Pats, Cassel prepare for the big game

This is an easy one. Where are the probabilities?
What is the probability that Cassel could be the Patriots quarterback of the future?
100%
Recall Cassel is five years younger than Brady?
What is the probability that Brady could be the Patriots quarterback of the future?
80-90%
Recall the knee and Brady's age.
They either let Brady go, or they franchise Cassel. Simple.

Come on Mazz bad analogy with red sox and holliday. In the NFL the team that trades for cassel could still control him with the franchise tag next year after he plays for them this year. He is not just free to walk away like Matt Holliday or any baseball player would be.

Tom Brady will be the odd man out. QB's usually start hitting their downside at 35. So if he can't play in 2009, then are the Patriots willing to trade away their new franchise QB in hopes that Brady will be able to come back and give them a few good years? Brady had limited mobility prior to the injury. One more hit to that knee and it's over. The Patriots have never been afraid to let a big name player go, Milloy, Law. Samuel, Branch. Plus Brady went to California for the surgery and I am sure they were not happy with that move. Brady is a sure Hall of Famer but I think he is done for the Patriots. Cassel won 11 games and his stats are just as good as Brady's through their first 14 games.

Part of this is the team's evaluation of Kevin O'Connell and his ability to play or be the No. 1 backup. Another thing though is the cap keeps going up, giving the Pats more latitude to pay both Brady and Cassell under the cap.

Tony what if they franchise him and cassel signs it like you say....they can still trade him after the fact....duh .. why are you not reporting on baseball anymore??? actually not a bad story

This whole thing is contigetn upon Brady's health, period.
If Brady is ready to go for 2009 and the Patriots know this in February then Cassel will be franchised tagged and then traded. Even though the NFL says you can not franchise tag a player with the intent of trading him, the Patriots can easily string it out to say "We needed Cassel because at the time we tagged him he was the starter and Brady was in question for 2009. Now that we know Brady is ready for 2009 we feel we don't need a 2nd starting QB on the team and have needs elsewhere.".
If Brady is not ready to go for any part of the 2009 season not just the entire season, then Cassel will be tagged and will play for the Pats in 2009.
So no matter what, the health of Brady will determine Cassel's future fate.

I think the Pats keep Brady and allow Cassel to move on. The only way that changes is if Brady's knee is in such bad shape that it makes sense to franchise Cassel and move Brady to IR or something else. Doubt that Tom would just get dropped. At any rate, the Pats should have the answer as there is plenty of time before having to apply the franchise tag to determine the status of Brady's knee.

Admittedly the days of Danny White and Steve Young are probably beyond affordable for teams but Matt Cassell is not the same quarterback with a lot of other teams. Cassell's numbers are what they are because the Patriots coaching staff brought him on slow this season and built his confidence. Frankly, there were questions at midseason he couldn't hit a barnyard door at 25 yards. If it was a talent issue Matt Leinart would be having great success in Arizona. His value is not going to be that ridiculous on the open market.

Brady - Future Hall of Famer
Cassel - Future Pro Bowler?
Next QB?? Point here is this. As long as this coaching staff is in tact, and Brady is healthy enough to play next year, Cassel is gone and the next QB gets in line for his opportunity. That might be O'Connell or it might be someone that none of us has ever heard of. The Pats will be game planning for Cassel next season once maybe twice depending on where he lands. It is pretty simple. In the media we do not trust, but in BB and Pioli we have no doubts. Late...

tony, as usual you don't get it. cassel can get a lot more than $14M in guarantees and longer term non-guaranteed money if he leaves the Pats either via trade or free agency. if he signs a franchise tender he guarantees one year but the next year is unknown. moreover, cassell has demonstrated he wants to play and can succeed playing. he does not want to sit on the bench backing up Brady for a year. Find me a player who signs the franchise tender before he has to. He can use it as a wedge to encourage a trade to a team he wants to go to.
BTW how's Asante doing this year? He made the Pro Bowl but only based on reputation as he had a down year.

I say let Cassel walk. Who says he won't flop on another team, like virtually every other free-agent who left the Pats for more money? I think Coach will work hard with O'Connell and maybe sign a veteran back up and use the 14 mil or so to fix a defense that has been in need of fixture for a few seasons now. Cassel has given us a season to remember, but we loss every "big" game with him, and we failed to make the playoffs with him. Let him get his loot, thank him for 08 and move on with Brady/O'connell etc...

If Brady's knee turned out to be fine, what type of picks might they be able to land for Cassel? Is a team going to be willing to give up a 1st rounder AND pay his salary? If the team can't get a 1st rounder for him, I dont know if it would be worth losing the short term cap flexibility, in my eyes.

next Jets quarteback?

Too bad he couldn't have played for the Jets also yesterday.

Why can't the pats just offer him a multi year contract, somewhere in the range of what Derek Anderson got for the Browns, 3 to 4 years (6 - 7 mil?), they could guarantee the entire contract which is more overall $$ than the franchise tag amount. If Cassell balks at signing they can use the franchise tag as a bartering chip that he really does not want. No player wants to sign the frnachise tag.

What this does is allows Cassell to get the multi year deal he wants - guarantees him a bunch of money, and gives the patriots the time to see if Brady is healthy. If he is healthy, the Pats can trade Cassell and his new very "attractive" contract to another team. If brady is not healthy, Cassell remains our starter.

I know Cassells agent will not want to do this and would rather test free agency, but he has to fear the tag from the pats. In the end it is a win win for all.

I think the Pats need to do what is right for Matt Cassell. He stood there holding a clip board for 4 years waiting for a chance to start and then far exceded every possible expectation anyone could have. For that reason, the Pats need to allow him to go somewhere where he is going to succeed as a starter. If Brady is not coming back 100% that place could still be NE. I would hate to see Cassell in another uniform (which is funny because at the beginning of the season I couldn't stand to see him in a Pats' one), but he has shown that he can lead a team through adversity and win. I hope he stays, but I have a feeling the team will let him go and have a great career elsewhere (hopefully not an AFC team).

The best move for the Pats appears to be to trade Brady now and install Cassel as the quarterback of the future. We should be able to sign him for less than Brady freeing up salary cap dollars for use on the defense where we need help.

Grogan...
Comparing Matt Cassel's stats to Tom Brady after one season is simply ridiculous! Don't forget that Tom Brady won a Super Bowl in 01 and had the same record with Jermaine Wiggins, David Patten, Marc Edwards, Patrick Pass, Kevin Faulk and Troy Brown. As much as I have a soft spot for some of those players, they simply do not compare to having Moss, Welker, Watson, and Gaffney at your disposal. Matt has great upside, but do not expect him to have the same results in another uniform.

I would never doubt that the Pats wouldn't just drop Brady. No one is sacred if you want to win championships. No one. If the Pats feel they have a better chance at a future with Cassel, Will McDonough will be looking at real estate for Brady in Chicago. Its not exactly a Joe Montana - Steve Young scenario, but it has similarities.

Say good bye too Tom Brady. He's done

a question for the salary capologists...... i know franchising cassel means we'll have 28% of the cap invested in 2 players. If Brady were not able to play in '09, he's on IR, do we get salary cap relief for that? does brady's full cap hit go against us? my thought is, if the Pats think brady will not be ready to play they franchise cassel and IR brady. that would be the only reason i see us franchising cassel. it all hinges on the Pats knowing ahead of time whether brady can go

Maz- please look-up Jared Allen (KC to Minn in 2008) & Cory Williams (GB to Cleveland in 2007) .The tag and trade has happened before and will happen again. Cassel will be tagged and traded to a team like San Fran for a #1 & #2- everyone wins...San Fran doesn't have to take a chance on a potential QB (see jamarcus Russell etc.al) when they can sign an exeperienced successful one like Cassel. Pats win because the restock the team with young talent. YES, Cassel wins by playing for a team he grew-up rooting for and by signing a lucrative, long-term guaranteed contract for up to $50mm with San Fran. As players often say, wake-up this is a business and there is no way the pats are going to let this kid walk.

Matt Cassell deserves better. He has proven at the NFL level that he is capable of winning. After not starting a game since HS he has exhibited world class athleticism and a winning attitude both on and off the field. Tom Brady is injured and a variable. I understand the sentimental attachment to the Patriot fan but the team is better with Cassell long term. In my opinion, the organization should sign Cassell long term and deal a healthier Brady in the offseason.

I don't think it's completely out of the question that the Pats bring Cassel back in 2009 and have him compete with Tom for the starting job. Based upon his stats this year I think that is feasible:
Yards 3693
Completion % 63.4
TD 21
INT 11
Passer Rating 89.4.
Brady's 1st season stats are:
Yards 2843
Completion % 63.9
TD 18
INT 12
Passer Rating 86.5

These are pretty similar stats. Cassel is more mobile, that is for sure, and if Tom wasn't very mobile coming into 2008 season, now he will be less after the injury. Now, Brady is way more experienced, and has proven that he can win big games, especially in the two minute drill (Cassel proved being a good prospect for those kinds of situations by sending the Jets-Pats game to overtime). Both of them stand at 6'4'' and are in the range of 220-230 pounds. The big plus on Cassel is his age, the Pats organization might have just noticed that they have another 6-7 years of excelling at the position.

As much as I'm a big big Brady fan, I just think they have to compete for the job. Cassel has earned it and we all know Bill B is all about business and wouldn't mind taking whoever is at his best for the starting role. It will surely be a pretty interesting offseason for the Pats.

You are all looking at this the wrong way.
Cassel is an insurrance policy. (an expensive one). My gut feeling is that TB will not be ready and even if he is, it will only take one hit and he is done. Pay Brady to stand on the sidelines, give Cassel a long term extention and move on. The Pats, as I remember, have other important voids to fill. They are aging(linebackers) and will RH, AT, TB, RS be back. Will someone teach Hobbs to turn his head when he is covering someone down field. SEE THE BALL.

I say we find out exactly what is up with Brady's knee, if things arent looking good, sign Cassell then re-evaluate Brady. I dont understand the people who say get rid of Brady. Tom Brady is the reason the Pats are who they are today. He is one of the greatest players of all time and owns 3 super bowl rings. You can't just let Cassel go however, if they do sign him and maybe Brady comes back, you can trade him for some picks or maybe some defensive help. The concern shouldnt be over our offense, the offense is going to score points. The defense needs some help in the secondary and some young guys back there may be the answer.

You don't get rid of your future HOF quaterback. He's in the prime of his career for cryin out loud. Provided Brady's rehab is on schedule then you tip your hat to Cassell, say thanks very much for a wonderful season and wish him luck.

It is in the both the Patriots and Cassell's best interest to work in tandem on this. The Patriots will have a good idea of the market for Cassell based on Cassell's salary demands and Cassell's team preferences before they decide to franchise him. They'll make the designation and trade him if they believe Brady can play in '09. If Brady can't play the choices are more interesting and the risk of franchising Cassell and a $14MM cap hit is much higher. The season ended perfectly for Cassell from a $ perspective. It was possible, but unlikely, that he could have made his value higher than it already is in the playoffs.

"At the end of the day, nobody here really cares about Brady, Cassel or Bill Belichick as much as we do about the men who are wearing the New England uniforms and colors at a particular moment"

that's garbage, speak for yourself.

Tony:

You have one semi-major error in your reasoning: the rule about two first-round draft picks ONLY comes into play if another team signs Cassel to an offer sheet that the Patriots refuse to match. If Cassel signs the tender and is then traded, the Patriots can trade him for anything another team is willing to pay.
(Tony Massarotti: You are absolutely correct. Any team signing Cassel - after the tender - would be required to give up two first-round draft picks. Any team trading for Cassel would inherit the contract. We've made the correction.)

I don't think a player such as Cassell would so much mind the franchise tag if he know he would likely be traded into a starting role elsewhere--and renegotiating then. That actually seems like a pretty good deal for him--unless he thinks Brady's knee is shot and he'd be the starter going forward here. And in that situation the Pats and Matt would probably like to sign something longer term.

He writes for NBCsports.com that doesn't get much respect in my book. Where did Curran work before that the Eagle Tribune...please just another example of a 'reporter' trying to make the story about themselves.
Jonathan Kraft refuted the story as 100% incorrect.

This is way too easy.........Tom Brady gets married in March and shortly there after announces his retirement from football.

Brady has nothing to prove anymore.... 3 superbowls, MVP, lots of money and a model for his wife. YIKES!!!! I can't believe there is so much speculation.

BTW The patriots and Matt Cassell already know this. Did anyone hear what Matt Cassel said during his press conference??? hmmmm???

Maybe I'm missing something here, but wouldn't the best option for everyone be to resign Cassell to a 1 year deal with a lot of back end incentives? ie a base salary of 2-3 million with a $5 million bonus if he starts more than 5 games, or something along those lines? That way, if Brady isn't better, Cassell stays here and plays - for a boat load of money, if Brady is better, they can promise to trade him away before the deadline. The Patriots wouldn't get the same 2 first rounders, but they'd hopefully get at least 1

A great piece of writing Mazz, this really highlights the problem the Pats' organization and Matt Cassel will face in the weeks and months to come. In the meantime, I wonder if this season highlights BB and Josh McDaniels (entire coaching staff as well) as one of the league's best coaching-side QB factories...personally, I'd prefer to see O'Connell turn out a Brady/Cassel-esque first season before allowing myself to fully believe that.

Chuck A is 100% right on. Cassell was THE team player for several years. Waited A LONG time for his chance, prepared, and delivered.

Thank Matt --wish him all the best--and do whats best for HIM (assuming Brady is cleared to play)

Hey Dick Baz, ... Are you Bazirgan of Newbury ?
On another note, I share the same opinion as Mike. What if the Pats gave Cassel a multi-year, guaranteed contract ? One that would increase year to year,... like 3m, 5m, 7m, 9m and then, of course, a signing bonus ? That way we keep Cassel and Brady and don't overpay at the position. This also benefits Cassel as he gets to remain a Patriot and under the tutelage of Bill & Co. Admit it, Cassel was nothing without them. How many years does Brady have left anyway ?

If the Patriots did franchise Cassell and I was a bottom feeder team at the top of the draft board then I would gladly give up two first round picks and pick up Cassell because,
i) I get a proven commodity in Cassell
ii) I don't tie up millions of dollars and a six year contract on a pick that is more likely to be a miss than a hit

The Pats absolutely need to franchise Cassel, then work with him to develop a mutually agreeable trading partner. Keep him happy enough that he doesn't sign the Franchise tag, keep him from going to a Divisional rival, and send him to a team that (1) needs a QB and (2) has defense to spare.

Cassel would be great in Viking purple....great running game, solid line, excellent defense. Sure they need a WR (or three) - plus it's climate controlled and in a very weak division. NE could get some defensive help while setting Cassel up in a team that is only a QB away from owning their division for years to come.

I like both Brady and Cassell but I think it's the system that makes them outstanding. O'Connell anyone?

Money has to go into the DBs, I'm tired of watching the Smurfs try to tackle like it's flag football. Every single draft pick this year should go into a DB, maybe then, the Pats might have ONE that will pan out.

Mazz forgets that Cassell was a great high school quarterback and a great clip board holder in college. If I were Cassell I would be working with the organization for a mutually beneficial outcome. Remember all the would be stars who played here and when they left they became who? I think they franchise him and Cassell and them pick a deal for him to go to. Cassell is no Manny or Pedro. He will leave town grateful for the management and coaching that gave him a chance and an education he couldn't get many other places.

Mark my words, Brady will retire before ever taking another snap in the NFL. With that in mind, sign Cassell and ensure your future!

Your analysis is flawed because you fail (like other analysts) to mention that the Pats don't necessarily have to take such a salary cap hit if they franchise Cassel. They will do what they've done before: restructure some other contracts to make it feasible. They WILL FRANCHISE Cassel, so stop the speculation. The Pats aren't stupid. They know there are no guarantees with Brady, at this point, and they aren't going to put themselves in a position of not having a top-flight QB and, specifically, a guy who's shown his mettle and already knows the system.

I really can't believe the IDIOTS posting to get rid of Brady! You are MOOKS that obviously suffer from amnesia!

Don't get me wrong, Cassel had a great season, but he also has GREAT top of the league receivers and grade A tight ends! Let's see him take us to one game away from the Super Bowl with Reche Caldwell, Doug Gabriel, an aged Troy Brown, and a bust of Chad Jackson at receiver and see how he does! He will be with another team next year and before you run out and buy his new jersey. Just know that he wont be nearly as succesful!

You people are so quick to forget just how good Tom Brady is!

The X factor here is if there is an ardent suitor, a team that decides it must have Cassell. I am thinking someone like the Titans who lose Collins as a UFA and definately want to rid themselves of VInce Young. A team like that can't wait four or five years for a college QB to develop (yes, Matt Ryan aside). If a team like the Titans really wanted Cassell could they not approach the Pats and make a gentlemens agreement to put the transition tag on Matt and then work on a deal?
And, honestly, the issue for me with TB is not so much his knee but his focus. Bill B is on record as hating "celebrity" quarterbacks. I still say trade Brady to his beloved 49'ers for Patrickj Willlis and a pick.

Mazz, once again you prove you are a moron. Cassel would willnlgy sign the franchise tag, but only if he knows he will be given a deal with a new team and a chance to start. Unlike Assante Samuel who knew a big contract was waiting for him, as longa s he stayed healthy, Cassel can't riisk sitting for a full year behind Brady and having his value go down.

Don't forget a lot of people outside of New England still think Brady is a "system QB"......I'm not sure most people in the NFL are completely sold on cassel being as effective away from the NE system. Cassel wants a long term deal and needs PLAYING time next year....

It's pretty simple on what will happen here. Barring some blockbuster trade offer for Brady (which as crazy it may sound, the Pats would deal Brady for the "right package" of draft picks/players/etc..), there is a 100% chance the Pats franchise Cassel and then workout a deal to trade him for picks.

Why do you think the conflicting reports on brady's health? The Pats have to sell it to the commish that they only franchised Cassel because of fear of Brady's health and not because they wanted to eventually trade Cassel. If it's obvious that they franchised and then traded Cassel for picks it violates the spirit of the rule. Which at taht point Goodell could cancel any trade (unlikely, but a lot of Pats haters out there). So the Pats have to make it look as though brady's health is iffy and that is why they will franchise Cassel. Then teh Pats can say Brady's health pictured cleared up for the better and tehy were forced to move Cassel.

Dear Rabble Rouser:

So, Tony, you believe that Cassel is the type of man to take the money and do nothing? Figures. You would not know, or see, good character if it bite you in the face.

Sincerely,
Yahoo Patriots Fan

Yahoo

p.s.
To the IDIOTS!

Tom Brady
101 wins to 27 losses in his career.
(.787) in regular-season and playoff games. It is the best record of any NFL quarterback in the Super Bowl Era (since 1966) with at least 40 starts.

You all want to replace him with...
Matt Cassel
11 wins to 5 losses.

I have a sick feeling Casell is going to end up with Jets. I hope not, I really don't want to wish him any ill will.

Where in the first round would the 2 picks be? and what would they end up costing? BB usually gets much more out of his 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc rounders except of course, this year with Mayo and the later round players don't cost near as much and they all seem to play with a chip on their shoulders that they weren't chosen earlier!!

I have followed New England since 1985 (when I lived in Scotland, now I am in Germany). I was lucky enough to work in Boston from 2001 to 2004 (met Steve Grogan) and follow the Pats to great success. I was there when Tom Brady first took to field, is it me or is just spooky that Matt Cassell comes on in the situation several years later. I think the situation is super tough for everyone Pats, Matt and Tom. I have have no easy answers for anyone, but what ever happens, I truly thank Matt for such a fantastic season, Tom thank you for the great moments and a speedy healthy recovery. Matt and Tom you both need to play football!

Work out a one year deal with Cassell but be straight forward with him and let him know that they want him but they understand that he is ready to be a starter somewhere else. Guarantee him that if Brady comes back healthy, they will evaluate the situation if they decide to go with Brady then they will make every effort to trade Cassell before the start of the new season. I think if the Pats can pull this off, they would have the insurance they need going into next season.

There are two issues: value and the probability that Brady can play at the level he's been used to for a full season. If the latter is true, then the Pats should seek the former (i.e. value). However, if Brady is going to play for bits of a season, then Cassel is the long-term option. Remember: Tom did not lead the undefeated team to victory- they swaggered and got beaten. Then, that sad performance was followed up with more swagger (i.e. not playing in the off-season, as though he didn't need to) and the effect was the injury.

The worst case scenario: let Cassel go and have Brady go down...maybe, for good. Now, the long-term signing are wasted monies, as they'll be just playing it out to finish the season. (We thought we were past that stuff.)

You forgot to bring up that we want control over where Cassell ends up in order that he does not end up playing for the Jets or for Buffalo

we cant do any thing with cassel yet. until we know about bradys wellness. if brady gets well and cassel dosent demand a salary raise we keep cassel. if brady is not well we keep cassel. is brady is well and cassel demands anything over 10 million we release him (which would really suck)

If the Pats use the franchise tag, it won't be with a trade of Cassel in mind. If they don't expect to keep him, they'll use they lower risk, predictable reward option of the transition tag. Despite what ESPN would have you believe, the Patriots as an organization do conduct themselves with class towards anyone other than the Jets or Boras-type clients.

The issue here is value. This is a money game, we all pay it and they all make it. I don't care if its Brady or Cassel, although my heart and loyality lies with Brady. Heres the unknown too, Brady was famous for stepping up into the pocket with confidence, that infamously cost him his season. Will he be as good? Will that injury be in the back of his mind even if he is 100%? The other issue is age. He's got 4 years tops, which is plenty of time to get another back-up that you can mold into franchise QB. Bottom line, we can't just let Cassel walk, not with the holes to be filled. Franchise him, start one of them and trade the other for cap room and draft picks

How did the Cowboys do after the Hershal Walker deal- oh yeah- that's right- don't be afraid to say it.... TRADE BRADY and get REBUILDING!!!

The Pats owe Matt Cassell ZERO, NOTHING! He waited on the sidelines because he was the #2 QB, plain & simple. Nothing he did in practice/preseason would allow giving him PT over Brady. He got his chance when Brady got hurt & made the most of it. He deserves to be a starting QB....somewhere else. The Pats need to use him as a commodity and get value in return. Franchise him and get the 2 first rounders. A couple of players on D in the J. Mayo mold would be nice.

Kevin Ross,

Well said sir. Both QBs are class acts. We Patriots fans have been BLESSED, i repeat BLESSED with 2 excellent QBs ( 3 if you count Bledsoe ). Look at what Miami and countless other franchaises have suffered through? I wish them both the best, we all should. Personally I would trade Cassel and stick with Brady, even if he's never the same. My heart is with Brady, I believe in him. I hope and believe the Patriots will never ever trade him. End of discussion.

Cassel is getting way to much credit for getting 11 wins against the worst bunch of teams I have seen on the same schedule in my lifetime. They need to let this guy go and move on. With Brady they are probably Super Bowl favorites again immediately next year. Without him they win 6 games tops (Cassel or no Cassel) since they are playing the North divisions so what's the difference? It is stunning to hear that people actually feel good about a season where they go 2-4 against playoff teams and 9-1 against non playoff teams. How can you save a season when you didn't even make the playoffs? Let him walk and quit trying to con some team into giving you something for him.

This all sound like the Bledsoe/Brady saga - seven years ago - hate to say it -but Tom is getting old and slow - his knee will never be the same
his game will never be the same. For the future Tom has to be traded for the good of the team -now they are saying -he may not be ready for 2009 -

I say dump him -but he is now damaged collateral --
Cassel is faster and has more mobility than Tom Terriific.This is de-ja-vue liek the Bledsoe/Brady saga -

Cassel is going to the Yankees along with everybody else.

Are you crazy??? trade Tom Brady??? Is this your gratitude for 3 Superbowl rings?
What kind of a message it is for the players - if you injured you are cut off from the team?? don't you understand that the heart is the most important thing in this franchise?
although Tom is questionable for next season I think that his influence on the team is priceless. get well Tom.
Happy holidays everybody.

I think it behooves both the Pat's and Matt Cassell and his agent to work together and meet somewhere in the middle. So, the Pat's should try to accomodate Cassell in that they try to find a buyer that Cassell is agreeable to him, while the Pat's can try to keep him out of their division, if they so choose, and recoup something for their investment and patience. Cassell, on the other hand, is rewarded for his patience and gets a choice, albeit, a limited choice to go somewhere and continue to start. This is all contingent on Brady's knee, because if he's not on track, then they'll probably need to try sign Cassel and start Brady out on the Pup. That could get messy.

Let's settle down here, people. One decent season against the soft part of the schedule rotation does not make Joe Montana...or Tom Brady for that matter. Cassel looked lost against the better teams and he is playing on a much stronger team than Brady started with. All of this is based on the following assumptions:

- Brady is really behind in his rehab or his knee is really screwed up (all speculation)
- Cassel, who has had a chance to study this offense and hold a clip board for a few years, is the next Brady. Remember, this guy hadn't thown a meaningful pass since HS. He is a good athlete in a great system. I see another Deion Branch situation...he goes elsewhere and craps the bed
- Maybe, just maybe, the pats are comfortable with O'Connell and might have focused on more pressing things, like getting Big Vince locked up and addressing the slow and old defense

In the end, it is foolish to think that letting Brady go because of his perceived "value" is a good idea because the Pats have a great QB in the wings. Ask 100 people who matter in that organization and every single one would want Brady back (who makes $5 mil next year, whereas Cassel will be pulling in more than twice that. YIKES!).

All I can say is:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
What was the problem? No video tapes this year?

Now maybe all you bandwagon Patriots fans, and yes, the good majority of you are, can pretend you've been die hard Bruins fans for the last 10 years.

Patriots Super Bowls = *******
I hope all of you rot !!

I see Cassell staying and Brady leaving. Amazing as that may sound the pendulum has swung. The genious is the management of this team prepared for it just this way.

i think they keep cassel and brady. have brady start and see if his knee is better if not then put cassel in. when brady gets old enough to stop playing then cassel will be there and he would be the starter. plus cassel will have all those years before bradys gone to learn from him and be more better.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Giselle won't let Tommy pay anymore. She needs him to accompany her on trips to Europe, wine tasting parties and fashion shows.

I'm afraid Tommy is turing into a quiche eater and it's horrifying to watch. He has showed no interest in the team and he really hasn't commented much.

Oh the Humanities.

This is a no brainer. You franchise Cassel. If he accepts the tender, you control his rights for the next year and have valuable (albeit costly) insurance against the possibility that Brady does not fully recover.. If Brady is healthy in June, you trade Cassel to a team in need of a proven QB for a conditional draft pick, the condition being he signs an extension with that team. The only risk that this scenario poses is that you cannot find a taker for Cassel at $13 million for one year. If I were a team like the 49ers, I'd take a chance on Cassel rather than risk a bunch of guaranteed bucks on an unproven and undeveloped first round draft pick.

i say improve the secondary..

The information we don't and won't have, is: how fast and how much does Brady's knee come back. But I think Tony has underestimated the possibility of re-signing Cassel. After all, the Patriots drafted him, have paid him and stuck with him, and his success has been in the Patriot offensive system. So why wouldn't he sign a short contract for top-back-up money with huge incentives for games started, snaps, etc., and a big bump on being traded -- with a verbal promise that if Brady is sound and playing well he will be traded or released. Cassell has concerns about injury -- buy him a huge insurance policy. He's taking a risk of a big money career elsewhere, bersus a Brady-type career for the best franchise.

Tom Brady should be allowed to be the starting quarterback for this franchise as long as he wants. How can all you people really think about letting him play in another uniform? Brady is the greatest QB of all time and the greatest thing to ever happen to the Patriots. On top of all that, he is the epitome of a class act. Never once has Tom ever said the wrong thing. If the Patriots are dumb enough to disrespect him by trading him away to keep unproven 4th year back up, I can guarantee he will continue to say all the right things. I don't care how much talent Cassel may have, Tom won us countless games because of the intangibles he brings to the table. Not many athletes have the "it" factor Tom Brady has. There has never been a cooler customer under pressure. Some of you need to watch the Super Bowl season DVDs or something.

HEY...PLEASE KEEP BOTH OF BRADY AND CASSELL ARE GREAT QB ,ALSO THEY ARE REALLY GREAT MIND AND READ WELL !!!!!!!!!

It definitely depends on Brady's knee. If Brady can play, then they have their QB. The guy won 3 SBs, 2 Super Bowl MVPs, a regular season MVP and holds the TD record. If the knee is good to go then Cassel will definitely be gone. If Brady is still hurt in 2009, I could see the Pats franchising Cassel and asking Brady to restructure his deal so they aren't spending $30 million on the QB position. The Pats definitely need to get younger at linebacker and improve the secondary. That is where they should concentrate their spending if Brady is healthy. I think Cassel has star potential , but the Pats have proven that they are very good at developing young QBs.

i think its time to move on. with as much emotion as it will cause i think its time to trade brady and move on to the cassel era.

Okay, answer me this.
Straight up, who gets the better draft picks in a trade? No money, just draft picks.
Anybody who says Brady gets better draft picks than Cassel is a moron.
At best, at the very best, they get equivalent picks. Equal. And in that case who do you keep? The old guy or the young guy?
Tom did a hell of a job. Thanks and good luck. Hell, even Lombardi left Green Bay.
Oh, and did I remember to ask, "How will Tom Terrific do with another team?"
Suck?

All these people that think the Pats will franchise Cassel are insane. If I were Matt Cassell and I got franchise-tagged, I would sign it in a heartbeat. The Patriots are then desparate to get rid of him in order to create cap space. Meanwhile, if Cassel does not like the terms of an proposed trade, he could simply communicate that to whatever team the Patriors intend to trade him to. That team walks away and the Patriots are left paying $14 million to a player they cannot afford.

Meanwhile, Brady (assuming he is healthy), has a $5 million salary plus a $3 million roster bonus, which looks pretty cheap by comparison.

Add this to the emotional equation: Cassel rewarded Robert Kraft by being a good Patriot for four years and doing his part as a backup when needed. The Patriots are not likely to use the franchise tag in that situation. The only times they have done so in recent years, have been with Asante Samuel (and maybe Deion Branch?). In both of those cases, they were dealing with players that communicated a desire to get paid big money.

Cassel's scenario does not fit that mode. I see this as the Patriots possibly entering into an agreement to NOT franchise Cassel in exchange for him agreeing to NOT sign with any AFC east team. That leaves everyone happy and feeling good about this last year, and Cassel with the freedom to negotiate his future without the threat of franchise tag, and the Patriots without the threat of facing a division opponent that is too familiar with our offense.

Mark those words.

I think Brady is done forever. He wont be able to take a light hit.

What if the Patriots and Cassell come up with an "Asante Samuel" agreement whereas Matt signs a one-year 8 million or so deal with the guarantee he is a free agent after next year...he plays with Brady hurt or he plays a little or he plays fourth quarters for 8 million. I mean, how many times can you get a contract that sets up the next two generations of your family at a possible zero risk?

BB will do what is best for The Pat's to succed...none of amateurs really know what that is. Either way I will be sad ... Sad if Brady cannot go in 2009 and sad if Brady can go and we lose Matt.

Considering the abuse Matt took form fans and media prior to Brady going down can we blame him if he leaves? Kudos to Matt for a successful season...he showed tremendous intgegrity and class.

If Tom Brady is healthy it's his team and the Pat's should accomodate Matt Cassel to some degree. I am not saying let Matt leave without compensation but I wil be sad if the Pat's do not afford him the respect and consideration he deserves. I hope all negotiations remain amicable throughtout and the result is good for both Matt and the Pat's

Tom.........get well soon....can't wait to see on the field again.
Matt......... I wish you the best...as a Patriot or not. (Please don't become a Jet that's all)

mg

From the human aspect, I wonder how Randy Moss may impact or may be impacted from the outcome of the decision.
On one side , it is true Matt Cassel has some assets on his side with mobility and age, but on the other side, despite a very good season 08 Matt has good reasons to be proud of , but on the other side I have not felt the same easy natural connection between Randy and it's QB in long yardage situation that Tom Brady provided us is such magical way during all that 07 season.

Good article . I agree at some point "Professional sports are a fascinating study in humanity " from fanbase perspective , as I can see this question is subject to a lot of various point of view !
But I think in the long-end , this decision will ultimately become a business decision . Lucky BB is there he has been damn good on that record .

I agree with the majority of the posts. Matt Cassel will be a Patriot next year. I could see Brady being moved. This whole situation screams Montana and Young to me. I don't see Brady playing next year. Have we heard one good report about his knee? Granted the media loves to report more negative news than positive news, but you would think Brady would say, "Hey don't worry. I'll be ready in March because I am on schedule. I feel great. Thanks to Matt for keeping the Pats in it for me." Instead we get reports that the MCL and ACL are "loose" and scar tissue will need to be removed. He is well behind schedule. When the injury happened, my gut told me that Brady was gone for the year. Now my gut is telling me that he could be done period.

Yes, Cassel has only had one year, but so did Brady and the Pats sent Bledsoe to the Bills. Matt Cassel is reminding me of Steve Young. Now, before you call me a complete idiot, please allow me to explain. No, he is not that fast, but he is more mobile than Brady. If Brady's knee limits his mobility even more, he's on par with ol' Drew. I loved Bledsoe but he was as mobile as a freakin' statute.

Factors in favor of Cassel staying:

1. He's younger.
2. He has proven that he can win.
3. He has the team behind him.
4. Ol' Bill loved him.
5. He can move which will get you a job in the NFL.
6. SF traded the four time Superbowl winner to play the younger guy who wasn't coming off a major injury.

Mazz, stick to baseball. Why compare baseball to football? How about this. If you took one apple and compared it to one orange, it would be like comparing a different apple to a different orange.

The answer is simple. What's best for the team is the long haul. Cassel has more physical talent than Brady. He's shown he has a decent amount of mental toughness and leadership. Enough to lead the team into the future. Belichick's ego would want him to prove he can do it without Brady. Thanks for the memories Tom. You're a first ballot Hall-of-Famer. It's over now.

You people are nuts!!! I think matt did a great job filling in for Tom, but did you people forget the year he had last season?? 50 tds!!!! Look at the track record of players leaving NE via free agency or trade. Branch, Givens, McGinest, Bledsoe, Patten....the list goes on. Cassel is a great QB in our system, but tag him and trade him where he wants to go. Brady is the QB now and in 5 years. Thanks Matt for a fun season, best of luck wherever you end up.

I Think Brady is the NFL 's BEST Q.B but Pats have no idea if he does return how good will he be He will most likely not be the Brady the Fans know he is or was.
I would think The Pats would try to extend Cassel just to see how Brady is and If he can still be the no#1 Q.B of all times Cause if they sign Cassel for long term and Brady comes back healthy any team will snatch him up. he Brady can hurt Pats chances. again I say sign Cassel one more yr if they can. just incase Brady cannot return

Sometimes things come to an end sooner than expected. The philosophy under this regime is to do what's best for the team. We had to say goodbye to Lawyer Milloy and many other good Joe's. Guys that pumped us up. Heck, it was tough to see Adam go. Now look at what they have in his place. With Tom, you have to be concerned about the health of the knee. It's not a given that he comes back and plays the way we're used to. Yes, Cassel has better talent to start his career than Tom did. He also has more pressure to perform at a high level than Tom did. Tom had some pressure following Bledsoe, but not the same without the championships. Cassel deserves more credit than what he's getting here today.

OK, "PATS FANS". ONE DECENT SEASON DOES NOT MAKE A FRANCHISE QB! TOM BRADY IS THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THE PATRIOTS! THE TEAM WILL EITHER LET CASSEL GO TO FA OR THEY WILL FRANCHISE THEN ATTEMPT TO TRADE THE QB (WITH HIS COOPERATION). SO, TO ALL YOU DOPES WHO SAY CASSEL IS THE "FUTURE"? PLEASE, THE GUY SHOWED SOME PROMISE THIS SEASON BUT THAT'S ONE SEASON AND WHAT DID THEY WIN BY THE WAY? NOTHING! CASSEL COULDN'T EVEN TAKE THE TEAM TO THE PLAYOFFS! IF BRADYS' HEALTHY, I'M SORRY BUT THIS TEAM IS PLAYING NEXT WEEK! YOU ALL KNOW THAT'S THE TRUTH! SO PLEASE, RELAX ALL YOU BRADY HATERS! I HAD NO IDEA THERE WERE SO MANY OF YOU OUT THERE

I hate to say this but I think the Pats have to bite the bullet and trade Brady.

Cassel is younger, more mobile, and physically has all the skills this team needs. By the end of the year he was every bit the passing threat that Brady was even last year. And there's one thing that I like about him vis a vis Brady: he's hungry for his own glory. Brady in the last few playoff runs has seemed almost exhausted. The game looks like work to him sometimes, especially late in the season. He's got a supermodel fiancee and seems interested in modeling more than football. Tough call, but I think you send Brady to SF and rebuild around Matt.

What everyone here seems to forget is that while you may be sentimental and LOVE Tom Brady because he "won three Super Bowls," BB realizes that he had three teams win three Super Bowls. NOT Tom Brady. All I'm saying is that it should NOT be assumed that the end of the Brady era isn't near.

I'm absolutely disgusted to be a Patriots fan right now after reading some of these trade Brady comments......God, how soon we forget. Cassel had a nice year but come on! He doesn't stack up to Brady. Brady is one of the best EVER and you want to trade him? He will rehab and he has plenty of good years left.......I hope all of you making these comments don't jump back on the Brady bandwagon. You people are pathetic.....I'm glad i never had to share a foxhole with any of you.

What about trading Brady for a high draft pick...I'm sure a number of teams would do that....I think cassell is the better option for the team in the long haul given his health and age.

I only had to read as far as the laundry reference. It's true. The rest is superfluous, folks. I can't believe that people are still talking about supermodels, Hall of Fame, trades, whatever. The truth is that the locals only want "their" team to bring home the banner -- in any sport. Accept this and let the individuals -- mere players -- get on with their lives.

With Brady, THEY WERE PERFECT! 16-0 Reg.Season. END OF STORY, KEEP TOM, TRADE MATT! No one will ever be as good as Tom either. NO ONE! He's the best in history!

I look at it like this.......................if they want to slap the tag on him-good-i would take it-sit on the sideline next season with pad in hand and $14 m. in the bank.....still a young guy -- then after 09 season.....watch out.........here i come

I would franchise Cassel, for this year. See how Brady is doing. If the coaches and medical staff think, that Brady is going to be fine. Then trade Cassel, before the trade deadline. If Brady is not going to be ok. Then trade Brady. You can still get alot for him. Cassel this way becomes our QB at a cheaper price and younger, too. There's going to be alot of competition for Cassel. The Lions, Seahawks, 49ers, Jets, Eagles???, Chiefs, Bills, are some teams that come to my mind, that will or could be looking for a QB.

Massarotti...

Do you, like Dickens, get paid by the word? You write in circles and repeat yourself, making a piece like this much too time consuming when you should be simplifying things for the reader. You came in with all this fanfare, but Ryan and Shaughnessy are far better writers.

Cassel will be released and sign with the Jets

Tom Brady. Period. End of discussion. (BTW: when Drew Bledsoe went down, I predicted the Pats would go 3-13. When Brady went down, I predicted they'd be lucky to go 8-8. In other words, I'm usually wrong :) )

Cassel will be franchised and then traded, guaranteed. He knows that and his teammates know that. I know this for a fact.

Let him go to FA. Have Cassel agree NOT to sign with Miami, NY or Buff in exchange for NE not slapping him with the frachise tag. It's not a huge win but a win nevertheless.

Let's all settle down and admit the obvious. NO ONE posting on this board has a clue (especially those using 5th grade English to call others "morons"). What we do have, fortunately, is BB/Pioli. They know Brady and his health. They've analyzed tons of film on Cassel; film most of us wouldn't understand if we had a month with it. The beauty of being a Patriots fan is we can sit back and relax and know we're in really, really good hands ... probably the best managed team in the history of football. Anyone old enough to remember the pre-Parcells years knows what a luxury that is.

I think Tom is done here in Boston and with football. He knows it and has accepted it psychologically. He's getting ready to move on to the next phase of his life - marriage, more children and a play for the political life (see Brentwood land purchase and Thanksgiving goodwill photo-op). It was fun while it lasted, too brief, but fun.

I'll never forget the look in Brady's eyes as he came out of the tunnel in the SB against the Giants. Once the helmet banger and fired up cheerleader of our Patriots, I hesitate to say it, but I saw mortality and fear. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate ever fantastic and wonderful moment that Brady has shone as a NE Patriot. I will admit that I held onto Bledsoe too long as he was always such a class act as a player, he just didn't have "IT". Brady has/had "IT", but when he came out against KC this year, he had that same mortal look in his eyes. If he's healthy and has the fire, stay. If not, we have to have Cassel as a potential go to guy. Give the home team a discount guys, stay for the rings!

The Pats will make a huge mistake if they don't SERIOUSLY consider that Brady's injury may disable him from being a top flight QB. They have a healthy QB on the team now who can pass, run, is young, has a full season in the system under his belt, who showed tremendous poise under enormous pressure. Sure, Brady has been Mr. NFL. But that was then. There's a very real possibility we may never see "then" again from Brady. "A bird in the hand....."

As one announcer put it earlier this year " you gave the kid the keys to the lambroghini..." Matt Cassel was given one of the single greatest offenses in the league of all time. You have Randy Moss, Welker, Watson, Gaffeny, and a great multi-back running game. Put it all together and you could put in almost any quarterback and have good success. The thing about Brady was that he was good when he had the wr's just picked off waivers.

Brady stays he is the QB

Cassel is history in New England....Cassel will have many teams after him....who knows what Brady can do upon his return [50-50]....Cassel will be signed up by another NFL team before July 2009....and why not.....he[s very desrving of big bucks away from the Patriots......he is all business and good luck to Matt Cassel.

This year was the year of the "Wildcat", no QB offense. Next year we open up with the two QB offense.

What does everyone think regarding why they drafted O'Connell????????? C'Mon guys,,, figure it out...

Thank you, Matt.

Cassel is to Brady as Brady is to Bledsoe.
QED

Someone please remind me what happens to the salary cap when a player gets placed on IR? If Brady's knew isn't better could they put him back on IR and save his salary from hitting their cap? If so, it makes even more sense to franchise Cassel.

TO YOU WHO QUESTION OTHERS SUPPORT,AND ABILITY TO BE A TRUE PATRIOT FAN. I GUESS THAT BEING YOU DON'T EVEN KNOWN US SO
YOU CANNOT KNOWN THAT. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THERE ARE TONS OF
PATRIOT FANS. AND WE CAN TAKE THE LOWS AS WELL AS THE HIGHEST OF
WINNING. BY THE WAY OUR TEAM THE PATRIOTS WERE 11 AND 5 THIS
SEASON. WE LOVE OUR TEAM. BANDWAGON FANS NEVER WAS ANDTONS
OF PATRIOT FANS I KNOW PERSONNALLY NEVER WILL BE. WHEN YOU
ATTACK OTHERS GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT.

The goal is to win the Super Bowl.

1. Cassel has not yet shown anything against playoff caliber defenses, like the Steelers. Contrast the Pats 10 points to Brady's 2007 effort (34 points, 399 yards in the air).

2. Current Pats defense is far too weak to stop the Mannings.

BB sees Cassel as best chance to shore up D. Cassel = a first and third from trading partner...another Mayo and another Hobbs.

WOW - hard to believe how many people are anointing Cassel as the next Brady in the wings. Do any of you realize the HUGE difference between what Tom Brady has proven through winning god knows how many playoff games and three superbowls vs. a guy who did a great job FILLING IN - better than we expected. Cassel's trade value will never be higher - PERFECT time to franchise and trade him. Sorry, but in another system with lesser receivers, Cassel will probably end up being a DECENT quarterback, maybe top 1/3 in the league, so just thank him for a great year FILLING IN, trade while the price is high and move on.

The Pats brain trust that measures talent will not make the mistake that so many are making: equating the abilities of Brady and Cassel. In addition to his abilty to see the field more quickly than Cassel, Brady is significatnly more consistent in his accuracy. Do not make the mistake of simply comparing completion percentages as Cassel threw to significantly shorter routes all year and so the completion percentage comparison is skewed. Also hugely significant is the fact that Cassel had one of the absolute poorest records throwing the ball more than 20 yards downfield. If Cassell makes enormous improvements in his ability to hit receivers 20 yards and further downfield and continues to improve in his vision and improves his consistency then he could reach the All Pro level. I doubt he will ever reach Brady's Hall of Fame level but you never know.

As it stands, you do not give up a Hall of Fame QB in his prime for someone that very pleasantly surprised you with better play than you expected. It would be nice to see Cassel in NE behind Brady or to see Cassel get his fair shot as a team's starter somewhere but I do not think NE can afford to sign and keep both. The best scenario might be that they work with Cassel and another team on his contract and a trade at the same time. In any case, Brady will remain NE's QB unless the rumors about his knee turn out to be true and he is just not ready.

What a bunch of dopes!! Trade Brady!! If Brady were 38, maybe...but he's rehabing and he will be ready next year. With Brady back, the Patriots are immediate Super Bowl contenders for...the next 4-5 yrs?? Do you really want to Brady in a S.F. uniform facing the Pats??

Get some common sense!!!!

Keep Brady, fran tag cassel, send him somewhere sunny for a couple first rounders enough said. Brady is to committed, if he isn't ready then sign some veteran for a year or play O'Connel. Draft a young mobile quarterback who is average or better late in the draft to switch in and out with the starter. In a couple years if O'Connel repeats brady-bledsoe or cassel-brady great, trade him for something, if not or even anyways draft some promising collage quarterback like Tibow, Bradford, McCoy, etc. He will be our future and tom has enough decency not to go to the jets at about 40 years old so he will sit on the bench a year or two (35-36/35-37) or so to mentor the newcomer or O'Connel if the pats decide to keep him. In the mean time do not get rid of Tom Brady now. The high profile players like Randy Moss need an icon quarterback to rally behind because he is the pride and beauty of what the coaching is capable of.

What ever the Pats do I hope they remember that pigs always end up being slaughtered.

I recall BB saying something along the line of Tom played the starting QB position for us this week. Next week someone else will be playing that position.

He said pretty much the same thing when Rodney went down.

The genius of the coaching staff is simple, they put in a system, sell the players on the system, shift people into the system as needed, and if the players learn the system, the team flourishes and the individual player shines as well.

As another poster commented on earlier, few of the players who have left the system over the past four or five years, to find riches and glory for themselves have done so.

The Patriot players as a team are as tightly a knit group as you will find in any endeavor. Very reminiscent of the corporate loyalty, work ethic, and discipline that marked the success and rise of Japan after WWII.

If Matt leaves, I wish him nothing but the best. However, I hope he is a smart enough fellow to realize that with the exception of a high salary, he has more to gain by learning from some of the greatest coaches and players in the history of organized sports.

The Pat's record last year and this past season are a testament to the term "team work".

I hope Matt looks at player like Randy Moss, Junior Seau, and other veterans who, later in their careers looked more towards their roles as professionals wanting to go down in history as being part of a championship team, than a T. O. who, at the end of the day, cares only about himself, his personal stats, and how he feels things are going.

Money comes, money goes. Why do guys like Brett continue to play? Because they are football players. When their careers end, who do they become internally?

Two words, "Sign Cassel" period.
We still don't know how Brady is doing, and whether he will be ready at the beginning of the next season. By ready, I don't mean health wise, he s out for the whole season, and he was talking about getting married and the whole sweet family thing. I have a feeling that's what Brady wanted after missing the SuperBowl win last year, well, he talked about it, you know "a break"

I say let Cassel go or sign him(Franchise tag) and trade Brady.

If you let Cassel go, we still will have Kevin O'Connell, and after this season I am very confident in our back up QB's. This would allow the Pats to replenish the Defense with new blood without any wait.

However, if you franchise Cassel and try to get him to sign a long term deal, then you have brady to Trade for some awesome defense players. This is a safe bet. We know that Cassel can preform, and no one will know until the start of next season whether the best QB in the NFL(Tom Brady) is the same.

We can't take the time and chances with trading Cassel.

Everyone seems to forget that without the Patriots faith in Matt Cassel he would have never been drafted in the first place. Again, If it were not for the Pats faith in Cassel, he would have been cut after preseason. If it were not for the Patriots tutalidge over the last 4 years, Cassel would have never developed into the quarterback he is today. Cassel owes the Patriots as much as the Patriots owe him for his good play this season. I believe both Cassel and the Pats have a mutual respect and will work something out together. If I were in Cassels position I would feel proud to work something out with my old TEAM!

ok people are still loyal to brady which is right. he earned that loyalty through several years of greatness. but it is time for cassel to take over. last year brady got sacked 17 times, and this was because teams were just dropping back and trying to stop the pass. Then the Giants in the SB revealed what can happen if you attack Brady, he was dropped several times and defeated. Now cassel was sacked the most in the league this year because he was under attack so much. This was not all his fault. Because again teams were attacking the Pats. Now what do you think is gonna happen when an aging Brady comes back and can move even less then before? He will get attacked get sacked most in the league and possibly could lose his career. But think about the energy that Cassel brings to this team, making plays with his feet, and just bringing some youth to the team./ I believe we should trade Brady for some good picks and revamp this D and win the superbowl next year. Its def could happen, especially if we draft and have another good linebacker like Mayo running around and a good Corner. And merriweather is becoming graet, and a year from now he could b pro bowl bound. Hobbs shows flashes of great stuff but gets caught once in a while with not looking for the ball. I also think he was getting picked on a lot. Another corner will balance things out. Also what kind of leader was Brady he didnt even stay around with the team on the sidelines and help out. He could have been like an extra coach to Cassel and helped this team into the playoffs. But he was a selfish prettyboy. Trade him and send him packing. Cassel is a team player and will lead this teasm for years to come./

Man you're so smug in so many of your entries and not especially likable, looking for controversy asap and maybe even hoping to encourage it. The Patriots, as they almost always do, will make a decision for the team -- who else should they be making it for? They drafted and paid Matt Cassel to watch football games and learn from the best QB and organization in the game for several years. And not too many weeks ago you and probably more than half the fans were happy to dump on him. But the Patriots stuck by him helping him to succeed, and apparently for good reason. He did well and got better as the season went on, part him, part coaching and part the team.

Don't you expect the Patriots to do what they can to maximize their chances for 2009 and their return for their investment in Cassel that’s within their rights? Cassel has gotten a lot of benefits from being part of the Patriots and they’re very reasonable to think that way. If Cassel is in this for the most money he can get right now, that’s not necessarily best for his career and not necessarily a laudable trait. But you’re already out there presupposing games which are, in fact, negotiations that are part of the game and the business, and you’d be the first one on the Patriots case if their team is unsuccessful after personnel moves that aren’t in their best interest. The Patriots seem to treat their players well within the constraints of being a very successful NFL team. Players for the most part like to play for them, probably in good part because of a good management reputation.

If Cassel were to leave, it would be best for him to go to another AFC East team. Who better to take advantage of a QB's weaknesses that the team that coached him and knows him inside and out? It's a way to get 2 conference victories!

Enough with the stats. they mean nothing. Brady was amazing in his first few years in ways Cassel didn't show. Brady was way ahead of anyone in the past in 4th quarter comebacks. He later became so good at getting ahead early, that during that 20 something win sreak he was never behind, and what was amazing was that he rarely blew people out. He played to the score, and would be 7-14 points ahead, and if the other team didn't score, he, but as soon as they cut the lead into a score away, he brought us down on the next set of downs. He had those amazing intangibles, that I so far haven't seen in Cassel. I'm not saying anything more than Brady, where it counts, had a magic i hven't seen in Cassel yet, and we may never see it, Very few have it. By the way, stats are for losers! Thanks Mr Red Auerbach for that info.

With Brady back, the offense will be almost exactly the same as the awesome 2007 offense. I see the Pats, if Brady stays healthy, going 14-2 or 15-1 next year. Obviously the Patriots also need to address corners. This team was very good this year. It is a lot of what-ifs, but if Gaffney caught the pass against the Colts, the D stopped the Jets on 3rd and 15, or Slater didn't muff the kickoff, the Pats would be in the playoffs. This team was three plays away from being 14-2 without Brady. I still think Brady has three or four more good years left in him, but he doesn't get hurt often (this is the first injury of his career, so he could play longer). Pats 2009 will win the Super Bowl.

To Boston Bandwagon Fans...

If you want to add asterisks to anything, you can kiss my proverbial A**!

I'm a born and raised Pats fan and I've been there through thick and thin!

As far as the videotaping goes, if you want to be naive enough to believe that no other teams have done it, again with the asterisks, pull your head out of your A**!

Who do you root for you JACKA**? I'm thinking it's the JETS. How did old man Favre work out for you this year? I thought he was supposed to win the division for you? How does third place feel? Oh yeah that's right, you're a JETS fan, you're used to it!

what a pickle ! If they ship Brady off, we better pray that he lands in the NFC somewhere and NOT in our conference

The Pat's already got more value out of Cassell than they ever dreamed. They are in a no lose situation with him, detirmine his value under the current guidlines and make a decision. No way are they going to franchise him, the $13-14mil would bring back a monster backer or corner, a lot more valuable to them than a back up qb. They could make a deal with another team to sign him long term with some guarantee and trade him. Franchise a buck up qb?? Never happen..

Hey sports fans - read the handwriting on the wall: Tom Brady isn't coming back. He's got 3 SB rings, a list of NFL records a mile long, he didn't spend a minute of the season on the sideline and now he's engaged. What's the point of putting himself in harm's way and risking a lifetime injury? My money says: he announces his retirement after the SB, the Patriots sign Matt Cassel to a long-term contract and the Patriots take 3 more championships. Keep it simple. Make it fun.

Brady officially went past his prime with that hit to his knee. If you think otherwise, you're nuts. His ankles have taken a beating over the years. He doesn't have to prove anything to anyone. His personal life is in the way. All recipes for a step back in his football career.
Cassel has proven himself capable. He looks good in big games. The defense killed the team this year. His offensive line played well in the running game, but was not great in the passing game. He played with 3 back up running backs and poor tight ends. Moss has lost a step. He was lucky to have Welker. Build around him. I'LL NEVER FORGET WHAT BRADY HAS DONE FOR US! THE BEST EVER!

Cassel to Vikings for 1st rounder

BRADY IS IN LOOOVE.HE WANTS TO SPENT EVERY MOMENT WITH HIS L000OVE. MONEY PLENTY. NO MOORE INJURIES.NO MORE TIRELESS WORKOUTS.JUST PLENTY OF LOOOOVE. SEE YA TOM,ONCE AND AWHILE AT THE BALL PARK.

Tom made zero adjustments against the smothering Giant's pass rush in the SB. He blew the game basically by refusing to shotgun and dink-and-dunk, choosing instead to drop back all game and throw for medium and long-range. It cost him his 4th ring. His pride went before the fall. That game shouldn't even have been close. Then he blows out his knee. Then he gets engaged to Giselle. The writing is on the wall. Tom has way too many distractions, his knee may not respond to rehab for another run next year, and his head is on the supermodel runway. Sign the hungry gym rat Cassell, package Brady for a gazillion picks.

Matt Cassel does not want to sit on the sidelines for a year as his asking price for a contract with another team the following year will plummet.

He gets tagged, he will play ball for the trade. He wants a money contract yes, but he also wants to play.

That said, my money is on BB just letting him go. What he did for Cassel, he will do with Kevin O’Connell.

Simple message to all you fanboys who keep talking about getting a first round pick....WAKE UP!!!! The best the Pats are going to do here is to negotiate a sign and trade with a team upfront with Cassell's approval. At best they will get a third or a second round pick. They are not going to get multiple picks unless it is a 5th and a 6th type of thing. Brett Favre only generated a conditional second for the Jets. Cassell has 1 year under him. He is not Brady. Hope the Pats get a 3rd and a 6th. For those of you who want Cassell to sign a 1 year deal for 5M....come on!! He will make 14M for one year and be a FA under the franchise tag. Why on earth would he sign a 5M 1 year deal?!?! As to singing a progressive deal, why would Cassell do that? He could be a bench warmer earning 3M, 5M, 7M etc??? or he can make 14M for 1 year and then be a FA free to negotiate a whole new deal! That is a no brainer. You have to think like Cassell and his agent and stop wearing the Pats colored glasses. Cassell will not, and should not, do the Pats any favors here. He has his shot at the big payday and should take it.

THE PATRIOTS WILL DO THE FRANCHISE THING TO MATT. WHY? TO SIGN HIM FOR ABOUT 7- 8 MILLION AND SAVE THE PATRIOTS FROM GIVING HIM 15 MILLION LATER. KRAFT IS TOOOOOOO SMART.

It's amazing every time someone has a minimal amount of success, how we think we have to go out & throw 10s of millions of dollars at them. One year does not prove to me that he is a "Franchise Player". Does Brady even make 13-14 million dollars a year? If memory serves me correctly, he actually does not because he relinquished some money on his contract in order to give the Pats some cap space to sign other players, (Moss comes to mind). No way that Cassell should be making anything close to Brady's Salary yet. If some other team wants to give him that much, let them. I don't see BB & Pioli getting sucked into that kind of deal. They have always shown themselves to be above that. I think they should offer him something in the 6-8 million dollar range with incentives should he end up replacing Brady due to the knee or any other situation that may arise. If some other team thinks he is worth 14-15million, let them go for it. Maybe the Jets will blow their wad on him, & end up making the same mistake as they did with Favre. That's one of the reasons they failed this year, & they will continue to fail. The Jets & Mangini were to focused on what BB & the Patriots were doing & failed to keep their eye on their own team, & the ultimate goal of winning in the end.

What if Brady (CAN'T) play?Does that affect the salary cap?.....If he takes the year off',or until he's healthy,do the Pat's get some kind of money back .Just a question.........As for Cassells' performance,it was outstanding and quite comparable to Brady's.Actually,this should,or Could,be considered his Rookie Year.He got a lot done,considering all the injuries and the ages of the seniors.Had he had a few games under his belt before the start,not to mention unanticipated start,he certainly could've won two or three more games (he should've won the OT game against the Jets)......I say Franchise him!

Cassel's success = product of the system...

Trade him and get something for him, and if Brady can't play in '09 then have O'Connell play. O'Connell was a 3rd round pick and played in college, and no doubt would put up great numbers like Cassel, and be another product of the system.

Football is over this year for the pats, let them go about their business this off-season,regroup and plan how to get back to the superbowl,this is all conjecture on our behalf bb bk will decide what needs to be done . Kraft still want to put a winner on the field and so does BB. With what they have done to date has made us all extremely grateful and brought football to a new level around here.I believe they will sign cassel for insurance for brady will return and bring another trophy or two , trade cassel after they are certain brady will be what he was before. Lets just pray we dont have the ass##### manning brothers in the super bowl that would really susk

Cassel will stay with BB and team. He still has a lot of learning to do and has a better chance of winning the big one with BB. We have not seen Casel playing in the playoffs.. and playoffs are usually a whole different level of clutch plays ...
If I were Cassel, I would look for an opportunity to stay with BB one more year and learn from the best! The money will come eventually.. but it just takes one bad season with the wrong team to end up as a backup and maybe no contract.
If I were the patriots, I would do whatever to sign Cassel to a decent extension now.

Saved the season? I believe they missed the playoffs. If Brady had played they would have gone 15-1 or so and be in the playoffs.

This just doesn't seem that hard. No one knows if Brady will return and when. You can't base your team around someone who can't play.

Sign Cassel to a long term deal at a rate that would be equivalent to what he might expect to command at any other team that needs a QB. Then when Brady returns, one of those two QBs is going to be traded. You keep the QB who is playing better and who has the long term best option.

Tom Brady is only 31 years old and last time I saw him play, he set a single-season NFL record for passing touchdowns and led the Pats to a undefeated regular season record and Super Bowl appearance. Now, many great QBs have played into their deep 30s and once healed, what is to say, Brady won't return to prime form. So is it just me or is it ludicrous to think that you wouldn't want 4-5 more years of Brady rather than deal him and have to hold back vomit watching him win his next ring, which is always his favorite as he likes to say, with a new team. Cassel was great this year but he was also very close to being released after training camp. Try to keep Cassel for a year for insurance but not not even consider trading Brady.

The Patriots have a good idea of value if anyone does. Cassel is now overvalued. As a starter, as a franchised player, as a backup. The Pats will find another starter or backup just as they found Cassel, and found Brady for that matter. Clearly they need to focus on other things, and are.

The first comment here is my favorite...lol Cassel is the QB of the future? Let Brady go? HAHAHAHAHA. You WEEI listeners will get this.... CALM DOWN! Lets all take a deep breath. Sure he won out the last 4 games, but look at who they played. Oak, Sea, Ari, and Buf. Not exactally the cream of the crop. Matt has also never seen a playoff game and clearly not a Super Bowl. Playing for the Pats makes you better. What ever happened to Branch? Who was that guy that went to Buffalo? lol... not to mention the coaches that have left... Matt very well may end up on another team and be very much average. On top of that the pats took O'connel in the 3rd round this year, so if anyone is the QB of the future, I would say its him. You can not wrap up 14 mil for a backup qb. Between Brady and Cassell that woul be 25% of the cap. They have too many needs to tie up that kinda $$.

The patriots are not going to pay cassel big bucks !!!
Only one of them can play , that would be crazy for all you dreamers in out there!!

OK...OK....OK... To all of you know nothings who think that Cassel is your god-send. Open your eyes you want to trade the (potential) greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL for a QB that produced 20 TD's and 11 Ints. I'm not one for stats but lets look at this a year ago TB had 50 TD's not 20, 50. If TB makes the decision to not come back that is his prerogative. Go hand with Jizz-elle. I think that time off he really wanted he got with this injury. I think that if he wants kids that's what the off season is for, making babies. While Giselle is off at her Wine tasting parties Tom will be at practice or games. She marries a football player she knew what she was getting into.

Also to remedy the Cassel situation you offer him a 4 year contract at say 24 mil. That's 6 mil a year to be a backup for a year and then who knows. You tell him that he will be Brady's backup for now but the future is his. If he wants to continue to start for the Pats he will need to wait till he out performs Tom. If its this coming season then great for Matt. If he doesnt like holding a notebook and wants to start for SF, Detroit, NY let him we hope he doesn't pick AFC at all never mind AFC East. If Tom cannot come back next year then doc his pay from the IR if he doesn't like it then hes not a team player and you can trade him all you want. Tom knows that we need D backs and he will make that sacrifice. If Matt cannot make the sacrifice to sit on the bench and take notes for 6 mil a year then Tag him and do with him whatever we wish, whatever is in the best interest of the Pats.
We can all agree that the Pats organization is a business and are not in it to make people feel better or to help everyone's career.

So all you Cassel band wagoners get ready to be cheering for the bench or a new team next year because Brady wants to play. Maybe he did look tired in the SB but how do you feel when you have made some monumental movements in your career. Excited but tired because you worked your A** off getting there.
Stop blabbering non-sense and look at this from a real perspective no-one would trade "the best QB of all time" Tom Brady just because he got hurt, that would be undoubtedly stupid.

The pats should cut Brady ---- then the Colts could sign him at the Veterans minimum and he could be Peyton's back up.

Will Brady be back? If so, will he be the same? That is what I'm most worried about. Granted Cassel had great recievers but he was also the most sacked QB in the NFL regular season. Now there's a stat nobody thinks about! This guy has seen pressure and handled it well. Also, don't forget Cassel lost a close decision in college to a guy who won the Heisman-SIGN HIM!. It just so happens that our defense is to blame for not making the playoffs and I stand by that. We won out because of the weather in the last 4 games and our secondary wasn't truly tested in the passing game. Hey Belichick, WE NEED A SECONDARY!

has everyone forgotten - do you think Brady won on merit alone? He had a great offense and hidden cameras on the sidelines. Without the cameras, he might be another Cassel.

Sign Cassel long term and Trade one of them. I am a big Brady fan, I am also a Patriot fan, Bill is no fool, he gets paid to win, today and tommorow. If he thinks Cassel can replace Brady do it. Tom knows it is a business, after all look who he replaced , Drew was the face then, remember the doubters when they traded Bledsdoe, there were plenty.
Brady may possibly win another superbowl in the next few years but Cassel will be around for the next 5 or plus years. If the Patriots had a defense they could run most of the table with either QB. They sure could get a few good defensive players from San Fran for either one. JUST DO IT!

I'm a die-hard Pats fan, but no football expert. It sure as hell seems to me that--since 2001--a number of players have looked very attractive to other teams while playing within the Patriots' "system," but have never lived up to the dollar value of their new contracts playing elsewhere. Not only players, but the assistant coaches like Weis and Crennell. Law, Milloy, McGinest, Branch, Ted Washington, even Asante Samuel. Only Vinatieri seems to have lived up to his Pats' performance. Will Matt Cassell really outperform QB's like Leinart on another team? Or will he sink into second-rate obscurity, and his ultimate value being the ability to regurgitate the Pats' offensive playbook for another coach?

I gotta wonder whether O'Connell couldn't duplicate Cassell's year under the same conditions

I'm a die-hard Pats fan, but no football expert. It sure as hell seems to me that--since 2001--a number of players have looked very attractive to other teams while playing within the Patriots' "system," but have never lived up to the dollar value of their new contracts playing elsewhere. Not only players, but the assistant coaches like Weis and Crennell. Law, Milloy, McGinest, Branch, Ted Washington, even Asante Samuel. Only Vinatieri seems to have lived up to his Pats' performance. Will Matt Cassell really outperform QB's like Leinart on another team? Or will he sink into second-rate obscurity, and his ultimate value being the ability to regurgitate the Pats' offensive playbook for another coach?

I gotta wonder whether O'Connell couldn't duplicate Cassell's year under the same conditions

I am surprised no one has put Pioli/Cassel, McDaniels/Cassel or Pioli, McDaniels/Cassel together in a deal. If and when Pioli and McDaniels leave, and they will leave on good terms with Bill, unlike mangenius, we should consider them making a deal to take a proven QB with them as the position is so essential to building a winning organization. Detroit is crying for a Pioli, Mcdaniels, Cassel trifecta and I bet the Fords can afford it despite the collapse of the auto industry.

u guys r nutts. Tom Brady will b back and so will the Patriots. we need DB's period, so with the cap space we have, get good DB's.To me there is no comparison between the 2. U all have seem to have forgotten who Cassel is throwing to and the other weapons he has.Put Cassel with Givens, Branch, Patten, jackson u get the picture. i can throw to Moss, Welker, Gafney--Give me Cassel's weapons and watch me.Besides the guy has had 4-5 years n our system, but let him go learn another system with less superior talent around him and then holla at me, and To me it seems he has a hard time reading defenses and picking up blitzes.Don't get me wrong, Cassel gave us alot of hope this year and got better each week, but we should never disrespect Brady with all he's done.We need DB's please.

Does Brady even want to come back??..i heard he is controlled by his super hott model and she does not want brady to play next year at all. Could Brady retire just like that?

I know it's hard for anyone to imagine in this day and age, and I truly hope I get to say "I told you so", but there still is a shimmering hope that loyalty will play a factor in this whole scenario. First, lets look at why Cassel should be loyal and perhaps agree upon a pay raise, and stay on as the successor to Brady's throne. First, it was known very early that Brady's injury was season ending, and I'm sure at that point there were also questions as to the extent of his career. The Patriot's and BB stood behind Cassel and said he was their quarterback, opting not to sign an established "out of work" QB, or seasoned back up from another team. They made a gesture to Matt and said w'll stand behind you and give you your shot. I'm thinking that somewhere in all this, that doesnt get forgotten. I think he'll stay on in 09' for more money that he was due, but not enough to break the bank, and he'll be okay with taking the team over maybe in 2010 -2011. Hope I get to say I told you so

PATS will approach this completely as a business decision and in no way will eliminate the possibility of trading either Brady or Cassel. 1st step will be to see what they could get for either Brady or Cassel and evaluate the responses and the overall impact on the TEAM. Once this has been discovered they WILL pull the trade trigger on one of these QB's (make no mistake about that) this decision will be soley based on improving the team....loyalty will have nothing to do with this impending decision/move. We should be greatful that the PATS have managed personnel in this fashion over the years as it has clearly made them one of the

best if not thebest NFL franchise this decade.Imagine the possibilities with trading either one of these QB's and the impact it can play on improving the overall team...there is potential to secure 2 additional 1st round picks for either QB.

I agree with "Super Pats Fan." The Pats will go with Brady. Regardless of what Matt Cassel did, Tom Brady is the franchise QB. He's won 3 SB's and came close to winning a fourth on what would have been one of the best teams in NFL history.
I would be open to franchising Cassel and trading him to rebuild our defense, but I'm not sure someone would take him at $13-14 million with no guarantee that they keep him for the long-term. The Pats will probably end up letting Cassel walk while the find a veteran back-up (Carr, Losman, or Grossman??) to come in and hold the for while O'Connell gets one more year to learn the system. No matter which way you spin it, I think NE is still going with Brady as their QB. Watch out for O'Connell, though. He might be a future star.

The powerful direction here is to negotiate freely with Cassel and sign him to the reasonable contract he could expect elsewhere. Then Cassel gets his pay, his possibility to play, and if Brady is OK, a likely trade elsewhere where he can actually play. Franchises have parity in this league: today's Detroit or St. Louis become tomorrow's Colts Bucs or Panthers.

Other options limit some of either of the parties' options. Expect Cassel to not sign a tender immediately, he wants to play, after all, he isn't $tephon Marbucks.

To Todd;
If Brady is on the team in 2009 100% of his salary counts against the cap, whether is on on the active roster, PUP list or IR. There are no cap exemptions for injuries.
So let me toss one more "what if" into this conversation. Let's say the Pats think Brady will be back in mid 2009, and somehow manage to keep both on the roster. Now let's say Cassel is, oh, 6-2 or better at the halfway mark in 2009, and Brady is now healthy. Who rides the pine?

I see and truly belive that Pats will pull same "deal" as Sf did with Montana...alot of off season factors have played into this happening..Like one Buying Property in Brentwood..Getting married..during off season preferred jet setting around world INSTEAD of doing off season conditioning.NOT playing a single down in pre-season...face Brady had his Glory.now its times to let Matt have his...TRADE BRADY I agree with 100%...H has said he would enjoy playing in SF....also Brady I think is on the OUTS with Pats for picking a Calif (fruitcake doctor) to mend his knee......A knee Job that he managed to screw up...I dont se Brady playing a single down in '09..nor in '10 either.....He Is DONE!!!!!!!!! ala Montana...of the 11 games Matt lead team to wins How many times did his running ability come into play?..Only time Brady scored a TD was thru a qb sneak....How many yards rushing did Matt have this yr?..I tend to believe those rports concerning His Knee(brady)......surgury didnt go well..there is scar tissue...But to those that say Kep Brady and let matt go then I say prepare for a season like detroit.......Pats be Lucky to see 3 wins.....ok hre is a good trade..send Brady/Poili/McDaniels to browns for Quinn/thomas/stallworth

The Redskins are my team. But, I am also a Patriots fan. I think Cassel performed very well this season, but the idea expressed so frequently on here that he is or ever will be in the same league as Brady is delusional. I understand that Pats fans, including myself , are pleasantly surprised that the team went 11-5 without Brady. However, people need to step back a bit and be realistic. The Patriots were 1-4 versus playoff teams. Cassel is a good enough QB to play in a great offense and beat mediocre teams right now. Maybe he'll improve, but he doesn't have the look of a guy who can beat top teams consistantly, even during times when the offense in general isn't so talented, as Brady has done year after year. If Brady recovers fully as can be expexted, it's a no brainer...the Pats will trade Cassel for whatever they can get and move on. If Brady doesn't recover, the Pats run as a serious threat to win the SB every year will be over for the forseeable future though they will win on a regular basis. History has shown that it takes great QB"S for multible SB runs. Brady is still relatively young. Brady is the guy for many years to come

Does anyone remember what the pats were like before Tom Brady? Think hard. You people who think Brady will/should be 'moved' are foolish zombies. He hurt his knee, and his sub was great and 5 years younger, so let's trade him. Some of you gave little lists of the reasons why Brady should be moved. That's so cute:
Here are 6 reasons why you are foolish:
1. He's younger. (brilliant, let's trade Brady)
2. He has proven that he can win. (yeah this kind of winning is just like winning 3 super bowls!!!)
3. He has the team behind him. (they must like him better than Brady! Yea!)
4. Ol' Bill loved him. (Bill loves cassel, so let's trade Brady! Yea!
5. He can move which will get you a job in the NFL. (He MOVES! let's trade Brady!)
6. SF traded the four time Superbowl winner to play the younger guy who wasn't coming off a major injury.

You can't trade Brady because he's the team.

Tony,

As usual, a well written column. No shock or surprise there. But I do have to disagree on one point. You stated that "the sides could very well end up playing chicken with the future of the man who effectively saved the 2008 New England football season." What was actually saved?

Cassel did the same thing Chris Simms would have done. Not make the playoff's. Brady could have also done the same. The season was not saved because the goal of reaching the playoff's was not reached. What was saved? If the Pat's were 5-11 or 11-5, the result would have been the same. No playoff's. Nothing was saved except money because the seats were stll filled up.

Cassel did a fine job, but the reason the regular season is played is to reach the playoff's. Cassel did not save that opportunity. He let it go, along with the rest of the team. Cassel did not save anything.

That being said, keep him and trade Brady.

I love Tom Brady. We all do. However, a real "crunch" time is up and coming for the Patriots. I have to say I'm of a same mind as "Jack". It seems Tom's attention and devotion to the Patriots has been distracted. Some time after the Third Patriot Super Bowl victory he was quoted as saying (about life)..."Is that all there is?" Whether Tom's rehab is coming along well or not, his injury was pretty severe. And I would be willing to bet that's just the beginning as his careers carries on.

Matt Cassel is a mobile QB. He can run, pick up yardage and score touchdowns. He's proven he's got a canon for an arm and is extremely cool under pressure.

I don't know if this has been mentioned before, but Matt is 5 years younger than Tom Brady. 5 years! Keep that in mind when you off handedly say "let Matt Cassel go."

What do the "do what is right for Cassel" comments mean? Cassel is the big winner here, regardless. If Brady stayed healthy, he would still be holding the clipboard. Good for Cassel. If $14M franchise tag is his worst case scenario, I am not feeling the pity ...

The Pats are in the bind but, as always, will do what makes sense for the Pats ... why would (or should) that change? Here's a thought, franchise Cassel, and then trade a healthy Brady for 3 first round picks ... the sell high philosophy ...

You guys are all making assumptions as I'm about to.
Maybe Matt is grateful for the chance to have been part of the Super Bowl expierence as well as the faith put in him last year when BB did not bring in other former starters as they were about to before Tom got hurt.
Maybe just maybe Matt does sign a Pats contract $7 mil with a nice signing bonus of $7 mil for this year that has an agreement that allows the Pats to trade him or Matt to request a trade to specific teams at either's request.as well as a no franchise clause for 2010.
That way if Tom's ready he can request a trade and the Pats must trade him he still walks away with his money equal to being franchised. If Tom's not ready he starts in NE.

What's the big issue here? The Pats have every right to protect themselves, with either the franchise tag, or a solid one-year deal as some suggest. I wish the media would just let it all play out before declaring "the good guy, bad guy" here. Seems to me everyone can win on this one. And why wouldn't Minnesota drop two high picks for Cassel? They certainly won't get a better, NFL proven QB in the draft!

I truly believe that when all is said and done Tom Brady will be seen as the greatest QB of all time. He is already in the Top 10 or more likely the Top 5. He has been the QB of 3 Super Bowl champions and was 2 DEVASTATING close losses away from being the QB of FIVE Super Bowl champions, neither of those two losses could be seen as even remotely his fault, he has always been clutch. Cassel did a fine job this year but he is no Tom Brady, who I hope finishes his career here in NE where he belongs.

This whole thing is simple:
1) No guarantee Brady will start out or even become 100% next season and Cassel can play quite well in this organization. The Pats need a solid QB at the start of this next season to get back to the top of their division. It won't be as easy as it has been in the past.

2) The Pats cannot let Cassel go to just any team who can pay him the most money. For example, the Jets would pay a fortune get him now. The Pats need to have the ability to control or at least heavily influence who Cassel plays for next season and also get some good trade compensation for Cassel. That is good business.

3) Franchising Cassel will allow the Pats to better evaluate Brady and also wheel and deal for Cassel as well. If Brady looks good, they would have time to make a good trade for Cassel and get some much needed, additional high round draft picks too. That is too is good business.

The Pats would then get most of their money back from franchising Cassel and also be able to much better rebuild their Defence at the same time. That is also good business.

The Pats do need to rebuild their D but they also need to maintain a solid, scoring Offence while they rebuild the Defence... The Pats need a real good healthy QB beginning at the start of next season. It's a no brainer really.

Cassel is young and healthy. Even if he stayed with the Pats all season and he makes 13 or 14 million bucks and then goes to another team the next season. Or if Brady does not make it back and the then Pats give Cassel a good contract and he stays. That would not be too bad for him or the Pats either.

You say Cassel save the Pats season? Well the Patriots saved Cassels's career. Had they cut him at the beginning of the season, there is a good chance he would be out of football without the opportunity of the big pay day he is about to get. It works both ways.

It'a a Business and I say trade Brady and keep Cassel. Who knows how Brady's knee will hold up and there is a psychological component that Brady may?? be focused on getting hit in the knee again and not focusing on the play. Cassel is younger and is more mobile, not to mention he went 11 and 5 in his 1st year running the offense. There is a lot more upside to Cassel and we can sign him for less, free up some money for free agents and get some draft picks. Our defense is not getting any younger. As much as I love Brady from a business perspective it makes more sense to give the keys to Cassel

Leave your emotions at the door and think numbers, Brady coming off the best season of his career and one of the best in NFL history, name a quality QB that has had the injury Brady has and has equaled or bested his past numbers, has never happened, Cassel now knows the system and has had real success in it, you want to stay ahead of the NFL curve trade Brady sign Cassel and keep O'Connell in the wings. Sad but honestly the smartest business and smartest football move you could make. No one wants to see Brady go anywhere else, but we also want to win more Super Bowls, the real problem with this approach is I secretly think Brady has at least 2 more Super Bowl wins left in him. Did I mention I don't really know anything?

I think how quickly we forget what Tom has done for this franchise. He will go down as one of the greatest if not the greatest qb's in history. He will work his butt off during rehab and come back as good as ever especially with all you doubters. Anyone who says we should keep Cassell over Brady is a complete moron and you don't deserve to be a Patriot fan. As far as not seeing Brady on the sidelines, that is how all season ending injuries are handled in football. You never saw Carson Palmer on the sidelines. That's just how it is handled. You don't want cause your teamates to be distracted. Also many players fall in love and get married. That doesn't stop them from working and playing as hard as ever. Sometimes I'm ashamed to be a Patriots fan with all these ridiculous comments.

I am in shock that some of you said this is easy keep Cassel for the futrure, and possible let Brady go????? Let Brady go????? My God. None of you will ever be a GM in this life time. I would roll every freakin dice I had on keeping a three time Superbowl Champion, 2 time superbowl MVP, MVP of the league, 50 touch down thrower, over a better than average QB. He is 31 people. Look at Manning, Favre, Elway. My god! Franchise Cassel either way because if Brady can't play well we have Cassel, if Brady can play than someone would definitely give up picks for his services. Thats simple. Keep Brady and risk all than to risk with Cassel. Thats the easy part.

For those of you who wish to trade Brady because he is one hit away from being done, is that not the case for every player in the league?
A commentor pointed out that Brady had little mobility prior to the injury. So what would be the difference now?
The money would be best spent on the defence. Do not franchise the guy. You let Cassel walk, say thank you and move on.
Brady is you QB for the next 6 - 8 yrs, god willing, and he gives the team the best chance of winning. Period

To all the fools who still don't get it, here goes:
-Brady has been in 4 Super Bowls, won 3, was MVP in 2 and set all sorts of passing records in 2007. Without him, the Pats would have been a bunch of chumps for the previous 7 years.
-Cassel was nearly cut in preseason. He spent college backing up Leinart and Palmer. In the 5 games the Pats lost in 2008, Cassel was underwhelming.
-Brady can read a defense like few others; Montana comes to mind.
-Cassel can read a clipboard and couldn't see a blitz coming if there was a message on the jumbotron.
-Brady is a franchise QB; Cassel might get a franchise tag.
OK, does that do it for you? Check Cassel's stats through game 8: 7 TDs and 8 interceptions. And this with having 2 of the best receivers in the NFL to throw to in Moss and Welker. In 2001, Brady had Troy Brown and a bunch of unknowns. And he lead the Pats to a stunning Super Bowl victory. Cassel couldn't find an open Randy Moss with a GPS in his hip pocket.

So the next time you fools want to shout for the Pats to keep Cassel and trade Brady (just writing this makes me burn!), just remember to read the facts. Brady is headed for the NFL Hall of Fame someday. Cassel will be lucky to see a Pro Bowl. THERE IS NO COMPARISON FOLKS! Cassel did OK in a year that the Pats had a light schedule. When he faced playoff-caliber teams, he didn't do the job. Put it this way: the Pats would have beaten the Colts with Brady, and the Doll-fins never would have clobbered the Pats like they did early in the year had Brady been healthy. There are 2 more wins, and the Pats win the AFC East.

Trade Cassel; let him go to free-agency; I don't care. Brady will be the Pats QB until he decides to quit. The amount of knee-jerk, short memory comments here are worthy of Mazz himself. Quick to criticize with no facts or knowledge to back them up.

Tony Mazz -
You should stick to writing nonsense about baseball unless you are going to do your homework on football. Had you done even a modicum of research, you have found out a few things.

1) The franchise tag for Quarterbacks is going to be in the $14.7 million range. USA Today has the salaries and such most players. You could have also gone to a local fan site (www.patscap.com) and gotten the information there.

2) The price for signing a franchise player is 2 draft picks IF the teams do not come to a reasonable conclusion about what the compensation will be. One only has to look back to 2002 when the Patriots franchised Tebucky Jones and then shipped him to the Saints for a 3rd and 7th round pick in 2002 and a 2nd in 2003 to know this.

3) There are going to be numerous GM meetings between now and when the franchise tag can officially be put on Matt Cassel. Its a forgone conclusion that the Patriots will talk with Matt Cassel and with other teams about Matt Cassel during this time. The Patriots will get a feel for who is interested and they can let Cassel know this.

If Cassel's agent is any good, he'll already have a list of potential suitors for Cassel. Just based on the information that is public knowledge. Then he and Cassel can sit down and figure out what places are Cassel's top choices. Both from a financial standpoint and from a playing standpoint. If they share this with the Patriots, then the Patriots can work with those teams to figure out the best deal possible, provided that those teams and Cassel can work out a deal.

My guess is that the Patriots and Cassel come to a resolution rather quickly.

Hey Pete ... aka Sofachi...what does that stand for "Stupid Or Fat And Can't Hack It" ? Any one who read your response is now officially dumber for doing so...there aren't many NFL QB's who can go 7 years without starting a game and turn around to produce the kind of numbers, leadership and victories Matt Cassel did. There are not a lot of NFL QB's that displayed the focus, winning attitude and ability to deliver a victory under the circumstances of filling Bradys shoes and the loss of his father. .... Here is a fact from Cassels body of work ...16 games....22 TD's and 11 INT's...No different then the NFL rookie of the year and better then the NFL come back player of the year...Thank God we don't have provincial numb nuts like yourself managing the PATS roster protecting proven veterans regardless of what circumstances are staring you in the face....2 great QB's....one 5 years younger then the other....(hello...anyone home???) Brady could easily command two 1st round picks which could be turned into trades, picks or whatever Bellichick and Pioli want to execute...(are the lights on yet???) Your boy friend Brady was a complete unknown in year one and didn't have the numbers Cassel produced...Brady also had a defense that was the fountain of youth and not the retirement home we put out there this year...Face it...one of them has to go...one of them provides more value to the team in the form of draft picks...BOTH of them get you to a Super Bowl...List the positives and negatives of both...list the trade value for both...and if your objective and look at what either can do for your club moving FORWARD (not in the past) you will clearly see Brady is the logical choice to go....but I wouldn't expect you to be able to see that...peace out fool!

I doubt Brady even WANTS to play anymore. He can make MORE money modeling, rather then playing football and getting hit. Modeling also doesn't require much time either. Someone takes your picture a couple hundred times over the course of a few hours and you're DONE, rather than spending MONTHS, day in, day out, practicing and watching film. The fire is GONE !!! Gisele has him wrapped. Any other year Tom would've LIVED in the film room for the 2 weeks leading to the SuperBowl. Last year he was limping around NYC with chocolates and flowers for the WAY over rated Giselle instead. Will somebody PLEASE throw the girl a cheeseburger. The average 8 year old weighs more than her !!! Gross !!!

Yes Cassel put up similar stats to those of Brady in 01, but Brady did not have nearly as much talent around him at that time. Yes cassel will probably get better still with more playing time but remember what Brady did last year with the same talent that Cassel had this year. I still think Brady should be the starter here and hope Cassel has a great career elsewhere. As for Brady's desire, if you question that then you have not followed this team very closely. Yes he's a Dad and getting married but this is a man who wants to be the Best ever. Another ring or two, or perhaps a few years that are statistically comparable to his last few would cement that title in my mind.

Let's be honest here people. Matt Cassel played his heart out this season, but he's the next Elvis Grbac or Scott Mitchell. He beat two playoff teams this year- a Phins team that got demolished in round 1, and the Cards who have played well in the post-season, but were in the middle of an uninspired end-of-year slump when we got them.

Brady? Other than bringing us to FIVE AFC Championship Games, FOUR Super Bowls and THREE Championships...what has he done for us lately? Don't bet against a compete recovery and comeback for #12. He's a world-class athlete who will get himself ready to win more football games.

The fact alone that people would suggest trading the greatest player this game has ever seen should disqualify them from talking further about football. I feel dumber just reading the posts from you people, it's like you enjoy being losers. Last I checked Matt Cassell couldn't complete any pass outside a checkdown and looked awful against any team that mattered this year and you're anointing him Brady's successor. And the rationale of some of you people, Brady "lost interest in football cause he's in love" etc. is beyond pathetic. Grow up and grow a brain.

All of you people saying that the pats need to get rid of brady must not be real football fans. You would trade a future inductie of the HOF who is only 30-31 with lots left in a tank. All that to keep a 7th round pick who is a product of having THE BEST OFFENSE OF ALL TIME in place around him from the previous year. The knee may be an issue if running was a part of Brady's game but all he needs to do is move in the pocket. So Please tell me you all are bandwagin fans that came aboard after last year. Get A Clue

Comparing Cassel's stats last year to Brady's in his first year is ludicrous. Just look at the supporting cast. Troy Brown is one of my favorite all time players, but he's nothing compared to Welker or Moss. Cassel also has the advantage of several years backing up and working in the same system, while Brady had a rookie campaign where he was the 4th QB on the depth chart.

Cassel did great last year, and if Brady wasn't around, I'd be perfectly happy to have him as the starter, but you don't throw away a 31-year-old HOF QB who is arguably the best of all time.

Belechik and the coaching staff took a high school quarterback and nursed him along and won 11 games with him. They took a slow footed, low draft choice, semi starter from Michigan and nursed him along into a hall of famer. Get some value for Cassell and let him get a chance to be great with his own team. Go with Brady until that is not an option and groom O'Connell and another guy to be number 2 and number 3.