthplace,” and Samuel has said he’d like to remain with the Patriots. But he is also anticipating the chance to hit the open market. It is expected that Samuel’s deal will exceed the $28.5 million that Nate Clements got over the first three years he received from San Francisco last year. Clements’ deal was announced as eight years, $80 million, but the final year of the deal was already voided, making it a seven-year, $64-million pact.

The agent also acknowledged that with Oakland’s Nnamdi Asomugha and Seattle’s Marcus Trufant — the other top-flight corners that would have been available — being taken off the market with their teams slapping the franchise tags on them “gives us more leeway.”

Childress joins Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles have signed Bam Childress to a two-year contract.

Childress was originally brought to New England as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State in 2005, and spent the majority of his time with the team on practice squad, including all of last season.

Against Jacksonville on Christmas Eve 2006, Childress had two receptions. In his rookie season, he played in one game at both receiver and corner.

Though he was never promoted to the 53-man roster last season, New England paid Childress nearly twice what most practice-squad players make to entice him to remain with the organization in case they needed him.

Opposing teams can sign a player off a practice squad if they place him on the 53-man roster and thus compensate him as such.

It’s who you know

Michigan wide receiver Mario Manningham met with the media and it turns out he has something of a connection to the Patriots — he played high school football for Thom McDaniels in Ohio.

Thom is the father of New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Manningham said he’s never met Josh McDaniels, but if playing for the son is anything like playing for the elder McDaniels, “It should be a piece of cake,” Manningham said with a smile.

smanza@projo.com