Cassel Out 2-4 Weeks

"Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel has a strained medial collateral ligament in his left knee and could miss the Chiefs' season opener and beyond, Yahoo Sports! reported on Monday. Citing a source within the organization, Yahoo Sports! reported Cassel could miss two to four weeks. He was hurt Saturday night when sacked on the third play of a 14-10 preseason loss to Seattle (ESPN)."

Been a rough preseason for Cassel. He hasn't been playing well, and there were even rumors that he might be losing his starting job already. Now it looks like he won't be ready for the regular season. Kansas City made a very risky move handing a kid with just 1 year experience such a big contract, and so far it looks like it might blow up in their faces...

Cassel Losing His Job Already?

"When Matt Cassel was brought to Kansas City and then signed for a good chunk of change, it was an almost certain presumption that he was stepping into the starting quarterback role. But Brodie Croyle forgot to roll over in the mean time. As Chiefs beat writer Kent Babb noted earlier, "I'm starting to believe [Croyle]'s threatening Cassel's job (ESPN)."

This story made me laugh. There is no way that the Chiefs put out all that money just to turn around and give the job to a guy who has been on the roster for a couple years now. I know Kansas City was not happy with Cassel's progress this week, but this beat writer is just trying to put out a story that people will react to. I think there is 0 chance of this happening so quickly...

Chiefs Sign Cassel To Extension (UPDATED)

"The Kansas City Chiefs and new quarterback Matt Cassel have reached a contract extension, according to media reports. The Kansas City Star reported no contract specifics, calling the contract long-term (Sportsline)."

Cassel is set to make $15 million this year, but there is no word on how much he will be making during this extension. Anyways it is a good move by the Chiefs to know who their QB will be for the foreseeable future. I really wish Cassel the best, but I can't wait to see Brady back on the field again...

When we found out the specifics about the contract we'll let you know.


***UPDATE***


"Cassel and the Chiefs worked out a six-year deal that will pay him in excess of $10 million a season, according to a source. The contract will keep Cassel with the Chiefs until 2014. The team is expected to make an announcement Tuesday afternoon. The deal is for $63 million, with $28 million guaranteed, according to a source. He's going to make $40.5 million in the first three years of his contract (ESPN)."

Jay Cutler is Not Matt Cassel

Every morning I workout and listen to Dennis and Callahan on WEEI. It's good motivation. I've got a loud, old-school exercise bike, and listening to Belichick/Pioli/Cassel conspiracy theories makes me pedal the bike faster and faster, trying to spin the wheel louder and louder to drown out the idiocy of people who think Darth Belichick would ever do anyone a favor.

Now, if you think Belichick made a mistake in the Cassel deal, that's fair. That makes sense. It's the conspiracy theorists who should have their feeble and useless brains removed from their skulls, and fed to pigs.

Here's the difference between the Jay Cutler deal and the Matt Cassel deal:

1. Timing:
The Cassel deal had to get done quickly. There couldn't be any waiting for the Buccaneers and Broncos to get together for a threeway deal. The Patriots had no cap room. None. Zero. Zilch. You can't sign people if you're already at the cap. Remember, this Cutler to Chicago deal has been in the works in one way or another for weeks.

2. Contracts:
Matt Cassel has one year under contract, and that year costs $14.6 million. In other words, the Chiefs have one season with him, and it will cost them a pretty good chunk of change. If Cassel does well, he's not going to take a paycut in 2010. He'll get the same, or more, and the Chiefs will have to bid with other teams. If he performs poorly, the Chiefs waste $14.6M.

Cutler, on the other hand, has 3 years remaining on his deal. Each year is worth about $12 million. So for the Bears, if Cutler performs, they get him for 3 seasons. If he sucks, they cut him or trade him.

3. Different Players:
Believe it or not, Matt Cassel is not Jay Cutler. Cassel is actually older than Cutler. Cassel has thrown 555 NFL passes, Cutler has thrown 1,220. Cassel might be better than Cutler, but Cutler is more proven. Cutler's QB rating is 87.1. Cassel's is 88.2. In 2008, Cutler was throwing to Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal. Cassel was throwing to Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Neither QB has any significant playoff experience.

The key difference is experience. Cutler has twice as much. With Cassel, there are bigger question marks. He struggled throwing the deep ball, even with Moss. He struggled in the red zone. Without Wes Welker catching 111 passes in 14 games (7.9 per game), is Cassel even as good as Cutler? Time will tell.

Conclusion:
There is less risk for the Bears in the Cutler deal. They get 3 years under contract, and a player with more experience and less unknowns. There was also plenty of time for the deal to get made. Remember, this drama has spanned weeks.

At the same time, the difference in value between the Patriots' deal, and the Bears' deal is staggering. Think how happy Chiefs fans must be, seeing how cheaply they got Cassel.

The Patriots could have shopped around a bit more aggressively, and at the very least driven the price up. They could have gotten the Chiefs to throw in a 3rd rounder, or at least a 4th rounder.

But again, the problem was the lack of buyers. Plenty of teams want QBs, but not all of them were interested in Cassel. And then there were teams that wanted Cassel, but already had QBs. So any deal with them would have to involve three teams.

Franchising Cassel cost the Pats value in the trade. Had they been supergeniuses and extended his contract before the season (hindsight is great, isn't it?), they could have traded him for anything they wanted to, or even held on to him as a backup. That was the best-case scenario move. But it would have required such foresight and intuition, that it's hard to criticize the Patriots for not doing it.

Was there a conspiracy?

Nope

Did Belichick get "fleeced?"

Nah, not really

Did he get the best deal he could have?

No

Is he human?

No, but he was designed and built by humans.

-The Commodore

Why Is Cutler Worth So Much More Than Cassel?

The Jay Cutler trade really shows how the Patriots got bamboozled by the Chiefs in the Matt Cassel trade. If Cassel was going to take over for Cutler, shouldn't Cassel be worth more than just a second round pick? I'm not going to sit back here and argue that Cassel is better than Cutler, but yesterdays deal isn't a fair measuring stick between both QBs. The Broncos got a ridiculous deal in pulling Kyle Orton, two number ones and a number 3 draft picks for an attitude problem, potential alcoholic, immature quarterback, that only has "potential" in his defense. Matt Cassel showed no signs of immaturity, and obviously was willing to learn and embrace any role he was given. That alone backed up with last years stats makes Cassel at least worth a first round pick. A lot of people are going to argue and say, "The Patriots didn't want a first round pick because of the money." Well that is just bullshit. A mid first round pick talent is a lot different than an early second round pick. The fact of the matter is that the Patriots, for the first time in a real long time got had. Sucks, but it's true.

Coach Bill Once Again Confusing the Masses

By Pat O

Patriots fans, we've been down this road before.

The Pats said good-bye to Ben Coates and Bruce Armstrong back in 2000 when Bill Belichick took the reigns in Foxboro. Lawyer Milloy, the undisputed heart and soul of the 2001 Super Bowl champs was giving his walking papers after a 2002 season in which he didn't force a turnover. At this point it was starting to become clear there the Patriot brass was not going to be known for its sentimentality.

In the cases of Deion Branch, Adam Vinetieri, Roosevelt Colvin (the first time) and others, the reasoning for their departure was clear: value. Either they weren't worth their salary or the Patriots simply thought they were done. In each of those cases there seemed to be some sort of explanation where we could see the line of thought for letting go of key members of title teams. That's why trade the Patriots made yesterday in trading Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel for a second round pick (34th overall) is hard to make sense of even from an objective standpoint.

For all the talk of comparing the situation that Patriots were in with Cassel to what the Packers received for Matt Hasselbeck, the Falcons received for Matt Shaub or the Vikings received for Duante Culpepper, I'm not upset about the compensation they got for Cassel. Mike Reiss put it well in today's Globe when he said this situation was different in that the Pats really had no leverage. It's either trade Cassel or take on close to $30 million for two quarterbacks next season on a team that needs to shore up a defense that was porous at times last year. This could be a valuable pick and it gives the team four picks in the opening two rounds.

The way they included Mike Vrabel as a throw-in is what stunned me and is leaving me with questions. Why trade a player who only accounts for $4 million against the salary cap who can incontrovertibly still play? Sure, he went from 12 1/2 sacks in 2007 to 4 last year but I chalk a great deal of that up to injuries (none of which he talked about) and injuries to the defensive line that limited opportunities. Vrabel has been an absolute rock for this team since coming here in 2001 and could be considered a borderline Hall-of-Fame candidate. I just can't fathom why he would be cast to the side when you consider Teddy Bruschi was on the field enough to make 75 tackles last year and will be returning for 2009. This is the same Teddy Bruschi who has forced 2 turnovers since 2004. I'm not trying to dig into Bruschi; I just can't believe this move was due to on-field performance nor was it due to monetary concerns.

I was not of the belief that the Chiefs were the sole bidder for Cassel and the reports of the squashed three way deal from Friday night between the Buccaneers, Broncos and Pats that didn't involve Vrabel lead me to believe this didn't need to happen. Acquiring the Vrabel would not have been a deal-breaker for other teams and it's unfortunate the Pats jumped the gun too early.

This is the time where we wait for the other proverbial shoe to drop and see what Belichick has up his sleeve. There have been times where he had a plan (Rodney Harrison waiting in the wings for Milloy) and times where he had clearly made a mistake (Fernando Bryant for Asante Samuel).

I'm not going to speculate on trying to acquire Ray Lewis or Derrick Brooks because I really don't see that happening. The Patriots are going to have to replace Vrabel from within and, to be frank, the well is pretty dry. The idea of Pierre Woods or Tully Banta-Cain starting on opening day scares the hell out of me. Other than Adalius Thomas and Richard Seymour who can create a consistent pass rush?

For a team who was 26th in NFL in third down defense, problems at linebacker are the last thing it needs when you consider its deficiency at both corner back and safety.

Pats Turned Down A First Rounder

Mort reports that the Patriots turned down a first- and third-round pick from the Bucs in a potential three-way trade that would have sent Matt Cassel to Denver and Jay Cutler to the Bucs. Instead, the Patriots chose a second-round pick from the Chiefs.

This doesn't make much sense to me. The only way this would work is if the Patriots and Chiefs already agreed upon a deal. The Patriots got low balled by the Chiefs this trade, but it sucks for Pats fans for the what if factor.

Cassel To Chiefs

Matt Cassel, whom the New England Patriots named as their franchise player in early February, has been traded to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Cassel has been informed he is being traded to the Chiefs, ESPN.com's John Clayton and ESPN's Michael Smith have confirmed.

The Boston Globe reported on its Web site that official paperwork had been filed with the NFL. The story was first reported by NFL.com.

Cassel had accepted the Patriots' non-exclusive franchise tender, guaranteeing the quarterback at least $14.65 million next season. Cassel faxed his acceptance to the Patriots, the NFL and the NFLPA, but the Patriots also needed to offer him the one-year contract. ESPN

We all new this was going to happen. Once Pioli went to KC, we knew there was going to be a good chance Cassel would end up there. Already the Pioli/ Patriots relationship is coming into effect with Vrabel first getting traded and now Matt Cassel. Although the picks are not specified, It has to be two first rounders. Either way, one of us will inform you once we know more.

****UPDATE****

Turns out it was for the Chiefs second round pick. Many people (myself included) expected a first round pick, but it really is a smart move. Essentially the Patriots gave up a back up QB and a LB on his last leg for a early second round pick, while also getting rid of 20 million off the books. This is a smart move doing it now because now they can grab a couple of free agents before they are all gone.

Kiper Loves Cassel

"ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper said yesterday during a conference call with the media that trading for Cassel would be a wiser decision for Detroit and Kansas City, which hold the No. 1 and No. 3 picks respectively in April’s draft, and can each use help at quarterback. “If I were Detroit or Kansas City, I would make that move in a heartbeat,” Kiper said. “If you’re asking me if I would rather have Matt Cassel or Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez, I’d rather have Matt Cassel (Boston Herald).”

The QBs in this year draft suck, and Kiper knows it. If these two teams really need a QB that bad, then they should go after Cassel rather then dealing with these shitty QBs. Still, if I was the Lions/KC I would just not draft a QB and deal with what I had. Detroit has not even given Drew Stanton a shot (who was a 2nd round pick), and I think Thigpen (KC) doesn't get enough credit for what he showed at the end of last season. Sorry there is no Matt Ryan this year.

I would love to see the Patriots get a deal done, so they could pick up another top defensive player in the draft. It would be an absolute steal on their part, because if Brady is healthy there is no need for Cassel.

Patriots Officially Franchise Cassel

The Patriots wanting to waste no time franchising Matt Cassel, franchised him on the first day that they were allowed to. Now if any team wants to sign Cassel they will have to give the Patriots 2 first round draft picks. As much as everyone loves Cassel no one is going to come close to giving up two 1st round picks for this guy, but franchising him also buys the Patriots some time to his how Brady's recovery goes. There is no way the Patriots will leave Cassel on the roster unless something horrible happens to Brady, so look for the Patriots to start shopping him around from now up until the NFL Draft (April).

Cassel has to be a happy man today as he just went from making $520,000 in 2008 to $14.65 million for the upcoming season. I wish my job would give me raises like that. Anyways, good for you Cassel you deserve it.

February Thoughts

By Pat O

Sometimes the best way to appreciate the moment is to remember what things were like not all that long ago.

Before the days of the "Big Three" the time in between the Super Bowl and spring training was referred to as a dead period. Boston fans were enamored with discussing trivial things like whether Pedro's grandmother has reached her ninth life or how happy (or unhappy) Manny was. It seems like a long time ago but the Celtics were an afterthought and irrelevant. Either the Patriots or Red Sox were better fodder for conversation because they had the stars and were winning. Even watching one of the best scorers in Celtics' history wasn't enough to draw many fans into watching a Saturday afternoon game between the Celtics and Sixers. Even more to the point is there wasn't much else on in terms of local sports. Fans would have rather watched college basketball or throw on a movie.

A season and a half and a championship after acquiring Kevin Garnett the Celtics are going through anything but a dead period during the hiatus between football and baseball. They are the World Champs and playing like the best team in the world right now. This is just a reminder to keep perspective when watching these Celtics. Things weren't so great back in February of 2006.

-Speaking of greatness, did anyone have any doubt Ray Allen's shot was going to hit anything but nylon the other night? The man has been spectacular all year. Having a pair of healthy ankles makes the difference I guess.
-Paul Pierce's passing is one of the most underrated components of the Celtics' success. His pass to the corner was right to Ray Allen's chest. Those who called him a selfish player all those years have to be eating crow.

The C's will be looking to avenge their Christmas day beat-down at the hands of the Lakers tonight at the Garden. First and foremost, I really hope Laker fans as well as the national media don't blame Andrew Bynum's injury on their loss tonight. The Celtics would have handled the Lakers at home anyway and I'm not exactly sympathetic to injuries after they derailed the Patriots' (Brady) and Red Sox season (Ortiz).

-Is anyone really that upset over what Michael Phelps did? Does him smoking weed make his accomplishments any less significant? If you're a parent whose children characterize him as a hero you need to seriously reevaluate the qualities you teach your kids to seek in a role model. Sure, the guy hit the bong and wasn't thinking about his actions but he apologized for breaking the law. He shouldn't have to worry about the approval of his fans regarding his integrity.

-Jason Varitek is back with the Sox for slightly less than the 3 years/$30 million I said he would return for. Oops. The Sox called Scott Boras's bluff for the second time this winter and came out on top this time. Obviously the Sox need to find a young catcher to learn from Tek but I think we can all agree that a $5 million deal was the only-case scenario for both sides. I would liken this situation to one my friend told me about from his small college (hint: it's in Easton, MA). Two of his friends were dating and both had herpes. After a while they didn't care much for each other anymore but everyone knew they were far from clean. So they kept on dating for the sole reason that they pretty much had no one else. From Varitek's perspective, no one wanted him for even $5 mil and the Red Sox place a lot more value in him compared to a guy like Greg Zaun. Each side had no other viable options; thus, they remain together.

side note: I agree wholeheartedly with Bob Mack's idea of having Varitek hit from the right side only. The splits are too drastic not to, especially a year after he struggled to make it over the Mendoza line.

-I don't think anyone believes Matt Cassel when he says he'd back up Brady. He took his lumps and bided his time. 2008 was his redemption and he's going to become a backup again? He could start for at least 10-12 teams (I took the under) in the NFL. I hope this situation is figured out by draft time but by then I doubt we'll know Brady's true progress. Should be interesting.

-Super Bowl XLIII was truly a great one in spite of the fact that I still hate the Steelers. The play of the game obviously was James Harrison staying on his feet and not giving up on that 100-yard runback before half. All I hoped for was an exciting game and the Cardinals nor the Steelers disappointed.

Cassel To Chiefs

While much speculation has surrounded whether or not the New England Patriots would use the franchise tag on Matt Cassel for 2009, the Boston Herald has reported a new possibility: Cassel could wind up reuniting with former Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli in Kansas City.

The Herald's Karen Guregian cites punditry by Sirius NFL radio analyst Jim Miller, who said, "I'd really look at Pioli down there in Kansas City. Why wouldn't he want him? He knows what the kid is capable of doing. So I think he'd be on their radar... If Kansas (City) were to make that deal, that's their Matt Ryan. That's their Joe Flacco. Unlike a [Mark] Sanchez, for instance, they know he's playing at a starter's level. So to them, I think it'd be worth it to do. They'd get their starting quarterback, they know what he's capable of doing, and they've seen him win games at the NFL level."

It does make sense that Cassel could end up in K.C., Tyler Thigpen is unproven and they are definitely looking for a qb and with Pioli there it makes trading with the Patriots easier. If the Chiefs pulled off this move, it would make them considerably better, but they will have to give up a lot to get him.

Cassel's Tag $14.6 million

"As expected, the franchise tag figure for quarterbacks is in the $14 million range. The exact figure is $14.6 million (Boston.com)."

That is a lot of money, actually it is the exact same amount that Tom Brady makes. With a lot of QBs staying in college (Tebow, McCoy, ect) the market for Cassel may be going through the roof. If that is the case, and the Patriots could get a high 2nd round pick for Cassel (or better), you would think they would pull the trigger in a second. Obviously everything hangs on Brady being 100% for next season, which recent information seems to suggest he is on target to be. Either way, Cassel has to be pumped that he went from a not starting in college to a QB in the NFL worth $14.6 million.

Cassel is a Class Act

I do not think Matt Cassel will be on the New England Patriots at the start of the 2009 season, but I have to say he is handling everything exactly as he should. He recently came out and stated he would have no problem being the backup once again on the Patriots...

"This is Tom's team," Cassel said Thursday on ESPNEWS. "The Patriots have been Tom's team. He's built that franchise up with his own two hands. He's the guy, and he was the MVP the year before. I realize that. He's been such a mentor for me that I would say, 'No, there is no quarterback competition.' But I've learned so many things from Tom, and hopefully it'll help me in my career (ESPN)."

Do I think he would rather leave the Patriots and start?...Obviously, but in a time where usually guys blowup publicly, it is refreshing to just see a guy saying the right things. He is going to get paid this offseason no matter what, so he knows that he wants to keep his stock high, and the best way to do that is to show he is a team player. What better way to do that, then to say that you would happily remove yourself from the field to help your team out. In the end, he will most likely be heading for another team, but he is always have my respect.

Another Pro Patriot Post From DP

So Brett Favre couldn't make the Pro-Bowl, so they went to Phillip Rivers. Well Phillip Rivers couldn't make it, so they went to .... Kerry... Collins..? What the fuck. Collins had a great season and the Titans were a suprise team, but come on. Here are the stats:
Kerry Collins:
2676 yards, 12 TDs and 7 ints, with an 80 qb rating

Matt Cassel
3693 yards, 21 TDs and 11 ints with a 89 QB rating

This seems pretty obvious that Cassel should have got it, but apparently the NFL sees differently.

Patriots To Franchise Cassel

"The New England Patriots have decided to ensure that quarterback Matt Cassel won't be an unrestricted free agent, as scheduled in March. Sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen that the Patriots will use a franchise tag on Cassel that will give the team two options: Trade him if all goes well with Tom Brady's rehabilitation from a knee injury or keep him because all is not well with Brady (ESPN)."

I know a lot of people are not surprised by this, but I am. This means the Patriots would have about $29 million in salary cap space tied up in two quarterbacks. Here is a couple reasons why may have done this...

1. Brady is really messed up, and the Patriots really worried he won't be ready to begin the season.

2. The Patriots don't want to let Cassel become a free agent, so the franchise him so they can trade him for draft picks or something like that.

3. Brady is fine, but they still are worried about his long term health.

I think it is most likely #2, but I am getting worried that it might be for the first reason. I hope Brady can come back, but Cassel did prove he can get this team 11 wins. There is no way it is reason 3, because the team needs to address a of issues, and have 14 million tied up on a backup QB is just stupid. We will have to wait and see, but for the people who think Brady could be done for a long time, this will give fuel to that fire.

-BMack

Patriots 49 Raiders 26

Man I knew the Raiders were bad, but wow. The Patriots dominated this game from kickoff. The great story coming out of this game was the play of Matt Cassel, who lost his dad this week. I know this story will not get any of the same air time that Favre got for doing basically the same thing, but you have to give props to a guy who preformed so well after such a tragic loss. Cassel threw for 4 TDs, but it was the running game that stole the show on offense, as Jordan and Morris combined for 214 yards and 2 TDs.

This game really had to do a lot more with how bad the Raiders are, then how good the Patriots plaid, but a win is a win, and the Patriots kept their playoff hopes alive. The good news is the Patriots now have the same record as the dolphins in the AFC, and since they have the same record in the AFC East, they are in god shape. The Dolphins and Jets are going to play each other the last week of the season, which could put the Patriots in a good spot, if they can win their last two games. I really do expect the Patriots to be in the playoffs, but we shall see how they do as they face Arizona next week.

Oh yea, and Moss TD celebrations were hilarious, because I hate the Raiders.

-BMack

Cassel's Father Dies

"Greg Cassel, the father of Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel, has passed away, a league source confirmed to the Globe (Boston Globe)."

Dueling Couches wishes Matt Cassel, and his family the best. The Patriots just can't seem to catch a break lately, with many of their star players on IR. Obviously, the Patriots are the last thing on Cassel's mind right now, but hopefully (I can't believe I'm about to say this) he can come out and have a "Favre-like" performance. If you remember the game after Favre father's death, he had the game of his life.

-BMack

Two Questions From Last Nights Game

Can people please respect the Steelers of having the best defense in the league?

Me and BMack got into an argument a couple weeks ago where he was saying that Tennessee although ranked lower overall in defense is still a better defense than Pittsburgh's. Last night I believe solidified my argument as they constantly had Matt Cassel looking scared and had every wide receiver pretty much under control all game. It is very rare that you see a defense that is number 1 in rushing defense as well as number 1 in passing defense. Pittsburgh has the premier defense in the league and that is probably the reason they will win the Superbowl this year.


Can one game cost Matt Cassel that much money?

Last night Matt Cassel had a terrible game. 4 turnovers (2 Ints, 2 fumbles) and most likely cost the Patriots the games, but does one game determine next years paycheck. The night before the idiotic Patriot fans were saying that they should keep Cassel over Brady, what changes now? Even Tom Brady would have struggled against the Pittsburgh defense. With this game or not, I believe next year Cassel will be making more money than Tom Brady.

Cassel: AFC Offensive Player of the Week

Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel has been named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for games played the 12th week of the 2008 season (November 20, 23-24), the NFL announced today.

Well, Cassel definitely deserved it, since he completed 30 of 43 passes (69.8 percent) for 415 yards and with 3 touchdowns (1 INT) with a 114.0 passer rating. Cassel has been awesome over the last two weeks, and it's nice to see him get recognized for it. The Patriots have been bring home some hardware, since Mayo has won some defensive player of the week awards, and rookie of the month.

-BMack