Patriots trade Cassel to Chiefs

whoa...i didn't see this one coming!! (notice sarcasm here)....now we have cap room cap room cap room!!!, what are we getting for this trade ???, i hope the sign a good defensive player!

Brilliant move!

Our SYSTEM made Cassel what he is, WHAT A GREAT MOVE, BILL!

WEEI is reporting that the Pats will get a second round pick and a pick to be named. unless they get the number 3 overall, does not sound worth sending Cassell and Vrabel.

Fantastic news, Cassel and Vrabel to Kansas in return for (surely) multiple picks....or maybe the Chiefs' 3rd overall?

It's all a bit scary....keep us updated Mike!

hopefully it's for the 3rd pick and spin it for Peppers....

i think this is good for new england. you can get a first and second rounnd pick for cassel and ues them for the defense. and if brady doesnt work out ehich i think he will then his backup o'connel will do the job he was the top five quarterbacks in las years dfraft.

WOW! First Vrabel .. .now Cassel !? I could only imagine what we got in return !

Wish Matt all the best luck to him in his career. Now We should stock up on some picks and strengthen this team with youth. GO PATS 2009!

Cheifs probably traded first round pick or maybe gave up Tony Gonzales for Pats backup QB who will have no one to throw to and an aging defensive player who has seen his best days

All I can say is THE PATS O LINE BETTER PROTECT BRADY BETTER THAN EVER...one good shot to Brady's knee and we will forever wonder what could have been with Casell.

This explains everything. Best of luck to Matt Cassel. We owe him a large debt of gratitude for sticking with NE as fans remained skeptical year after year. But he delivered in 2008 and deserves this reward. I'm glad he is going with Pioli and Vrabel as they should help Kansis regain some of its former glory.

Tony Gonzalez is coming to NE, mark my words, NE needs a TE, BB loves TG, he loves records and wants veterans like him.

No surprise here. Recognize a franchise changing day, Vrable then Cassel. That amount of talent does not go away without getting alot in return!

Assuming they pick up the third overall pick in the draft, there's no way we're keeping it. This is just part of a domino effect they have set up. Actually would work well if they traded for Peppers and 2nd or 3rd rounder. Fair for 3rd overall?

Vrabel AND Cassel. Wow! I wonder why we're only finding out one side of the trade.

Cassel + Vrabel for the third pick?

Hurray, $14 mil freed up in cap space. So lets go get some defensive talent! And good luck Matt. After all these years sitting on the bench, you proved us naysayers wrong. You turned out to be a quality NFL QB. Sorry to see you go.

What we've all been waiting for since yesterday especially... now to see what we get in return for both of them.

wtf mate? details.

Mike - please clarify if Vrabel is part of the Cassel deal. Point being, will there be a pick coming to the Patriots specific to Vrabel, in addition to the reported 2009 2nd and conditional 2010 pick rumored for Cassel, or are we looking at the Chiefs 2nd this year, and a conditional 2010 for Cassel and Vrabel going the other way?

Pats will probably get a 2nd and 5th rounder this year, and KC's first rounder next year.

What a monster trade ! I would assume we are getting a first and something or someone else ...

Good Luck, Matty! Go get 'em! Except us, of course.

hopefully they get their $$s worth for him. Where do the Chiefs draft this year?

Now Shefter is saying a 3rd team is involved and this trade may not be a done deal..He says a suprise team...

Cap space + draft picks = lots of options...big news...and something bigger is going down I suspect...It's going to be a great day for Pats fans

why is it such a secret. just tell us what the pats are getting. this is getting real annoying

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE PATRIOTS ARE GETTING FOR VRABEL AND CASSEL GODDAMMIT!!!!

Cap space + draft picks = lots of options...big news...and something bigger is going down I suspect...It's going to be a great day for Pats fans

if its only for a second round pick then i think we got to little in return

It should be interesting to see what they get in return as well as what they do with the Franchise Tag once it is lifted as a result of the trade.

Had to do it! Way too much money tied up in two quarterbacks. Hope they get KC first pick(#3) and something else. I originally thought Tony Gonzalez would be part of the deal but the Pats just signed TE Baker.

if its only for a second round pick then i think we got to little in return

if its only for a second round pick then i think we got to little in return

This makes a lot of sense. Pioli's very high opinion of Cassel was stated in his first interview in Kansas City. It took Vrable also to make the deal which would then seem enough to get that number 3 pick in the draft. If it's for less than that it would be a surprise. Articles today were talking about how the Pats were strapped for moves in free agency - I presume to get solid players like Bodden or others - as long as they had Cassel's money on the books. This is a very good development right now. Looking forward to see what they get and to see what else they do.

not yet!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why no word on compensation? Should be their TE & #1 draft choice.

The new Kansas City Patriots

I am very saddened to hear about this trade. If Brady isn't ready for one
reason or another, or gets hurt again, where will they be. Also, Vrabel
was a stalwart and that deal was terrible also.

My thoughts is it clears cap space, will give us some draft picks and the most important thing is that indicates Tom Brady is healthy :)

Cassel and Vrabel for...???
I'm guessing: 2nd round pick this year, 2nd round pick next year, and a conditional pick (rounds 2-4) next year.
Another guess: 2nd round pick this year, S DaJuan Morgan, and a 2rd round pick next year.

I'd like Brandon Flowers, a few draft picks and maybe a good veteran. Vrabel and Cassel seem to be worth that.

My thoughts is it clears cap space, will give us some draft picks and the most important thing is that indicates Tom Brady is healthy :)

Who can comment on this story when we don't know what they got in return for Cassell. Come on Boston Globe do some reporting. Maybe I should just go to NFL.com instead.

This is nuts!!! We may need Cassel this year....

The only way this trade will work is if the Pats get the #3 pick in the draft and then select Aaron Curry.

Who was Matt Cassel before 2008-09? No one. The Patriots made him. It's that simple. And this trade means that Tom Brady will be 100% ready for the start of next season. This is great news for the Pats.

Congrats and good luck to Matt Cassel. He deserves a starting job somewhere. I presume that this ends the conjecture about Brady's health?

How are we supposed to know how to react if we don't what the Pats got? Tom Curran is reporting the number 3 pick is not involved. Are Cassel and Vrabel parting gifts for Pioli?

It all depends on we get, and right now there seems to be a third team involved.

si.com says it was only for a 2nd rnd pick for both!!! Thats it?? Seems like this is silly...maybe the rosenfels trade to the vikes messed up their plans? They could have gotten more for that...

I absolutely love the deal. For one, we get a decent deal out of it in the form of the 34th overall pick. Secondly, I'm happy to see Matt go to an up and coming situation in KC where he can work with Pioli.

This also puts the Patriots in a GREAT, and I mean GREAT, situation on draft day to a) fill up their roster spots through the draft or b) flip picks around and acquire someone from another team.

It had better be a first rounder....especially since they gave Vrabel away.

...well before we can discuss anything we need to know what we are getting in retun.

Wish Cassel the best...in the end, the Pats had to trade Cassel. No way they could afford $14+ mil tied to Matt.

Not to be dense, but what does the last line (about Vrabel) mean?

The KC chiefs are the patriots subsidiary now. $19 million in cap space just got freed up, good draft picks, #3 plus whatever else we can wring out of them

Thats it.....a second round pick...Something is a miss!!

A secnd round pick? That's it? Holy crap.

We need to know what we are getting for Cassel and Vrabel. If they get the Chiefs first round pick we can get a defensive stud. Anything less and we got taken.
Good news is Brady must be on track to start the season.

Cant wait to see the terms of the agreement. I suspect it is for a number one and middle round pick. Also this fees up a significan amount of cap room to sign a free agent linebacker and DB.

I'm not happy about it, I live in Kansas City and hate the chiefs...and the fact that is the same team that took out our QB last year and now we are helping rebuild that pathetic team sickens me. They sure the hell better get good compensation and are 100% sure Tom is 100% healthy. I HATE THE CHIEFS!!!!!!!!!

Something they had to do. Expected it all the way.

how can you answer this question when you don't know what the pats are getting in return?

It's good for Matt! My only worry is that Brady may come back a little too concerned about his knee and won't be the same. Brady may not be as aggressive as he was before the injury. I'll miss Matty's running, though! Matt was fun to watch.

I think it is a win-win for everyone. Cassel gets to play and has the opportunity to lead a team, whereas the Pats get great value for him. The Pats will have 4 picks i believe in the first two rounds...This team will get younger and more athletic. It will be another exciting season.

We all saw it coming. For Cassel and Vrabel the Pats had better picked up KC's #3 pick overall. They just freed up 15M of cap space too. Big time... This also speaks volumes about the health of Tom Brady. No way the Pats trade Cassel if there is even a question about Brady's knee. Reality NFL -- Brady is healthy, he has recovered. Pats may still yet pick up Peppers via a trade. NFL, listen good -- The Pats are back!

If Peter King is right and they gave up Cassel and Vrabel for ONLY the 34 pick, they got taken. I've got to think at least a future conditional draft pick is involved as well.

Now with 3 2nd rounders in the 2009 draft they are well positioned to restock, move up, or trade one of those for a 1st rounder in 2010. Lot's of options!

Well that clears up a boatload of cap space $$$ and a lot of draft picks. Master Wizard Bill informed me of this today at lunch at my home here in Brookline. I pray that Tom Bundchen is in the mood to play football and feels like strenghthening his weakened legs after playing girlie man with his beautiful wife.
The next surprise move will be the re-hiring of Romeo Crennel to beat the Defense back into shape - Bill will restock that group of non performers with talent. Keep an eye on "Manny" Seymour - he may be next to go .
Meet Bob K for golf this week - more to come.

hey guys dont get greedy here. Although i will be dissapointed in not getting their #1 a couple of twos will be fine. Also NFL Network's Shefter is saying their having trouble with the contract and a third team is trying to swoop in.

It means Brady is on schedule. As of now I havent heard of the compensation, but I hope it's at least the Chiefs second round this year. I don't think the Pats are finished yet by a long shot with free agency. Let's go Bill, make something happen!!

If Patriot fans think this is a good trade, they are nuttier than grandma's fruitcake. Brady's knee injury was a serious one and one he will never fully recover from.

2nd round pick...

Its for their 2nd round pick...seems VERY light for Cassel and Vrabel

And if Brady can't return to form?

CW, I read that, too. I truly hope the Patriots did not give both Cassel and Vrabel for the Chiefs' 2nd round pick only. I really hope there's more compensation for NE, or else the deal seems very lopsided in favor of KC.

Who's next? Wilfork? I guess to take Cassel they had to take Mike.We will miss the heart of last year's team. Good luck boys.....

Why, Why, Why no details? Vrabel traded for? Cassel, franchise player, traded for ? Why? Why not wait to announce until you are ready to announce? This happens with no other teams, I guess the fact now that it's Pioli - BB it's worse. How about this one: Patriots trade something to KC for something. CMON!

Mike Vrabel and Matt Cassel for the 34th pick? Wow, I totally overestimated their value.

Peter King is reporting that it is a 2nd round pick.

2nd round pick..

Big effin mistake IMHO. Pretty boy Tom ain't ever gonna come back to what he was. Cassell's a young, healthy, solid QB on the upward slope of his career. He will only get better: Brady will only get old.

Plus I kinda like watching football instead of the Tom Brady show. Cassell's a solid guy: no off field drama, no paparazzi, no supermodel.

The big there here is that they wouldn't trade Cassel unless Brady was progressing nicely. That's bigger than a first round pick. Or the Lawrence Welk - a one and a two and a three.

Last night I thought Belichick had pulled a Walt Kurtz and had gone insane. Things are starting to become clear. The Pats don't have many needs and they have 4 or 5 first day draft picks, depending on how the compensatory picks go (we should get a 3dp for Asante). I can't think that Belichick wants more than 5 guys in day one, so some of these picks may be for 2010.

Yes, I was being dense. Whoa, the compensation better be big!
Too bad about Paxton too ( tho not suggesting they should've paid him).

Depends on the compensation. The most positive part, regardless, is what this says about Tom Brady. If there is a remote chance he is having knee issues Pats would have never traded Cassel. It means Brady is back and ready. Return of the Jedi.

About time . Surprised it is KC I am sure Scott and Bill worked out a nice deal For the Pats. The Vikes and Lions Bears will continue to be also rans since neither would step up to the plate .Scott got rid of 2 problems for us . The 34 th pick would be nice for a guy that could be good or could be a bust in another system. Thanks Scott . Good luck Matt

Cassel and Vrabel! We need all their first round picks for the next twenty years!

1st round for Vrabel, TE for Cassel? Cash? Multi team deal? This could really be interesting. Always sad to see a player go but with Brady set to return and O'Connel a semi-solid backup, I wish Cassel the best of luck and thanks for a GREAT season last year!! Enjoy the full time starting job your rightfully deserve

the Pats would not want the #3 pick. BB is all about value when he's drafting players and the amount of money that is involved in top big is just ridiculous. I would hope to get their 2nd this year and maybe their 1st next year. You have to remember that next year might be uncapped and if that's the case the Pats could pick at whichever spot and then make that contract as front heavy as possibly with the thought that the cap will come back in a year or two and the players contract won't be a problem down the line.

Cassel's stock is the highest it will EVER be right now. They had to take advantage of that. It will be interesting to see what they get in return. Cheers to the 2009 season!

Ironic that the team that "made" him (by destroying Tom's knee) is taking him.

Peter King says it for a 2nd round pick. From what I've read, that's a much better value-proposition position in this draft, and the Pats are all about getting good value. I loved having Vrabel on the team, but it's better to trade a player a bit too soon than a bit too late. Time will tell the extent to which Cassel's success was due to "the system", but I do take this as a positive sign in how well Brady is doing in his recovery. Pats fan know that Bill makes tough decisions (Milloy, Branch, McGinist, Vrabel) which he feels are best for the team. No one is perfect, but Bill's record is pretty darn good.- I still trust his judgment.

I am afraid we are getting fleeced. A good starting qb and decent lb with a few years left (with team captain quality) for a second round pick -- or 2 -- give me a break. I know we needed the money room but, if you cannot get a #1 pick and 3rd for that...give me a break

When is someone gonna sign me?!

only a second round pick?..........It didn 't take Pioli long to pull a fast one on us!.......Brady better be ready for the season

They got KC's second round for Cassel and Vrabel!!! They got screwed!!

Awesome News!

Clears up that CAP space and will let the Patriots make a run at Ray Lewis and Leigh Bodden, or other comparable FA's. . Can easily fill two huge holes.

Regarding compensation. Even KC's 2nd rounder.. 34th overall.. is as a good as a 1st. Especially in this Extremely deep draft. And let's not forget, Patriots will be getting a high pick for a guy that was an UFA until they tagged him! When added to the two Seconds and potentially two Thirds.. Asante Comp pick.. the Patriots already have, this team is gonna reload for another long run!

Brilliant strategy by BB and company. They've taken the Brady injury, which would've crippled most teams, and turned it into a shot at retooling a good portion of the roster!

..

Peter King said that the Pats got the Chiefs second round draft choice. While I thought they should have gotten the number 3 overall, you have to like the deal. Not only does it clear cap space to sign free agents like Leigh Bodden, but it also gives the Pats a solid pick at the top of the second round. I know that Vrabel was a great player for so many years, but you have to move on. Perhaps he would have been cut by the Pats anyway to clear space and Pioli knew this and just made the move to secure his place on the Chiefs instead of risking him going to another team.

I can't believe they didnt manage to get a first round pick but i do trust in BB. So going into the first day of the draft with 4 picks, i feel confident that the Pats will retool and be back to form next year.

Is anyone going to root for the Kansas City Patriots next year besides me(and KC of coarse). This is gonna be a fun year. See you in the playoffs Cassel and Vrabel.

Peter King reported and supposably confirmed that its pretty straight forward:

Matt Cassell and Mike Vrable for the Chiefs 2nd round (34) pick. No more, no less.

Peter King (SI) is reporting it's Vrabel & Cassel to the Chiefs for a 2nd round pick (34th) this year. If true it seems like we didn't get enough for them.

There is no way they are getting the #3 pick this year from KC. I also doubt they are getting any players in return or we would have heard that. My guess is:

- 4th round pick for Vrabel
- 2nd round pick in 2009, 1st round pick in 2010 for Cassell

The deal has to include two number 1 picks, that is due to the franchise tag. So I would assume the number 1 in 09 and 10.

awesome for him! you know he's not going to play when brady returns!

both Cassel an Vrabes for a 2nd round pick cmon Bill tel us we're getting a player to and don't use that 2nd rounder on another chad jackson this one is a head scratcher

Nuts. The Patriots back office has fallen off their chairs.

Something very unusual is going on here. Likely there is a third team involved which would account for the delay in details. I think we are getting Gonzolas and a first round pick, but there is some other factor going on here.

Dude, the suspense is killing me!!!

a high 2nd round pick...

Are we sure what the compensation is at this time..... Does Anyone Really know YET!!!!! Go Pats!!!

This is a huge mistake if it's for anything less than KC's second round pick.

SI.com reports its Vrabel and Cassel for a 2nd round pick this year. That's all they got????? Seems like a steal by Pioli. Come on BB, these were valuable pieces that should be worth more. We've been had!

The Boston reporters are a joke. They republish NFL.com and ESPN breaking news.

Do they ever do any scooping on their own.

Thanks Bill - we'll remember everything you say and will temper our enthusiasm. Because you say so.

that also free's up cap space to make a run at Julius Peppers

if this just a 2nd round pick then we got hosed. what the hell are the Pats thinking?!!!!

Brady will never recover?! Someone tell that to Willis McGahee

Im telling you... chiefs #34 is gonna get us:

"Overview
It was fair for fans and media to wonder why the Bearcats would switch their top tight end (31-399-2 in '07) to the defensive line. It didn't take long for an answer as to what coaches saw in practice and on special teams -- that he has tight end speed and defender's mentality. The first-team All-Big East end jumped up draft boards early in the season and finished with 15.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and seven pass breakups. Barwin is a MIKE VRABEL clone, a probable end-linebacker-goal line tight end who will impact games in multiple ways."

Connor Barwin from Cincy

How about going after Ray Lewis now that there's some cap space?

Man some of you guys really don't understand the value of NFL draft picks. A high second round bet, plus saving 19 million, is an effin coup d'etat for the Pats. Put it this way, we just got a high second rounder, and the money to sign a great linebacker and a good cornerback. I'm not complaining.

Remember, Matt Cassel wouldn't have gotten us a 7th rounder a year ago.

You guys can get as mad as you want about the Patriots "handing" them Matt Cassel. I don't think Bill would have done this deal if a better one was available. Think about it...

The knocks against Cassel are enough (maybe not true) to only warrant a 2nd round pick: He's a system quarterback, He was coached by the best coach in perhaps our time, he had Randy Moss and Wes Welker to throw to.

I can see how this was the best deal out there. Also, time is key. You can't hang on too long an dlose leverage.

King says one second rounder, which is completely wrong, as most reports are leaning towards a surprise third team being involved (including Rotoworld.com). The deal is still in preliminary stages, and I would be pretty shocked to see a locker room leader and 6-sack guy and a young, talented quarterback get traded for a second round pick.

Congratulations KC! Have always admired your organization and now I'm a bonified fan; distant second to the Pats though.

Can't wait to see the haul...

Pioli tooled us

Brady took a pounding for years. He was never very mobile. Now he's older and slower and he has to have developed a 'flinch factor." He will never again match his past level of performance. In fact, he'll be lucky to finish the year without another serious injury.

only a 2nd round pick would be too little compensation

How about if they traded Vrabel to open up cap space until they got rid of Cassel and now Vrabel comes back ?

Brady took a pounding for years. He was never very mobile. Now he's older and slower and he has to have developed a 'flinch factor." He will never again match his past level of performance. In fact, he'll be lucky to finish the year without another serious injury.

carolina is involved vrabel to panthers peppers to pats

I know I am echoing some of the above comments. But this question really is insane. Is it open mic night at the Globe? How can we possibly comment on the trade if we don't know the compensation? What kind of question is this?

Cassel AND Vrabel for a 2nd round pick?When the hell did the Patriots hire Mike Oconnell

this should be for multiple picks. Do not expect to get the Cheifs #1 pick. It would be foolish anyway because that pick will tie up a lot of money. Cheifs #2 and #3 would do it along with Flowers or Gonzales.

Both for a only a 2 seems a bit off. There has to be more. This also puts a little pressure on Brady.

vrabel and cassel gone means one thing.....LET THE J.PEPPERS ERA IN NEW ENGLAND BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!!!

i'm thrilled for matt. he did a super job here and its time for him to shine on his own. best of luck to you and your family matt.... we will miss your toughness and enthusiasm, grit and easy smile. i'm very happy for you. good luck

Interested to see what they get before commenting if it is a good deal or not.

Given that it is Belichick and Pioli doing the deal I would assume it would be fair for both sides.

Horrible Deal. All they got back is one second rounder for both vrabel and cassel. Way to hook up Pioli. This is one of the worst deals EVER.

Even if it's just a 2nd round pick for both (which does seem light)...that gives the Pats the #23 pick, and 3 2nd rounders. THREE SECOND ROUNDERS. Two of those could become Julius Peppers and that would still give them a first and a second to pick who they want.....or maybe they move up in the draft to get a guy they like....or maybe they turn a 2nd and a fourth or something into a first next year. Who knows? This gives them tremendous flexibility, not the least because of the 17+ million in cap space they just cleared.

This was a really, really stupid thing to do! There is no way to know if Brady will be ready for the season and how long he will last. He may never be the same again either, just like Carson Palmer in Cincinnati. They must not believe Cassell is a long term quarterback if Brady is done. I think this will come back to haunt them in the very near future. I am losing faith in their decison making ability.

i love it when most people are upset that cassel is leaving? this was the same guy that most people were anticipating would be cut during the preseason...Brady is Brady and will be ready.

I think the Patriots are going to get the 3 overall pick of the KC chief. We are going to select Aaron Curry from Wake Forrest. YEAH!!!

Peter King at Sports Illustrated is reporting both players going to the Chiefs for only a second round pick.

Seems like pretty thin compensation to me. Pioli must have beaten Belichick at poker or something

I just don't get it....The Chiefs should be celebrating

To swimmerkennedy:
"The Boston reporters are a joke. They republish NFL.com and ESPN breaking news.

Do they ever do any scooping on their own."

You mean like actual confirmation of the Vrabel trade from Vrabel himself? Yeah, that's practically nothing...... Makes you wonder why every news outlet is saying "Vrabel confirmed the trade, as reported by the Boston Globe"

seems sort of light...two starters for a second round pick. maybe they'll throw in Larry Johnson or someone?

This is not done yet, everyone needs to take a deep breath and relax until we see the finality of the deal including all terms pertaining to what the Pats are getting in return. Especially since their is a supposed 3rd team involved now, is it Carolina and Peppers? Trust BB, you have up to now why would you waver or think any differently? If he (BB) feels O'Connell is ready to be the main backup to Brady we have to believe he is as well, they were really high on him last season and now with another off-season under way he must be showing is more ready than ever. This is exciting and painful to wait it out!

The Patriots better hope that Brady is up to snuff and can seal the deal for them this season. I think this is a huge mistake and am truly disappointed. Cassel did a fabulous job in Brady's place and they should keep both QBs, considering the highway robbery prices they charge patrons for tickets to a game. They just better not trade Welker or my Pats loyalties will be spent.

Peter King says both Cassel and Vrabel for KC's #2. Not enough for both.

Connor Barwin will be a Patriots OLB putting speed on the outside... hes big, fast, strong and YOUNG... Look him up on youtube... I'll put money on us picking him up with that pick... I consider this a great trade... Pats need a lot more than a QB to stay strong long term... Kevin O will develope into a fine backup... Of course you have to look to the past Brady days, but it just wasn't good timing for Cassel... There will be someone else when the time comes.. plus there may be more to this we still don't know...

Vrabel and Cassel for the 34th pick... Way to help out Pioli Bill...

SI.com reports that the Pats get just one pick, #34, from KC for both Cassel and Vrabel. To me this is a very lousy deal. I can only guess that the Pats had thier back up against the wall with salary cap space and had to do a deal real quick. Very, very dissappointing!

Brilliant once again... Prevented a team they didn't want (J-E-T-S) for being able to get Cassel by franchising him -- could never keep him anyway for that price and have a halfway decent improvement in the D this year, which was a key component to falling short last year. No way Vrabel could ever have gotten anything decent in a trade at his age and speed on his own. I take it Brady is progressing very well... looking forward to the draft!

Thanks from KC!! Looks like Pioli screwed you! Only a second... Hahahaha!

I'm becoming a Chiefs fan. They have a great gm who knows how to swindle teams.

both for a 2nd round pick? Pioli is just that good of a GM.

just a 2nd round pick----problem, couldn't wait any longer due to the lack of cap space...Great job by KC...Vrabel and Cassell for the 34th-Hard to see how the pats won in this deal...

In Bill we trust! Thats all I can say!

And this deal indicates, that Tommy will be 100% healthy for next season! GREAT DAY IN NE!

Cassel + Vrabel for our 2nd round pick. You guys got ripped off! GO CHIEFS!

Seems like a mistake. They could have kept Vrabel, by not franchising Cassel and not dug themselves a hole with the cap space?

It's a great trade folks...relax. We get KC's 2nd Rd pick (#34) and another pick (probably 2009 2nd or 3rd Rd). That's awesome for a backup QB! That gives the Patriots 4 picks in the first 2 rounds! They'll probably use of the 2nd rounders to trade-up in the 1st round to grab someone they like, or trade-up their 1st in 2010...they're always a step ahead of everyone else. Excited about the draft now for sure!

Even if the Pats just get the 34th pick in the draft, it is ok. Considering that Pats needed to unload Cassel due to his $14 million salary and Vrabel is not the same player he once was. He wasn't making the same plays he was a year ago. Cassel is a good QB but not great, he played great in a great SYSTEM. He had 2 pro bowl WRs, a very good line, and a good group of RBs, more than half his passing yards came after the receivers caught the ball. Whether or not Vrabel needed to be dealt is questionable but our defense will not fall apart without him.

Even if the Pats just get the 34th pick in the draft, it is ok. Considering that Pats needed to unload Cassel due to his $14 million salary and Vrabel is not the same player he once was. He wasn't making the same plays he was a year ago. Cassel is a good QB but not great, he played great in a great SYSTEM. He had 2 pro bowl WRs, a very good line, and a good group of RBs, more than half his passing yards came after the receivers caught the ball. Whether or not Vrabel needed to be dealt is questionable but our defense will not fall apart without him.

Brady's health... think about it, he is on his honeymoon so he's got to be in great health right about now. Can you think of anything more healthy than a honeymoon with a super model? This trade will work out. When has Bill ever gotten the short end of the stick? Have faith.

Yeah you're right, if it is just a 2nd round pick as Peter King is reporting it is a steal for the Chiefs, but look at it this way. The Pats only franchised Cassel because they knew he had trade value, after the Vikes landed Rosenfels it really seemed to me that the only two teams with cap space that would be willing to make the trade for Cassel was either Kansas City or the Bucs and considering Pioli's ties to New England it's not surprising that the Pats and Chiefs have become trade partners. I do think the Chiefs win but on the other side of things you have to realize the Pats now have 4 first day picks and 2nd round players can help immensely without the huge initial contracts. I think that the Pats made the right choice here; I mean a 2nd round pick is more than Vrabel is worth and had Cassel not been franchised - New England would've gotten nothing. I would be excited were I a Pats fan b/c this surely means there are no doubts about Brady's health.

Yeah you're right, if it is just a 2nd round pick as Peter King is reporting it is a steal for the Chiefs, but look at it this way. The Pats only franchised Cassel because they knew he had trade value, after the Vikes landed Rosenfels it really seemed to me that the only two teams with cap space that would be willing to make the trade for Cassel was either Kansas City or the Bucs and considering Pioli's ties to New England it's not surprising that the Pats and Chiefs have become trade partners. I do think the Chiefs win but on the other side of things you have to realize the Pats now have 4 first day picks and 2nd round players can help immensely without the huge initial contracts. I think that the Pats made the right choice here; I mean a 2nd round pick is more than Vrabel is worth and had Cassel not been franchised - New England would've gotten nothing. I would be excited were I a Pats fan b/c this surely means there are no doubts about Brady's health.

Why do so many people think Vrabel is so valuable. A 34 year old LB making 4 million dollars. They are a dime a dozen. Yes he has been a fixture here for many years and the ultimate team player, but to get anything in a trade for him would be incredible. Also, the reason this is not officially announced is it cannot be finalized until Cassell agrees to a new contract. What people forget is this deal also frees up $14 million in cap space, so whatever they use that money for some could consider part of the trade. They will not get #3 pick (and I would not want it because of the guaranteed contract you would have to give out).

Why do so many people think Vrabel is so valuable. A 34 year old LB making 4 million dollars. They are a dime a dozen. Yes he has been a fixture here for many years and the ultimate team player, but to get anything in a trade for him would be incredible. Also, the reason this is not officially announced is it cannot be finalized until Cassell agrees to a new contract. What people forget is this deal also frees up $14 million in cap space, so whatever they use that money for some could consider part of the trade. They will not get #3 pick (and I would not want it because of the guaranteed contract you would have to give out).

Great trade regardless if the Pats get the #3 or #34 pick. All the money freed up can go towards locking VW and RS up longterm. #34 pick is essentially a 1st round pick, but without commanding the type of guarantee money. It wouldn't surprise me that Matt Cassel's performance in KC could also trigger future draft pick next year. Great trade by the Pats.

Pioli 1 - Bill 0

Can't believe that's all they could get. Terrible.

why anyone would not give belichick the benefit of the doubt is beyond me. how much more does this coach need to add to his resume to convince you he knows what he's doing???

This is good for Matt, as it would be hard for him to be a back-up again after the great year he had. The Pats will miss him, but I guess Brady is healthy to paly which is a good deal for the Pats. So hard to see Varbel go!!!!!

If it wasn't for KC, Cassel wouldn't have a career. We would have never heard of the guy if Pollard didn't knock Brady out. Sure the Pats helped him, but it was truly KC that helped the guy start. Kinda ironic

I just hope Coach BB knows what he is doing, because I certainly dont. I do not like the idea of dealing with Pioli, either. Until we know the return of these trades, it would be pre-mature to judge them. I just hope we get fair value for these players rather than just making room under the salary cap. It showed no loyalty to a good soldier like Vrabel was. So far, I do not like these moves, but again, we will have to wait and see what the return is, and it better be f...ing good !!

Win, win. The Pats get rid of an aging linebacker, and turn an undrafted QB into 11 wins and some (undefined) high draft picks. Cassel gets his payday, KC gets some leadership and a badly needed QB, and the Pats get picks and cap space to use on other players. Sure, the number and quality of draft picks will make the deal look better or worse, but they couldn't afford both Cassel & Brady anyway, so on first pass, it looks pretty good.

The Patriots got HOSED. A second round pick for Cassel AND Vrabel? Are you kidding me? There should have been at least a #1 pick traded here.

hopefully for thigpen and theie first round pick

I don't like it.
Tom Brady is NOT going to be the Tom Brady of old. Maybe far from it!
And Vrabel was awesome.
So good for Kansas City.
We'll have to wait and see if it's good for New England.
I am glad it is baseball season soon!

Here comes Julius Peppers!!! That is why we traded Vrabel & Cassel. You will here this trade become official around 4pm today. Carolina is taking the draft picks. What a move by Coach Bill & WHAT A DEFENSE NOW!!!!!!

In a perfect world we could keep both Cassel and Brady. Let's be realists though, that accounts for almost 30 million in a cap hit..Sure we could have a 14.8 million dollar insurance policy but we need that money to spend elsewhere. As for the draft picks, no one is giving us a high first round pick for Matt Cassel and Vrabel. Cassel was a backup throughout his career until he blossomed late last year and Vrabel is long in the tooth. Everybody always thinks they get hosed, jeez. BB is not that dumb

If the Pats gave up Vrabel and Cassell for a second round pick, you almost have to wonder if Pioli was the real brain behind the Pats success all along.

Here comes Julius Peppers!!! That is why we traded Vrabel & Cassel. You will here this trade become official around 4pm today. Carolina is taking the draft picks. What a move by Coach Bill & WHAT A DEFENSE NOW!!!!!!

ha ha ha!! Only a 2nd round pick for both Cassell and Vrabel!!!!

The Falcons got 2 2nd round picks for Shaub 2 years ago and he hadn't had half the success as Casell.

Score 1 for Pioli. -10 for Belichick

Guess what folks, BB knows what he is doing! Look at what everyone here cried about in the preseason last year about Cassel. "get rid of him, get rid of him!" and now we see all this "we need him" stuff! Also, calls for "we better get" is interesting. Does anyone here think BB and the Pats will not get value to improve the team? The news about Brady is excellent and one has to trust the team to do what is best for the team, known as the New England Patriots, to get them in a position to win another SB. It is not about ONE player, who come and go, it is about the TEAM.

the rumors that we only got a 2nd rounder better not be true

Even though he was considered a good insurance for Brady, he was expensive and the fact is, the Patriots could not have won the Super Bowl without Brady at the helms anyways, so does it really matter who we have at backup?

Belichek isn't just going to put any schmoe there. I like this trade and all of the action they have had so far in the past few days. They have cleared a bunch of cap space which allows them to sign guys like Wilfork. They also will use their draft picks wisely, which is much needed on this team.

They have the right mindset, trade some guys while they are still valuable but give your team no future to a team that needs there veteran leadership who has draft picks we can take. I like this strategy, we are rebuilding, yet we are still prime.

are you serious? a 2nd rounder for both players?? please tell me there is more? and who said anything about a third team?

for all of u who think this is a mistake your all wrong its obvious that bellichik nows what his doing after all he has got to late round draft QB and has made the superstars....... and plus the reason we didnt make the playoffs this year is because of our defense Im sure will get some great value from KC (defence).

To soon to let Cassel go, we haven't seen Brady in action yet. What are we getting for him?

i like it.......as long as the defense can be upgraded. There is another backup on the bench that can help. Hey maybe we could sign Ray Lewis now for 3 yrs.

If only the 34th pick for Cassel & Vrabel, KC got a steal.....

OK PATRIOT NATION!! TAKE A BREAK, SIT BACK SUCK DOWN A BUD LIGHT OR MILLER, WHAT EVER. IT'S TIME! THESE GUY'S GET OLD IN NFL LIFE! IT'S LIKE A HAMSTER. YOUNG FAST AND THEN GONE. WE ALL SAT BACK AND WATCHED OUR TEAM CREAM OTHER TEAMS LEFT AND RIGHT WITH THE SAME GUY'S EVERY YEAR. THEY GAVE THEIR HEARTS OUT FOR THE TEAM AND FANS. BUT, THEY HAVE TO MOVE ON. THEY HAVE A LIFE AND FUTURE TOO! iT'S TIME FOR THE TEAM TO START LOOKING TO YOUNG GUY'S. IT WILL ALL COME TOGETHER IN THE END. WHEN WE WIN ANOTHER SUPERBOWL, NOBODY WILL REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED IN THE END TO GET THERE. RREMEMBVER

SI.com is reporting 2nd round pick in this year's draft.

My understanding is that the Pats feel O'Connell is a better athlete and probably a better QB than Cassel. O'COnnell can come in and learn the system as well as Cassel did, if something happens to Brady.

At the moment this isn'ta good trade despite clearing out the cap. Cassel and Vibral are much better than just a 2nd rounder. We are giving up too much in term of talents. I hope there is more to come!! Go Pats!!!

patriotsfaninkc - A team only receives two first round picks as compensation if another team signs a non-exclusive franchise player to an offer sheet. KC didn't sign Cassel to an offer sheet, they negotiated a trade for him.

I hope Peter King doesn't have the entire story and that there's a conditional 2010 pick involved. I feel like two 2nd rounders is a fair trade but one, even if it is essentially a late 1st round pick, seems too little...

Only a 34th pick for two quality players. Bill should have sought their #1 pick! If nothing less they should have asked for the 2nd & 3rd pick. A disappointment! What happens to the cap space? Does Cassell's $15 million get shifted to the Chiefs?

Vrabel and Cassel for a second round pick. Pioli just schooled Bill.

It was only time before this happened. I just hope we get something good in return.

this is why you shouldn't trade a mysterious commodity to a guy (pioli) who knows exactly what he's worth. we immediately lose the upper hand--the mystery over whether cassel is just a 'system qb' or a genuine talent. pioli knows better than anyone what cassel is worth, but if we'd shipped him elsewhere, we mght have gotten more.

It sounds like that's what it is. I don't think that's worth it at all. Not enough if it's just a second round pick.

Perfect

What are they thinking, if this is just for the 34th pick we got robbed, pure and simple.

i love all the armchair quarterbacks in here saying that brady won't ever be the same and will always have the injury in the back of his mind..wow i didn't know what any of you were actually tom brady and know how he feels. What a pathetic bunch. OBVIOUSLY brady will be 100%, or else Cassel never would have been tradedm, you baffoons. Cassel has one decent year (he was a joke in the pre-season and years before that remember) and all of a sudden everyone is in love with this guy and forgets about Brady who is the true leader of this team, the guy who brought 3 super bowls and league wide respect to a once pathetic team. When brady is throwing td passes to Moss again in 2009-10 and leading this team to the playoffs, are you people still going to be missing matt cassel?? 8 great years with the patriots, he has one bad injury tear in 2008, and all of a sudden everyone forgets about him? Boston fans are the most fickle fans in the world.

Just a small reminder:

Thomas Edward Brady, Jr.

4× Pro Bowl selection (2001, 2004, 2005, 2007)
2× All-Pro selection (2005, 2007)
3× Super Bowl champion (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX)
2× Super Bowl MVP (XXXVI, XXXVIII)
Sportsman of the Year (2005)
SI NFL POY (x1)
Sporting News Sportsman of the Year (2004, 2007)
AP Male Athlete of the Year (2007)
AP NFL MVP (2007)
AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2007)
New England Patriots All-time leader - Passing touchdowns

The word here in KC is that we traded the #2 pick in the second round for both Varbel and Cassel. Great deal for us, but i think you all could have held out for more.

Some of you fans are idiots. Bonafide idiots. This was brilliant for both teams. We needed a western trading partner, and now we have two. Due to salary cap issues, 2nd round draft picks are THE MOST VALUABLE of all. Odds are Tom will return with a vengeance, and OConnell is probably the most athletic QB in the league. Bob Kraft and Bill B make mistakes, but this new Chiefs alliance and the deals that are spinning from it is probably their most brilliant collaboration ever. Welcome to the big time KC, we hope you wreak havoc in the West. And welcome to the Pats all you young smart motivated 2nd rounders, and seasoned "2nd life" bargain veterans. NOW the 2nd Patriots dynasty is born before the 1st officially ended. Brilliant. You naysayers need to get an edu-macation.

Reiss reports that KC says the deal is Cassel + Vrabel for the Chiefs 2nd round pick (#34). If that's true then the Pats got taken.

Sounds like only second rounder this year???

After hearing for two months that the pats would get two first round picks this just proves one thing. The Boston Media and Pats Fans are idiots.

If what Peter King is reporting (#34 overall) that is a bleeping joke. What the hell are they gonna do with the 34th overall pick? They should have gotten much, much more for Cassel AND Vrabel. They better damn well get Vince Wilfork extended now that hey have all this cap space freed up do it now, not later, NOW. BILL WTF?!?!?!?!?

Not good for the Pats. Why would they make him the franchise player in the first place?

Good deal, they had to trade cassel. he was a 7th round pick and we are getting at least a 2nd in return. we will see how good he really is when he plays without moss, welker, and coach belichick.. my guess is that he won't be as good..
vrabel is going to be 34 years old, he clearly lost a step, was not going to be much of a factor. do we just hold on to guys past their prime because they had some good years for us? football is buisiness and this was a good move, salary cap space and more draft picks.

The Chiefs got the quarterback and linebacker, and traded a draft pick and about $15M in cap space.

The Pats got about $15M in cap space and a draft pick from the Chiefs, who got a quarterback and linebacker in return.

We won't know who benefited the most from this trade until the next season is over.

Sitting around now, pretending to be able to evaluate this, and getting emotional about it, is really stupid.

Guys look at Peter King's history of BREAKING STORYS. He is WRONG 99% of the time. Dont assume anything until the OFFICIAL compenssation comes out!

i trust Bill knows what he is doing this is from roto world " Chiefs acquired Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel in exchange for the 34th overall pick in the 2009 draft pick.
The teams have confirmed the compensation. Patriots fans won't be happy, but speculation is that New England preferred the second-round pick over the third overall because of the contract value. They also likely felt pressure to get Cassel's cap number off the books to move forward in free agency, and didn't find a better deal elsewhere. Cassel was not a lock to have success everywhere, but he's set up as a long-term fantasy starter with Scott Pioli and coach Todd Haley playing to his strengths. The Chiefs will likely incorporate a pass-first, shotgun-heavy offense. Great news for Dwayne Bowe and

Hopefully they get a couple of picks out of this, the KC second rounder and maybe one more. That should be fine and gives the Pats a ton of flexibility. Brady will be fine, to say otherwise is silly and just hitting the panic button for no good reason. I think people are overvaluing Vrabel. He was 34 and was a significant cap hit. He didn't have a lot of time left and whatever role he has played in the past is completely irrelevant to what is going on right now. The Pats will be fine, especially if they add a LB or two in the draft and can snag a CB as well this offseason. The Pats did not get taken.

A second round pick for Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel?! What's next Randy Moss for a sixth round pick?!

garbage, just garbage, Pioli leaving has is already costing the pats. BB is an idiot for this move

So now we know who was the brains of our past Patriot negotiating team. He is now living in Kansas City. We are left with "Mr. Know-it-all" who just got his pocket picked. Vrabel and Cassell for a second round pick. Don't every tell me that Belichick is a smart guy. This is just plain stupid. What a moron!!!!

the patriots made a great move by trading mike and cassel by freeing up cap space and assuming that they get the thrid pick, the pats are looking at peppers and having him making the move to outside linebacker and possibly picking up one of the greatest linebacker prospect in nfl history in curry from wake forest. look for Adalius Thomas to move to inside linebacker to make room for these two...

Vrabel wouldve been released and cassels salary makes him only woth a 2nd...relax people hes only woth a 2nd...there may be more but this is a great deal for both teams

To all the naysayers: you're probably right. Silly belichick, huh? What a fool: Guy only went to 4 superbowls, won 3, had only 16-0 reg season in history, had one hell of a '08 campaign despite countless injuries and obstacles... Puts a SB contender on the field every year while other teams are lucky to get a SB run AT ALL. i'm sure you armchair QBs out there know more than Coach. RELAX, huh? The man has earned the benefit of the doubt! He has a plan, let's watch it unfold.

a 2 they got ROBBED---at the least a 4 too----it stinks

PEOPLE... 34th pick will get us Connor Barwin from Cincy... seriously... this is good...

"Overview
It was fair for fans and media to wonder why the Bearcats would switch their top tight end (31-399-2 in '07) to the defensive line. It didn't take long for an answer as to what coaches saw in practice and on special teams -- that he has tight end speed and defender's mentality. The first-team All-Big East end jumped up draft boards early in the season and finished with 15.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and seven pass breakups. Barwin is a MIKE VRABEL clone, a probable end-linebacker-goal line tight end who will impact games in multiple ways."

plus we have our first round and two other second rounders? as we know as of now? this is killer... we needed the cap space more than anything.. and we wouldn't win anything without a defense anyway...

Ouch. They did better in the Bledsoe trade, which ended up being Ty Warren, I think. To have to give up Vrabel as part of the deal really makes it tough to swallow. However, apparently there wasn't much of a market for Cassel (although I think he's the real deal). Vrabel's production has been down. It does clear cap space. O'Connel does look like a good backup potential. Cassel was a 7th rounder, we were lucky Brady took a year so Cassel can bump up his value. No way you could take Cassel over Brady, anyway.

I hope there's a third team, but I'm not counting on it by any stretch.

Good deal. Had the Pats waited until draft day, yes, they probably, PROBABLY, could have gotten a first rounder. But then you miss out on a year's worth of free agency period because of carrying Cassel's contract. Seems like they got as much as they could, as soon as they could. I'm betting that the unknown piece will be some free agent, or new deals for Wilfork/Warren/O-Line. At any rate, at the very least, they get more cap room and get younger. Sad to see Vrabel go, but as we've all known for years now, every sport is a business first.

And as a side note, just want to throw out there that I hope Manny sits out the year. Loser.

Matt Schaub was traded for 2 second rounders and the Pats get one second-rounder for Cassell and Vrabel....I guess Pioli was the brains of the operation...

Carolina is looking to unload Ken Lucas, and there is concern Peppers is unhappy with the franchise tag. Could they be the third team involved with Cassel and Vrabel going to KC?

3rd pick in the early 2nd round its fair trade for the Pats. KC knows Pats had no leverage with both Cassell & Brady earning Top $$$$

Reported on Nfl network, rotoworld.com and Si.com. Trade has been finalized. Cassel and vrabel for the 34th pick. Its done.

This is a very good and smart move. The Patriots are using Cassell's outstanding performance for value. We need to start rebuilding our positions with younger guys and if we have to jeopardize next season, I think that is a risk the Patriots are willing to take and the Fans need to understand.

This is going to be make the NFL Draft exciting!

over rated, Cassel is a system Q.B. will be average at best with K.C. a second rounder is a steal.

Jesse, how is the acquisition of nearly $20 in cap space, plus one of the best picks in the draft, garbage? For a linebacker who would be, at best, a medium quality player for us this year, and a quarterback who we hope won't play for us even if he is on the roster?

Cap space is part of the trade. It is just as tangible and meaningful as are players and draft picks.

Two very good (or great players) for a single second round pick.
That is terrible compared to what other teams have gotten for comparable or lesser quality players

Could the Pats have gotten more than the 34th pick for Cassel and Vrabel? Did they even try? If they could have gotten more, and didn't, then something smells real bad down in Foxboro.

I am hoping BB did not just sell out the Pats. Vrabel and Cassel of only the 34th pick in the draft!!??? If it was for just Cassel I would be OK with it but not Vrable and Cassel. Please please tell me BB didn't loose his mind on this one.

So let me get this straight, the Browns got 2 picks for Kellen "I'm Hurt again" Winslow and we trade TWO starters for 1 draft pick?
So a starting QB that won 11 games and is better than any of the QB's coming out.
And a starting LB, yes he is old, will be a free agent after this season and he counts almost 4 mil toward the cap, but he is a starter and they are short on LB's as it is. There better be more to come cause this ain't going to work.

Ok what am I missing??? This is pretty ridiculous if you ask me! I am sure there is more information to come because I can't see Billy accepting just one pick.

Compensation seems light but we have to wait and see. 1. how does Cassell play 2. what the pats do with the pick

As a an Ohio native and a lifetime Browns fan, I am really sad to see Mike Vrabel leave, but business is business. Trading Cassell, business is business; Pats getting a 2nd rounder for both.....hahahaha. Perhaps Peeholi was the real brains behind the pats and Belichump really is Belichump.

I can only hope.

Belichick - You work for the PATRIOTS!!! Kraft doesn't pay you the big bucks to do favors for your buddy Pioli!!! Taken to the cleaners...

The trade is done and YES it was for JUST a 2nd rounder!!!! Check out kcchiefs.com. This is the official site for the Kansas City Chiefs!

Cassel for the 34th pick does not seem like we got enough.....throw Vrabel in and we certainly did not get enough

not often that old krafty gets his pockets picked...........................

My God....I can't believe the ignorant idiots claiming this is a horrible trade. Do you have any clue how valuable a high 2nd round pick is ???? And the reports are that it is also another conditional draft pick next year as well. Those low 1st rounders and 2nd, 3rd and 4th rounders usually become players that are very valuable and get locked up for 5-6 years at reasonable money.

Do you really want to guarantee 25-30 million on an unproven 3rd overall pick ???

For God's sake do some research before you start making stupid postings. This is how the Patriots have been built for the past decade and you still don't get it.

And I haven't even mentioned all the salary cap space that is freed
up giving the Patriots even more flexibility.

The Patriots have been the dominant NFL franchise for the past 10 years or so. Thank God most of you tools aren't running the organization.

So let me get this straight, the Browns got 2 picks for Kellen "I'm Hurt again" Winslow and we trade TWO starters for 1 draft pick?
So a starting QB that won 11 games and is better than any of the QB's coming out.
And a starting LB, yes he is old, will be a free agent after this season and he counts almost 4 mil toward the cap, but he is a starter and they are short on LB's as it is. There better be more to come cause this ain't going to work.

Ok what am I missing??? This is pretty ridiculous if you ask me! I am sure there is more information to come because I can't see Billy accepting just one pick.

step back and look at the deal.

cassell was about to get cut last year out of camp. vrabel's production declined last year and i don't see many 34 year old OLB's improving.

the patriots receive a 2nd round pick, by all accounts you can get a good player there and not pay them a boatload as you would for a high 1st round pick (not their style).

this is a GOOD deal for the pats. calm yourselves and really look at the deal before spouting your stupidity for all to see

everyone stop...BB knows what he's doing. The money for a 2nd round pick is very small, which may enable them to spend some more in free agency right away.

He didn't lose it overnight. He knows what the landscape was for Cassel. I think we can safely say he/they know what they are doing.

Stop saying they freed up $20 million cap space. They singed Cassel for the exclusive purpose of trading him. They freed up $4.3 million of cap space by trading Vrabel. They got a high second round pick by franchising Cassel and trading him along with Vrabel, a guy they were going to lose at the end of the year. They now have a second round pick in return, plus they have $4.3 million to spend on another player. I think it's a good deal. Clearly they weren't seeing offers as high as this for Cassel alone, and by packaging in Vrabel, they get a very good draft pick, and they have $4.3 million to spend on another player.

kcchiefs.com
Confirms it's only the 2nd rd pick. Go Chiefs

I can't believe the patriots with their new found connections with Pioli could not get the 1st round pick in this deal. All we get is a 34th overall pick for mike vrabel(the heart of our defense) and matt cassel who appears to have come in his own as a franchise quarterback. Are the patriots having a wholesale..everything must go. This is ridiculous, the only way Im happy about this deal is if the pats got the 3rd pick and drafted curry which is equal value for what we just gave the chiefs. I know bill always has a plan, but this time we just got ripped off!!

kcchiefs.com
Confirms it's only the 2nd rd pick. Go Chiefs

I agree, Cassel & Vabrel for only a second rounder this year and a conditional next doesn't seem quite enough! I hope there is more then what has been speculated so far! I don't think we have scene Matt Cassel's best yet. Once Pioli gets him some weapons as all good QB's have, Matt will prove to be one of the better QB's in the NFL.
Also, Vabrel, if healthy, could bounce back this season makes this trade even sweeter for KC.

if we don't get two more draft picks or players, we got fucked

It is now official I think, because Patriots.com is saying that they got the second rounder (#34 overall) in return for Vrabel and Cassel. The team sight only produces stories if they are official and havent even announced the signing of Chris Baker. So I'm pretty sure its a done deal.

I think Pioli has the missing video tape of the Ram's walk through....

JULIUS PEPPERS IS ALSO IN THIS DEAL! I KNOW FROM AN INSIDE SOURCE. YOUR WELCOME!

Brady is past his peak and Cassell proved that he has tremendous ability to improve, and he's several years younger.

This is found money. Sorry, you can't have 2 top five QB salaries on your payroll. Fact is Cassel was going to be a free agent this year, they found a way to get an early 2nd round pick for him.

The Patriots = the smartest NFL organization. They would never have traded Cassel without being sure Brady will be ready for game one. However, there's always Kevin O'Connell. Coach knows what he is doing. TRUST IN CASSEL.

Scratching my head a bit initially. But, we know how the Pats operate. This is probably the 1st in a few (larger) dominos to fall regarding this trade.

AWESOME! Good for him. I hope he gets a fortune.

The Patriots = the smartest NFL organization. They would never have traded Cassel without being sure Brady will be ready for game one. However, there's always Kevin O'Connell. Coach knows what he is doing. TRUST IN BILL.

Lets wait for all the FACTS before we start condoning or condemning any these trades.

Bil got Piolied!

In no way am i surprised by that. I was surprised that cassel didnt try and test out free agency. The pats needed to make this trade because there was no way cassel was going to play when brady came back. I also dont believe for a second that the only thing the pats are getting in return is the 34th pick. There is now way you can actually give up someone who could be a very capable starting qb and decent starting linebacker for one pick

WAH..WAH..WAH....TO ALL YOU CRYBABY NEW ENGLAND FANS...HAVENT YOU GUYS ENJOYED ENOUGH SUCCESS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS...MY TEAM HAS WON A TOTAL OF 6 GAMES OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS..GIVEM A BREAK. I THINK SCOTT PIOLI BRINGS A WINNING ATTITUDE TO THE MIDWEST, AND HE IS GOING TO MAKE SURE HIS TEAM IS COMPETITVE. I THINK BRINGING IN VRABEL IS HUGE, YEAH HES OLD, BUT TO GET A GUY THAT CAN MENTOR OUR YOUNG CHIEFS ON DEFENSE WILL HELP TREMENDOUSLY. CASSEL ON THE OTHER HAND KNOWS WHAT IT TAKES TO GET IT DONE, AND HE WILL!!! CANT WAIT TILL THE SEASON OPENER.......GO CHIEFS

Great deal all around. I understand teh sentiments for Vrabel as he was a fan favorite but we arent talking about Lawrence Taylor here. He was a great team guy for the Pats and he will be missed but for the short and long term success this deal makes sense. Do you think for one second Belichik would give up Vrabel if it wasnt best for the team. We have far more valuable pieces coming up in free agency for the Pats defense and now we have stockpiled so we have I believe four picks in the first two rounds. Great deal for the Pats when you weigh every aspect and dont just focus on the emotional part of losing Vrabel.

My take is this was worked out long ago between coach and scott pioli. It was never really about truly maximizing the return, it was getting something for a one year quarterback, who could be great, but is not necessary for the Pats going forward. The Vrabel trade did hurt, I realize he was older but he will be missed in the locker room. maybe a julius peppers will help ease the pain.
Tom is back with the hottest wife ever and this will be a great season.
Scott, sorry, chiefs still only an 8-8 team, but I am sure you will take it.

Stop worrying about Brady. Would Belichek trade Cassel if Brady wasn't o.k.? We know Bill is the best coach ever, so I agree this is a sign that Tom is mended and ready to go.

This is crazy. Brady spent the entire season running around with Bunchy Munchy after choking in the previous Super Bowl!!!! Who knows if he is up to the task? Matt should have stayed until at least the end of camp as an insurance policy. Brady should be made to earn his spot back. What are the patriots thinking?!

Can someone please explain how Matt Schaub is worth TWO second-round picks and Cassel and Vrabel are worth one....morons

Not a good trade on paper for the Patriots. Remember the Patriots traded a 2nd rounder for Welker. Now the Chiefs get a STARTING QB and a Pro Bowl (2007) OLB for a 2?? It does not look very good. But think of it this way. The Patriots have no leverage and could not afford to keep Cassel. A year ago Cassel was basically worthless so the Patriots picked up financial flexibility and a 2. Yes, the Chiefs just raked but something had to happen. At least the Chiefs maybe can now beat the Broncos who seem intent on signing Patriots role players.

I think this deal has hidden agenda that we will soon hear about - Ray Lewis or Julius Peppers in echange for the draft picks. Remember, Belichick has always been one step ahead of everyone.

Brilliant!!!!! The Patriots now have massive flexibility in the draft and free agency. The system is about the SUM of the parts, not the individual pieces. Now the defense can get younger and stronger, while the offense doesn't have 30 million bucks tied up on 1 position. I hate to see these 2 guys go away, they are both Patriots to the core, but this is what needed to be done if the Pats are to be a premier team. I'll predict that when this years team is all in place, this trade will be recognized as the first in a series of very astute moves by BB and his brain trust.

Cassell was a 7th round pick,virtual unknown,until 2008.So they cashed in MASH CASH winning lottery ticket and are going to get a MEGA MILLION CAP RELIEF PRIZE and a pick in one of the DEEPEST DRAFT'S in recent years.

I cant believe how dense some of these people are who commented on here.

This is a good deal. A 34th overall pick is like a 1st round pick. Cassell is OK not great. Vrabel was good but his age is a problem since we are trying to get younger and faster on defense and he has started to become injury proned. You could easily get comparable production for Vrabel by someone cheaper and younger and more versitile. Clears tons of cap space. We now have 5 picks within the first 89 picks. I think we can all assume that someone will want to trade up for the 34th overall spot thus adding additional picks in this years draft or the
subseqent drafts.

And seriously you are all mongoloidal for thinking that BB is an idiot for making this deal. You honestly think he would get totally screwed over.

Ironic isn't it? It was a KC player that took Brady out. KC takes Pioli.
Pioli comes back and takes Cassel and Vrabel for a 2nd rd pick.
KC 4 NE 0
Right now this feels more like the old patriots. The old logo bent over Gillette with Pioli standing behind him with a big Arrowhead....well you get the picture.
I hope theres more to this then we're getting told, although its supposedly confirmed, or at least they turn it into something positive. Something tells me fans won't be the only ones scratching their heads on this one, I fear the locker room isn't going to be too happy either.

The student has fleeced the master. I bet Detroit is sitting back wondering how they screwed up too.

While the 34th pick will be nice to have, it is a little light when compared to the value of Cassel and Vrable. Best guess is that Belichick wasn't offered much more by others, for cap space reasons couldn't wait around and did three guys he really cares about - Pioli, Cassel and Vrable (he must be getting a new contract that is better than the Pats could do) - a favor by helping put them in good situations. Overall, still a good move for Pats.

As long as Kraft owns our team and BB coaches we WILL ALWAYS have a winning franchise! Go SOX, CELTS, B'S, AND PATS!!!!!!!!!!

MASS RULES even tho I reside in KY now!

aweful trade!! vrabel and cassel for just a second round pick? i hope they are receiving more and we just havent heard of the other piece that the pats are getting.

Where is Julius Peppers?

Outstanding Deal for both teams! Chiefs need a QB of the Future and a veteren LB that knows how to work in the 3-4 which we(me being a huge Chiefs fan here) are hopefully converting to. The Patriots get the freed up cap space and picks. Both the Bill's know exactly what they are doing and it will greatly benefit both teams in the deal.
All of KC and New England Should be crossing their fingers the deal goes through.
I've never been a big Patriots fan mainly due to the fact that I was always envious of y'all sucess, but now we have Pioli I can't help but be a huge Patriots fan and I now have 2 favorite teams. I only wish KC can be as sucessful and a dynasty such as New England has been the past decade.

Not even any performance triggers to provide a 2010? LAAAME.

Oh c'mon Warkman! You don't think that they have a plan for a backup QB? Word is, they are very high on O'Connell, so I don't think that they'll be lost for an idea on what to do if Brady isn't ready or gets hurt again? Did you really think that they'd tie up $30 million on the QB position?

Joe, even if they get the Chiefs first round pick (which they probably will), they're not going to hold onto it. Anybody who's got a clue knows that they're not going to pay a top 5 draftee what he'd demand. They'll trade down and get a mid-first round pick and a 2nd or 3rd round pick for the 3rd overall pick.

Ednr, I think you're right. I think the Pats will get Gonzalez and their 1st round pick (and then trade down like I just stated). I don't think it makes much sense to trade Cassel and Vrabel for just a first round pick, but I think asking for the #3 pick overall for just Cassel was too costly for the Chiefs, so to even it out, the Pats offered a versatile OLB in exchange for an aging, yet still very productive, TE...which if that is the case, with the addition of Fred Taylor, they'll have one of the sickest offenses ever, even sicker than the Pats 2007 offense. I think that to make up for the hole that Vrabel leaves, they'll be more than happy to pick up some LBs with their first and third round picks. Once again, anybody who's got a clue will know that this year's draft is very, very deep with LBs. When the dust finally settles in April, I think this will be one of the best offseasons ever for the Pats.

One last final thought...I find it ironic that the Chiefs are the team that allowed for Cassel to have his shot in the NFL, and now that is where he is going. As "Bye Bye Matt" said, it's "the new Kansas City Patriots."

So many dummies commenting. They Pats would never pay a #1 pick so it's irrelevant if they got one or not. They now have 3 2nd round picks and that is were they do their damange. On top of that they can now address extending Wilfork. Pats aren't stupid. They know what they could have gotten for Cassel and the longer you wait they less free agents become available to use the money he freed up.

This trade does not seem positive to me but I don't know all the details and ins-outs to say for sure. I think we're losing more then we're gaining. Someone who knows much more then I do about such things, convince me this is the right thing..

Until then, signing off as seriously bummed out..

Argh........

Cassell and Vrabel for a second round pick. This is crazy. I guess Pioli was the brains of the organization.

There has to be more to this trade than the 34th pick! BB is better than that. If that's all we get for Cassel and Vrabel then this trade will definitely be looked at throughout the football world as a steal for Pioli and KC. No question...

The trade is really Cassel for the 34th pick. They were going to cut Vrabel anyway to save cap space.

Matt from RI is right. Both Patriots.com and KCChiefs.com are reporting that it's Cassel and Vrabel for KC's 2009 2nd round pick (#34 overall). Official team sites don't typically report rumors so I'd say this is it. I was hoping there'd be a conditional 2010 pick thrown in there too but it appears that's not the case.

JS: I know what you're saying - Cassel was franchised at $14.65M against the cap for the sole purpose of trading him. But the people saying the Patriots freed up almost $20M (I believe it's actually just under $19M) of cap space aren't wrong because until they traded Cassel the Patriots didn't have that space to work with and essentially couldn't sign any of the higher-priced UFAs.

This is the question you need to ask yourself.....who is smarter.....BB or Pioli?.....no knocks on Pioli....but BB is the football genius of the two. Time will tell.

Let's face it. If they could have gotten more they would have. This was the best deal out there. I love Vrabel, but the problem is that he has really struggled rushing the QB(Great against the run though). This D needs someone who can get after the QB. Maybe it is Crable or maybe it is the draft. Remains to be seen.

This is a typical business trade for the Patriots. The market for Cassel was good but not too good. Most teams knew the Pats were stuck and had to take the best offer they got from the market by draft time. And the Pats would be completely hamstrung financially until they traded Cassel, so time was a negative factor.
I feel bad for Vrabel. I am sure he doesn't want to go...

STUPID!!!! Matt did an amazing job for the PAts in his first year on the field. There is always the posibility Brady will not come back as the amazing player. I don't think the Pats made the right call!

ESPN reports the trade is for just the 2nd Rounder, 34th Overall. But there has to be more, it doesn't make sense. Bill turned Bledsoe into a 1st rounder in 2002, and Dallas gave up a 1st rounder and 3 other picks for Roy Williams. Cassell is worth atleast a 1st and 2nd Rounder by himself. I find it hard to believe that they give away Cassell for a 2nd rounder then just throw Vrabel in for no charge.

didn't get enough - great for cap space, but didn;t get enough

Cap space freed: WELCOME TO NE, RAY LEWIS!

Belichick would rather have #34 pick than the #3 pick. It has more value to him in this year's deep draft. They'll get a 1st round talent-level future starter, but won't have to pay the bonus $$ of the #3 pick. The extra cap space can be used to lock up Wilfork and Mankins long term. Everyone who thinks the Patriots got ripped off just doesn't get it.

Brady needs to be better than ever. We now need to score 50. Hello Arena League.

Awful, just AWFUL. How can they only get the 34th pick overall. Kraft stop being a cheap bastard and spend some money on players that can actually play the game hard and hit people in the mouth. We are tired o softies like Ellis Hobs and Maroney and the Most overrated DL in the league Richard Seymour. You guys just got porked by Pioli, he laughing his ass off right now at Nic Caserios's STUPIDITY!!! GET RAY LEWIS OR JULIUS PEPPERS they will make an impact.

JULIUS PEPPER: A rumor posted on the ESPN.com boards is that the Patriots have agreed to trade their 1st round picks in 2009 and 2010 to the Carolina Panthers for DE/LB Julius Peppers who will sign a 4-year, $36 million deal with $10 million guaranteed. The move leaves the Patriots without a 1st round pick but with three 2nd round picks in the upcoming NFL Draft.

People all over the place today are wondering -- with good reason -- if Coach Belichick has actually lost his mind. How about checking his bank account out on Nantucket to see if there has been some recent deposit. This is not a fair trade by any standard and raises a lot of very serious questions.

Something's wrong in the headshed (Front Office.) They seem to want to give the store away. Cassell & Vrabel are stalwarts for the Patriots. Brady is now the "Unknown" ! And further what are they getting in trade if they go with this plan? Future 2nd to 6th round draft choices aren't going to keep the New England Patriots in Super Bowl contention! Get Tough and Be Smart--

Cassel and Vrabel for a lousy #2 pick. Say it ain't so Bill.

I'm telling you, this is a deal that's a setup for something even bigger.

Julius Peppers, anyone? My my, would that be a sick defense.

If what I heard is correct, all the Patriots got for Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel is the 34th pick in the 2009 draft then this is a horrible trade. Both of these players have proven they can play competitively in the NFL and all we got is a 2nd round pick. This deal stinks!

Lopsided deal. Two players for one second round (albeit high, sure, but still) pick? Considering that a number of former personnel guys and head coaches were saying Cassel was worth at least a first and second, if not more, and all they can pry from KC is a second? Eesh, not enough. Not nearly enough. Some conditional pick for next year (at least up to another second rounder) would've made this deal reasonable from a Pats standpoint. This is a total win for K.C. Another thought: Vrabel must be D-O-N-E to make him a throw-in.

Is it Christmas time yet? Cassel AND Vrabel for a SECOND round pick? That's got to be a joke. Why not throw Wilfork and Seymour in the deal as well? After all, it looks like it's Christmas any way...

STUPID STUPID STUPID..
How does Shaub merit 2 2nd round picks., but Cassell and Vrabel get a 2nd round pick? BB messed up, and this is where we will miss Pioli. We should have gotten at 1st out of this, dumb decision.

JULIUS PEPPER: A rumor posted on the ESPN.com boards is that the Patriots have agreed to trade their 1st round picks in 2009 and 2010 to the Carolina Panthers for DE/LB Julius Peppers who will sign a 4-year, $36 million deal with $10 million guaranteed. The move leaves the Patriots without a 1st round pick but with three 2nd round picks in the upcoming NFL Draft.

I think alot of people will be suprised that the Pats only got a second round pick but it makes sense. They HAD to get rid of him and Pioli new it. Due to this fact the 34th pick is actually pretty good. The Patriots hate the price they have to pay for draft picks in the top 15 and thats where the Chiefs first round pick would have been. The Pats seem to believe you can get better value in the high first or second round and any Patriots fan knows this method is tried and true. As for Brady's backup, the Pats seem to believe that O'Connell is the real deal.

I do not understand trading Cassel AND Vrabel. I think trading Cassel was the right move and was always the plan. However, for the life of me, I do not get why vrabel was included in this deal, especially with our lack of experienced depth and LB.

Belichek is def doing Scott Pioli a huge favor on this deal....

Can someone explain to me why veteran players in the NFL are so lowly regarded when it comes to draft pick trades?? How can Matt Stafford be worthy of the 1 pick, but Matt Cassel, who many analysts agree is a much safer bet, be not even worth a 2nd round pick on his own?? It seems to me that the NFL undervalues veteran players and overvalues draft picks.

The 34th pick does seem a bit on the light side but the wizards in Foxborough must know what they're doing. Hopefully, Tom Brady will be in the shape presumed but odds are he'll experience some residual effects. One can only wish Matt the very best as he did a great job for the Patriots and, hopefully, will do so for the Chiefs.

I hope Scott Poiloi does for the Pats what McHale did for the Celtics!!!

Hey, every time Belichick has cut a player loose there is panic in the cheap seats.
Malloy in Buffalo? Deion Branch in Seattle? Bledsoe, McGinest, Law, et al....where are they now? How about Mangini, Crennel, Weiss....where are their rings, their championships? Get a grip folks. In case you haven't noticed, Uncle Bill knows when to hold 'em, and when to fold 'em. Pay attention cuz I'll only say this once: Belichick is The Man. He attracts solid talent and kicks it up a notch to championship level, drains it and drops it while it has some market value. Are we so convinced we know it's really over just because we are New England Sports Fansand the bottom must drop out soon and the Pat's will melt back int the Patsies? Watch and learn folks!

Yes, Cassell was a seventh round pick. Yes, he seemed like he might get cut after training camp. Yes, a top second round pick is valuable. However, after the season he had, he alone was worth more than the 34th pick. I would say, two 2nd rounders -this year and next or one first rounder in say the 15-25 range. Vrabel then is a give away. There are two possible reasons for doing this. One, to be good to Pioli and Cassel, which is possible in terms of the type of loyalty BB has. Or something else is pending the need to open the cap space now. We will find out which it was, but in value today it is pure rationalizing to say that both Cassel and Vrabel for the 34th pick is anything but very favorable to KC.

What a bunch of losers, the linebacker situation was bad enough without losing Vrabel, and now giving up Cassel before they are sure about Brady, what are they smoking? They have lost a lot of coaches and talent this year. This sounds as if it is as good an investment as the Patriot Place ghost town for Kraft. The Pats were good for awhile, but going downhill fast.

Scott Pioloi 1: Patriots 0 !

Not good at all compensation for what they lost, you would expect a player or more then 1 pick........awful deal

SECOND ROUND PICKS ARE GREAT YOU DONT HAVE TO PAY THEM TO MUCH AND THERE USUALY LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE IF THEY GOT THE #3 PICK AND PAID HIGH AND GOT A BUST IT WOULD SCREW THINGS UP FOR YEARS TO COME THIS IS THE RIGHT MOVE NEED TO GET YOUNGER ON DEFENSE THE PATS CHAMPIONSHIPS WERE BUILT ON DEFENSE THEN BRADY WAS THE CHERRY ON THE SUNDAY

Cassel carried a big cap hit - so he was holding a lot of the cards - he obviously had to agree to go to KC under reduced contract. Probably Detroit could have offered him a deal - but who would want to go to Detroit and run for your life? So thank Pioli - the deal may seem not so great but Cassel and his agent left the Pats with few options. Don't forget we get compensatory picks as well. If the Pats do their homework they should be able to re-stock with young talent this year to keep them competitive for along time. Now we only have to worry about Brady ad his health.

KC's second round pick is like a late 1st rounder. I would have liked something like their 2nd and 4th or 5th or second this year and their 3rd next but in the end the 3rd pick of the draft is not that desirable, if you pick 3rd you have to pay that guy huge money for someone unproven, There are plenty of top picks that got their 20 million and did nothing at the NFL level. The Pats would have traded it anyway.

Cassel was never worth a 1st and second or even first and third. 15 games is all he has under his belt, he was great but was it the system, can he do it year after year...too many questions for that much compensation.

Hey #135 Dick Martin. We are all very impressed you know "Bill and Bob". Really added to the story. I wish I could hang with you.

No, actually this was great for the Patriots. They free up $18.9 million in cap space and can use it for a very good 3rd receiver to replace Gaffney and get someone younger and very good on the defense. Don't be surprised to see another trade coming where they send someone else from the defense plus a pick to get someone. Remember, there's a lot of good talent on the defensive side of the ball in the draft. And, you know Belichick has a good strategy planned out for this offseason. He's had more time to look at everything. I'm very excited about the possibilities. We all should be.

Wow. Third leading tackler on the team and a Pro Bowl (should have been instead of Favre) QB for a second round pick. I guess the days of BB being the smartest man in the room are over

Today, in
my heart, there's
a delicate
sorrow; outside
a melancholy tries
to forget the
sound of a
manner that
now disappears,
while a young
bird escapes.....

Francesco Sinibaldi

If all we got was the 34th pick overrall in the draft, I hardly see how we made out in this deal at all. So we traded Mike Vrabel, a fantastic veteran player and Cassell for just a second rounder? I mean you could make an argument that both are worth 1st round picks. Why didn't we get a Kansas City player in return or something?

I hope they (the Patriots) know what they are doing!

Vrabel is washed up and Cassel is overrated. Good move Pats.

seems like they had little choice...but make no mistake about this- Tom Brady has been exposed, probably for the first time, his limitations, his physical vulnerabilities, and his true talent by the NFL teams. He is no longer superman. Good luck to both of them..Time will tell

Sounds like BB, Kraft & Pioli already had a plan in place when Pioli left for KC. BUt I can't believe that the Pats would get ONLY a 2nd round draft choice for both when Vrable would be a 2nd or 3rd at least and Cassel a 1st or a second and 6th.

We only got a 2nd round pick for both Cassel and Vrabel?

Are you freaking kidding me?!?!

I am sure all of you that are going crazy over just getting the 34th pick were the same clowns who wanted Cassel waived last summer during the preseason..We need to get younger and more athletic....In BB we trust......

Stay away from Bernard Pollard please

denehy you are a knucklehead

This deal reminds me of a lot of the trades that went down in the NBA this winter. It was a salary dump, pure and simple. Clearly, with the worsening economic climate, teams just don't have 14M to overspend on an above-average QB. Vrabel was the John Salmons to Cassel's Brad Miller.

The pats should of gotten something more than a SECOND round draft choice. Since the chiefs didn't do very good this year, we should of gotten a first round choice. They have one of the most toughest linebackers and a pretty decent quaterback in return. Just awful! If i were Kraft then I would have this whole argument about getting like Mark Sanchez or Michael Crabtree instead of some other dude in the second round!

I'm disappointed to see what we got in return for these two players...I think they are worth more then just a second round draft pick.

I'm probably speaking for most chiefs fans in saying Thank You! Anyway we can get Welker now?

ESPN's (and Boston's own) Michael Smith said a second ago on ESPNEWS that the only explanation is that Pioli and Belichick are "really good friends." This is the worst trade I've ever heard of.

Patriots get a single pick? Second round? Must be a typo somewhere...

The Patriots should consider signing Byron Leftwich or Kurt Warner as a stop gap in case Brady gets hurt.

This just in....

It wasnt just the 34th pick overall but there is a conditional HC job for BB if he ever leaves the Patriots

Could it be that Scott Pioli was, in fact, THE engine which pulled along the Patriots, including Bill Belichick? It seemed over the past several years that, in all their deals, the Pats came out on top. This one is so lopsidedly in favor of the Chiefs that you now have to wonder. Almost like the gift that Kevin McHale provided to Danny Ainge in the Kevin Garnet for everyone else trade. Looks like we are back to the Pete Carroll/Bobby Grier days.

Not good. Collusion...
Fire the new personnel staff!!!

2 great players for just 1 second round pick?
What is this a "fire-sale"; or is Pioli still calling the shots in Foxboro?

My guess is this trade was entirely about clearing cap space. I'm looking for the Pats to go hard after a DB and LB.

Honestly, the trade is pretty fair in my opinion. Vrabel is 34, and you can't expect more than a 4th or 5th round pick for him. There was no way the Patriots were going to get a first-round pick for Cassel either. Cassel's trade value was probably a mid- to late-second round pick, so Vrabel probably bumped up the value. I do think the Patriots should have gotten a late-round (6 or 7) pick next year, but the number 3 overall pick would be too much for Cassel and Vrabel. If there is a third team involved, there is no way the Patriots would get Peppers unless they threw in the Kansas City pick and at least another 2nd round pick.
As for next year, the Patriots now have cap room, a first round pick, and 3 second round picks. You can't want much more than that for an aging team.

At least they didn't go to the Yankees.

Since Tom Brady is retiring, and we got rid of cassel, it looks like we're going to have a rebuilding decade

I wish all of you so called Pats fans would wake up and smell the coffee. There was practically no trade market for Cassell whatsoever. The Lions, well, are the Lions. They do not know what they are doing. Tampa Bay was going to wait it out and see what developed; time was a luxury the Pats could not afford. The Vikings decided to hitch their wagon to Jackson and Rosnfels; good luck. Outside of those teams, the market was not developing.

As I mentioned, the Pats did not have the luxury of waiting. I realize for the hometown fans it feels as though we did not receive fair compensation. However, Cassell was a 7th round draft pick and Vrabel has slowed significantly. Receiving the 34th pick, essentially a late first rounder for a lot less cash, will enable us to pursue more defensive help in the form of another CB, S or OLB. Having all the money devoted to Cassell off the books also helps us secure Wilfork and sign additional free agents, i.e., Bodden, Furrey, etc.

It may seem as though we did not receive equal value, but please analyze the entire situation (market) before complaining about the trade. My guess is that most of you complaining the loudest were also the same people that were ripping Cassell up one side and down the other early in the year. You can't have it both ways.

Cassel and Vrabel are worth more than a 2nd round draft pick. However, I feel that this was more of a cap space move. Hopefully, this will free up money and allow the Pats to wheel and deal in free agency to address needs, particularly problems on defense. I'll miss both Cassel and Vrabel as they were both classy football players. I wish them the best.

are you kidding?!?! a 2nd round for Cassel AND Vrable. bad bad bad

2nd round pick seems reasonable. Keep in mind, that Cassel is going to command 14 million next year, which diminishes the value of the deal. KC is taking a huge salary cap whack, thus the reason the Pats won't get the 1st round pick of KC. But if the Pats never franchised him, he could have walked away for nothing. Good move by Belicheck, as always.

Only a 2nd Round pick for Vrabel and Cassel? What if Pioli really was the brains and Belichick is just a really good coach?

In Bill I trust but this seems to be kind of a one sided trade...

the pats just cleared 20 million off their books and picked up a high second rounder. now they can sign wilfork to an extension and still pick up some good free agents and add some quality players in the draft.the pats are again poised for the future.

Seems like a lot to give up for a second rounder.

This deal SUCK because all we get is a 34th pick in the second who cares. I wish the Pats would've taken the 3rd pick plus some other picks and a player from KC. Very displease with the Pats, why not add Lewis and Marvin Harris?

would at least have liked to see a late round pick as well. Cassel for a 2d is fine but they gave away Vrable. Maybe Pioli (and BB) knows something we dont but that doesnt mean the rest of the league does.

A horrible deal. What were they thinking? Two very good players (both starters on 28 out of 32 teams) and all they got was a single (high) second round pick? Cassel was considered a better deal than rookie QB slated to go in the first round. Any of those teams (who will be picking a QB in the 1st round) would have gladly traded their 1st round pick for Cassel. This was a bad deal even if it were only for Cassel, but to throw Vrabel under the bus too? Pioli must have some photos of BB with Gisele!

stats against pittsburgh tells his true stuff

c a y int rating
M. Cassel 19 39 169 48.7 4.3 5 24 0 2 39.4

Wow. The Globe's analysis of this one sounds like it was written at the PR offices in Foxborough! Brady hasn't even thrown a football since blowing his knee out and we part with the guy who took an injury-riddled team to 11-5? The Hollywood spotlight, newlywed aura and pressure to win will be tough for Tommy - all while coming off an injury that was complete with infections and unpredicted surgeries. I trust Bill. I have no choice.

Just from a fans perspective, this is an awful deal for the Pats and a GREAT deal for the Chiefs. There has to be more to this trade that we don't know about yet. No way would the Patriots give up a potential Pro Bowl QB in Cassell AND a solid defensive player like Mike Vrabel for ONLY the 34th pick in the draft. No Way! A draft pick is no gaurantee to be a productive player. These 2 Patriots have proven to be elite NFL players. I'm assuming there is more to this trade that hasen't been announced yet. Maybe they are doing a physical on another player before they announce the final deal. I hope so anyway.

I find it fascinating having Belichick and Pioli making deals. I think it was fair. Cassell is a risk in any other offensive system especially one without Welker & Moss. And Vrabel is past his prime. I love both players, but this is what makes the Patriots a great team over time. They generally make good decisions about when to part with players. How many players have the Patriots let go have gone on to newfound or continued greatness? Asante Samuel may be the only exception I can think of. Daniel Graham, Damien Woody, Lawyer Milloy, Willie McGinest, Bledsoe...none had the same impact as they did when in New England. The 2nd round pick is very high in the second round so it was good value and has cleared cap space.

It will take more than Julius Peppers to recover from this awful deal. We got Schooled!!

They turned a seventh rounder into a HIGH second rounder who played well for one year with the Patriots. With this move, the Patriots clear up alot of cap space and have four of the top 60 picks for this year's draft. They can now concentrate on signing the anchor of their defensive line; Vince Wilfork. He's more valuable than Cassel and Vrable combined at this point and his signing takes one thing they didn't have; money.

Before Tom got hurt he did not want to be here. His actions were a clear indication that I do not want to be here. He dumps a woman to go out with Gisele who held him close by the (you know whats), he was more out of the area as he was pictured everywhere but here. Then poor Tommy Boy gets hurt, he goes against docs orders and get his surgery somewhere else, the job is botched and he has to have the surgery again. In come Matt Cassel (who I met by the way and he is a nice man), saves the day. You say where was he before, he was hidden before. Unlike Drew, Tom never came during his recoup time to any of the training camps. That is beneath Tommy boy. Then there is talk that Matt Cassel is going to be given the franchise. Funny, Tom starts coming to the area again and giving out turkey dinners at Thanksgiving. Not his thing, never did that stuff before. Showed me he was scared he would be replaced. There was an article on 2/27/09 saying Gisele got her guy but hoped he married her for the right reasons, not because Matt Cassel got the franchise. Now a day later Matt is traded. Sounds like Tommy Boy called and cried to Kraft guys about poor treatment. Tommy needs to go, and this injury most are never the same again. It we are lucky someone who agrees that Tommy is a loser and behind all this will leak the information to the press. Now, back to the Patriots - thanks for faking poor Matt Cassel out. You knew you could use him as he is a decent person. Unlike Tommy Boy he would never date a woman for 5 years then cheat on her with a thing like Gisele.

I think the organizations is dummer than a sack of hammers. I first of all think Brady is a great quarterback but what if he is hurt again? What did we get? We got the same thing as Mass. got in their politicans. SHAFTED!!!!

2nd round that isn't even enought for Vrabel!!!

Thanks Cassel for an extremely entertaining and better than expected year

HUGE thanks Vrabel for everything, but especially forcing Kurt Warner to throw
off back foot right into Ty Law's hands in SB XXXVI.
That changed everything. EVERYTHING.

Brady chokes in his last super bowl. Loses his parking spot during training because he is not working hard enough and then goes down in game 1. Spends the entire season running around the world with Bunchy Munchy. Now they get rid of a guy that can walk in on game one and pick up where he left off last season? Brady should have to earn his spot back. This trade sucks. The Pats got luck with Cassel last season and now he's ready. Poor job by Belechick on this one. Money isn't everything. We ticket holders work our asses off to pay those fees not to mention the water downed beer etc. This is bullshit.

If all they got was a second round pick for both Cassell and Vrable then score a huge win for KC and Scott Pioli...

If all they got was a second round pick for both Cassell and Vrable then score a huge win for KC and Scott Pioli...

Well this is Kraft playing down to the NFL. He already has a sold out stadium which was paid for a couple of year ago. There is no need form him to get another Super Bowl as he will make money no matter what happens. The only losers are us, the Patriots followers. Go Giants

I can't believe this is all the compensation the Pats are getting for yhese two player's. Both of them are proven NFL players. Vrabel may be on the downward side of his career and Cassel may only have 1 year under his belt, but they both have played successfully in the NFL. I think the Pats are getting the short end of the stick on this trade. The only upside I can see right now is getting rid of Cassel's cap hit.
Disappointed.

what were they thinking??? Cassell and Vrabel for a 2nd round pick! Ugh.

Like Sports Illustrated called it discount shopping, probably one of the most lop side trades ever, how often do draft choices pan out. Giving up guarenteed talent for maybe or could be and two for one at the same time. Who ever came up with this trade should be fired.

if it comes down to them adding in Gonzalez that doesn't cut it either, 2nd rnd pick is good for Cassel it's a fair trade. But to get Vrable too they need to throw in Larry Johnson, Then we can trade Muroney for a DB and sign Cato June and Mcfadden or Levernius Coles with all the left over money........

Pathetic. Obviously it has been pioli and not belichick who has been the brains behind the pats all these years. i think kraft wanted vrabel out, as the two have different personalities and kraft probably didn't like vrabel's comment about the profit sharing of Patriot's Place.

OK, OK - take a deep breath everybody and look at this logically.
Vrabel - Will be 34 in August. $4.3 mm cap hit this season. Struggled with injuries last year. Would have been a free agent next year. Downside of his career.
Cassell - 7th round draft pick. "Cut" by media and fans following last year's pre-season. Threw to 2 pro-bowl wide-outs in Moss and Welker. Pats receivers had longest YAC (yards after catch) in the league. $14 mm salary.
2nd round pick # 34 - 2nd pick in round. Potentially great, young talent. Not 1st round money. More money for other picks or free agents.
Good deal for both.

ASSUMING Brady's "progressing"!!!!!? Come on! That's a BIG one! WHO, exactly, has ever come back 100% from major knee surgery???? Tell us please! Also when, exactly, was Brady in the area for a workout OR checked out by TEAM physicians?
Cassel came on the scene exactly the way as Brady. To replace the much over-rated quarterback Bledsoe! Cassel did exactly as Brady & will, most likely, continue to improve as did Brady then. Perhaps it would be better if BRADY was traded rather than Cassel. Anybody ever consider that?? Let some other team decide if he's "100%"?
This is beginning to remind me of the old Red Socks, Yaz, the Yawkey's, the old Boston Patriots & holding on to aging past their prime, past heroes with invincible egos..

maine man - at least someone seems to be paying attention around here.

you too paul r.

Maine Man is right. Belicheck is the man

Those of you who think the 34th pick is better than the 3rd pick need to go to math class. At a minimum, you could trade the 3rd pick for a pick higher than the 34th pick plus another pick.

Sory I sppelt Mat Castle's nayme inkorectly Cassel

The posters criticizing this deal don't understand the numbers. Cassel is under contract for $14.6 million, which means that the Pats could only get a 2d round pick to offload that liability. The Pats franchaised and signed Cassel for the sole purpose of getting something for him, rather than seeing him walk as a free agent. And now that Pats have cap room to address more pressing needs, like DBs. Good deal for both teams.

I think that they could have done better- I can see trading Vrabel for just the 2nd-round pick, but not Vrabel AND Cassel- whom I thought would be traded for a 1st-round pick on his own. It makes me wonder about how the economy is impacting the Patriots overall. These were two well-paid players. Maybe they needed to get their salaries off the books?

Matt Cassel AND MIke Vrable for A SECOND ROUND DRAFT PICK? That's it? Really? Cassel ALONE is worth a second rounder, why throw in Vrabel? I don't get it. The Chiefs have TYLER THIGPEN as their starting QB and they had to throw in Vrable for ONLY a 2nd rounder?

This does not make sense for only a number 2 pick!!!!!!!!!!!

It maybe not be the fairest deal for the Patrs but it is a deal that will most likeley set up another one. Very few people in the nfl get traded for first rounders. The patriots got Moss with a 4th.

Hi there. I will have a carmel latte with a shot of expresso and skim milk. Also please a chocolate glazed donut.

$5.50 you got it!

This is absolutely inexcusable... I am certain that, AT THE MINIMUM, we could have had a 2nd round pick for Cassel straight up from somebody.. No question. Why not do that and either keep Vrabel (still opening up 14 million) or trade him for a t least a 3rd round pick. Disgusting. No loyalty

To TRADE for a 2d PICK is absurd.
To trade VERBEL & CASSEL for a 2d is absurd.
Who is now running the N.E. PATRIOTS Player Personnel?

Pioli just fistbumped BB right in the keester.

After reading through the mass of responses I come to the following conclusions:

1. The full impotency of our educational system in NE come to full fruition.

2. Lead paint must have already been put into our water systems.

3. The complete and utter realization that NE (and Boston) fans are no longer capable of understanding long term trends in sports.

BB and Co are gearing up for another 2-4 year run to end both Brady's and BB's careers. It may take a year or so but by 2010, we should have a defense in place to make a 2001-4 type run. Or maybe not, but you idiots who are crying for "more" simply do not understand the current Patriots roster or needed to stop breast feeding by age 7.

Scoop up the Steelers Free Agents!!!!!!!! Washington would be a great #2 I like Welker but that guy is gonna get seriously injured running his routes one of these days and we already lost Gaffney who was great in the red zone...

Scoop up the Steelers Free Agents!!!!!!!! Washington would be a great #2 I like Welker but that guy is gonna get seriously injured running his routes one of these days and we already lost Gaffney who was great in the red zone...

If the trade ends up being Cassel and Vrabel straight up for a 2nd round pick this is a horrible trade. Now, let's say KC decides to "release" Tony Gonzalez and the Pats go sign him and then go after Ray Lewis and/or a CB such as Chris McAllister then this would be a great trade.

Good news Bad news. It's always tough to have quality people leave your team,
it's the nature of the business beast. May Matt & Mike be healthy and prosper, with their new team. We thank you for your past service. The good news is that Mr. Brady must be in fine shape, for this year, or else this deal probably isn't done.
You couldn't expect to have that much money sitting in the wings, just in case.
Keep the faith all you nervous nellies, this will all work out for the good. We have a quality organization working for us. Rest Easy my fellow compatriots.

BB will blame it on being young and stupid, and being foolish along with his cousin, Yuri Sucart.

Simmer down people...Digest all of this before running off at the mouth...The Pats have lost some pretty decent players in recent years ( Branch...Givens..Law..Malloy, Patton and McGinnest) come to mind)..And, some of Coach B's disciples (Crennel..Weis..etc.) none of them has excelled in their new surroundings..They were successful only when they were part of the whole..Mike Vrabel gave the Pats yeoman service but he's nearing the end of the line..We need young legs and speed at LB..Getting cap space will enable us to cherry pick some top notch free agents and four early draft picks should be beneficial..

wow.. some of you guys are ridiculous.. cassell is still largely unproven and vrabel is on the wrong side of 30... it was obvious that vrabel lost a step last year. to free up 20 mil in cap space and get basically a late 1st rounder is not bad at all. getting the 34th pick gives the pats so much flexibility in the draft. with 3 picks in the 2nd you can move into the 1st if there is a prospect BB really likes or even trade one away for a 2nd rounder next year (like we did last year with san diego). don't get me wrong i will miss vrabel but maybe BB things woods or crable is ready to start or he plans on targeting Julius peppers in FA. basically this move just gives the pats alot of options. so people who think the pats got to little in compensation are being a bit nieve .

taxpayer600...you are such an idiot!! How did Brady choked during the SB? He got the team back on top despite the lousy OL play all game. If anybody choked, it was the entire defensive unit for not being able to make one lousy stop and the entire OL for doing shit all game. Pats got shafted in this deal considered KC now can do so much with their 3rd pick without needing to draft and pay an unproven quarterback to direct the team. Now they can use the 3rd pick to draft for other needs or package it to get more later picks. The Pats on the other got only a lousy 2nd round pick for 2 players. Remember people were talking about a 1st round pick for Cassel slone.

Well let's hope that Brady is ready for the upcoming season. Cassell and Vrabel for the 34th pick in the draft, I don't get it. We should have traded Matt and Mike for Scott Pioli. Bring back Scott and why did we loss Scott in the first place.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! A mobile young QB who threw for 21 touchdowns last week and a heart and soul guy like Vrabel for a second rounder? THAT'S IT? We got more than this for Bledsoe!

BB is slipping. Giving up these 2 for a 2nd round pick....then not picking up Brian Dawkins in free agency. Dawkins got 3.5mil a year from Denver, to me that is short $$$ for what he brings and he's definitely a BB type player

I bet Ernst_Blofeld has a shrine to brady in his bedroom and has never really been a football fan....... He probably thinks Bruschi was better than Ray Lewis or Joey Porter over the years....

Pioli and Belichick are great friends, and I expect the friendship to raise in the future with more trades. Matt Cassell and Mike Vrabel are two very capable players that Pioli will cherish. To make Vrabel stay happy, they kept his contract from ending by trading him, and he's still making 4 million dollars this year. If they were going to cut him, he would only be making one million instead of four million because he's not worth 4 million dollars at this stage in his career. This is to me is what's called a "Friendly Trade" because everybody wins. The Patriots don't have to pay the franchise tag money, the Chiefs get Matt Cassell, and Vrabel still gets to keep his 4 million dollars. Pioli, Belichick and Vrabel are all great friends, and since Mike Vrabel wants to be a coach someday, he might be a Kansas City Chiefs someday. In the near future, you will see more of these type of trades. This is just one of the many chapters you'll hear about in the Pioli Belichick book.

Moronic !!!!! We now know who was the brains behind the dynasty. It certainly wasn't the idiot who's left.

I think we should have received more compensation. How about a First rounder next year, or two second round picks. Vrabel is about to retire be he is and always has been a Monster. Cassel has the potential to be a awesome QB and for both we got a lousy 2nd round pick, thats going to bite us later on! Pioli just got a awesome deal from his buddie! Nice BB, nice!

did Brady really get married?

Big Mistake

I get it, you waste franchishing a player just you can half of a second round draft pick, so another team can steal another player that you could of franchised. What a waste. I can't really see any benefit for the Pats. Was this trade done for the benefit of Pioli or Casell, certainly not for the Pats.

Gift for Pioli!

Is this the Kraft's whining about the economy and dumping payroll? A 2nd round pick? That's it? Looks like amateur hour is back in town. If it is about dumping payroll, we should boycott Pats games..You want fans to remain; invest in the team. This trade makes no sense. Clearing cap space to go after a free agent? I think not! But I pray I'm wrong

HOMERS!! Are you Pats fans for real, Vrabel and Cassel for a second round pick, when your a fan of the team you could make any deal sound good. If they flip the picks for peppers than it's a good deal if not than it stinks.

These comments are too funny. All the Raiders could get for Moss was a 4th round pick yet you somehow think Cassel was going to get a #1 pick. Dellusional people. Could they have gotten a little maybe. They key word being a little.

Bad move. Brady is going to struggle and so aren't the Patriots. I think Cassel is a much better quarterback at this point. Brady already shined and it'll take a lot to get him to "good" - oh well it'll be fun to watch the Kansas City Patriots.

maybe we should send BB to KC and return mike, matt and make pioli the new head coach of the pats
keeping our talent is a good thing, when they reach the end of their productive years and have made a great name for our team, now we have a new group of productive coaching staff, then go for the younger players. If we succeeded with the past trades of players , we sure can continue with a change of head coaches too, .............................

they traded the wrong quarterback.

i JUST HOPE Brady is 110% this season and if he isn't the Fans will never let the Pats live this moved down.
BUT THE WORSE MOVE PATS HAVE MADE IS getting rid of VRABEL GET VRABEL BACK

If the Pats had him signed to long-term reasonable deal they would have gotten more, but the going rate for 1 year of a $14 million unsigned QB is not that high. KC can't afford to franchise him every year, and Cassel can just walk if they don't.

Good luck to Matt Cassell. He's one class act.

This is an abomination by the front office. All good things must come to an end and their business acumen seems to be drawing to that close....
I was never a big believer in Cassel (can't throw the long ball and cannot read defenses past his #1 receiver on a play), but him and Vrabel for a 34 is a cruel joke.

In Bill we trust...In Bill we trust...In Bill we trust....now I feel better!

upchurch.. are you kidding me?? Vrable has always been a monster??!?!? what is it that vrabel does that makes him so special?? 4 sacks? vrabel can easily be replaced. Vrabel was a good leader and a great locker room guy but on the field he was nothing more than a above average starting OLB at best. people are acting like we just traded 2 hall of famers.. vrabel isn't even good enough to be in the patriots hall of fame and cassell is for the most part still a question mark because just about anyone would have some success as a qb with moss and welker and a great OL. look at cassell's numbers roughly 60% of his passing yards were yards after catch... meaning the receiver moved the ball not him. you people need to relax and see what happens with the free'd up cap money and what we get for the 34th pick.

The trade makes sense for us but we should have gotten more in return. If the Chiefs weren't willing to part with their first-round pick, we should have gotten their second and Tony Gonzalez. Our tight ends are invisible. I still don't understand why Chiefs picked up Matt Cassel when they have Tyler Thigpen, who did great last year for a rookie. Detroit should have stole away Matt Cassel. That's why they keep feeding at the bottom of the NFL every year, regardless who is in and out.

Out of Towners, you don't have franchisees for the fans you have owners who don't loose money cause of CB and they don't put good teams on the field. I'll be a whining Pats fan any day over a Rams, Jets, or Raiders fan................ Mayo-Best player we have for the future. The money is for Wilfork!! Seymour is next to go he is never healthy and Jarvis Green is a better player as far as durability..... I can't wait to see what the team looks like after the draft..

Belicheck blinked. There is no stud quarterback in this year's draft. And as the draft gets closer, teams would realize it. There may have even been a bidding war.

The only way this deal makes sense is that they had to free up cap money now to go after a big free agent. Maybe Peppers!

Sonds like a second round pick (34)? I hope not! My nephew could have done a better deal.

Cassel looked like a top 5 quarterback didn't he? Brady was a superhero stud when he had a good corp of receivers; Cassel didn't look to shabby either. I am a huge Vrabel fan so it is kind of tough. Vrabel embodied what a Patriot was. The Patriot's even distributed talent approach seems to mesh with this two pair of second rounders, because first rounders are expen$ive. When our guys square off against a monster talent it kind of breaks the evenness of talent, but the strategy is if someone breaks, there are plenty of other weapons that can slide in; which is why Welker is so integral. Sometimes a thirty something pick is one of the top ina position in a class so hopefully this aligns with our needs.

A second Round pick for both of them? When did Belichick morph into Matt Millen?

Pats went 11-5.Pats had I think 2 players go to the pro-bowl 1 was a kicker.
I think with the pats its more about the system than the players.They got a second round pick for cassle and vrabel.They won't have to pay that player 1st round money.look at all the players that end up as impact players for the pats and when they were picked in the draft.Look at everybody the pats loose from coaches to players to draft picks year after year .They are a team that looks to the future while still being able to compete in the present. Does anybody really think that pioli was the brains? this is as its always been since bill got here Team First last and always

I'd feel better if there was another draft pick (5th or 6th round) coming back especially since they gave up Vrabel too. I thought Cassel alone was would be worth a 2nd. The market is the market is the market.

There is only one explanation for this horrible trade. CONSPIRACY! If the Patriots new Director of Player Personnel moves into a brand-new, expensive home, we will know what happened.

This deal is fine...frees up cap room big time. Cassell was good, but look who he had on offense. Vrabel will be missed a little, but only for one year. Looks for Peppers in the 3-4 at outside linebacker.

Question: How do you say Matt Cassell in Irish?

Answer: Kevin O'Connell

I really got to be a huge fan of Cassell and with all due respect to Brady, I felt that Cassell would eventually surpass Brady. If you took out the first 2 games and the last game against the Bills in the Wind tunnel where Cassell only threw 4 times, on a per game basis he would have been ranked higher than #10. Pretty darn good for a guy that hasn't played regularly since High school and he is still learning.However Kevin O'connell could be just as good. He's got a rifle for an arm and very fast afoot. The Pats must be very high on him because he's now the #2 ....I agree they should have gotten alot more for him

I agree "The wrong QB was traded." Good luck to them, both. I'll become a KC fan.

This reeks of the Manny Rameriz trade last July. Both the Pats and Sox gave up way more than warranted, but this is all the market dictated. Both teams were in a bind and had to unload. The trades just don't feel good, but we will move on. Good luck Mike and Matt.

I think you have to wait to see what the sum of the whole opposed to just this trade with the other free agent signings and draft picks.

Vrabel is no spring chicken and we got a 2nd round (34) pick that is very close to the position of our usual 1st round pick.

Trust in Bill...

Was Cassel worth a high second round pick? No.
Was Vrabel worth a high second round pick? No
Would the Patriots given up a first or even a round pick for both of them? No

Now that Pioli is gone, the morons are back running the Patriots. Next move? Fire Belichek and rehire Rust as coach.

i guess im fine with the 2nd round pick but why on earth did they have to throw in vrabel too. kc should of given us a player not the other way around. unless im missing something and we'll get an additional pick for vrabel but if not then this deal was horrible

it sounds like the deal when we bought america from the indian for a few puka beads. we got robbed

Chris Pronger must be in the trade !!! Yes,Vrabel is on the downslope.. him for the second rounder would be a good deal for the Pats , what's the point of franchising Cassel and give him away , to get what ... eternal grattitude from a miserable organisation, why not give him to an NFC team, a CFL team , or to the Zimbabwe Diamoncutters of the African football league or couple of cases of beer for the opening game ... two handfuls of team looking for such a QB, maybe something we dont know about Cassel known in the football world, only thing that can justify such a move , maybe ....

Don't let sentiment get in the way of good sense. Vrabel is getting old. His "intangibles" will be missed more than his playing ability. As for Cassel, the Pats just traded the 230th overall pick in '05 for the 34th overall pick in '09. Not bad in my book.

First Lonnie Paxton, then Vrabel and now Cassell! The white flight from foxborough has begun. Whose next Myra Kraft?

So "Bolts" we could have gotten what Tampa mid 20's 2nd rounder? And that would have been better then the 34th overall? I love Vrable, but he showed last year that he isn't the same player anymore. Well past his prime, and around a $4m cap hit....

This isn't just a second rounder...this is the 34th overall pick...If they had gotten Minny's 1st rounder for the same deal, everyone would be stroking BB right now, and that pick is a whopping 12 slots higher.... this is a player with 1st round talent, For the cost of essentially 2 spare parts.

Man simmer down! Everyone that thinks the party is over in NE get off the bandwagon! Isn't Cassel the same guy everyone wanted cut as teh backup last year? He did a decent job here with a great team, he will not in KC. I loved Vrabel but he had only one year left on his contract and is on the downside of career. I do not have a problem with the 34th pick, it is practically a first. I do think they could have got a conditional next year or a at least a 4th or 5th this year. We do clear a lot of cap room and got a 2nd pick when we could have got nothing if Cassel left via free agency.

It is ironic that the Chiefs were the ones responsible for Cassel getting a chance to start though!!

Thank you and Good luck Matt and Mike, well deserved. Let's hope Brady is truly ready. I would think Cassel/Vrabel are worth more than the 34th pick? But whenever I have doubted Belichick in the past, I've been wrong.

wait for it......BB has something cooking, you just know he does.....

Some people are dumb... It's much less who came away with the better end of the deal, or whether this was a cap clearing move by the Patriots (it was, you can't deny that).

Instead, the value given and the value returned are what is drawing the attention. Cassel and Vrable warrant far more than a single early second round draft pick. Even if it was getting a couple picks next year and/or a couple late round picks this year, it would have been balanced. I don't see why there was no demand for a 2nd and 4th or 5th rounder this year and maybe a 3rd rounder next year.

Kansas City EASILY made out with the better end of this deal, regardless of the remainder of the offseason.

Take two guys who would each get you a 4th round pick, and trade them both for a 2nd round pick. Hmmm...

They'd better make some king of special move with those 2nd round picks.

Kraft needed money, because nobody is going to Patriot Place to shop is the only reason for this trade. Brady better not be shell shocked or pussy whipped.

They should have received a #1 round pick AND a #2 round pick for Cassel and Vrabel. Then they could have traded the #1 round pick for other players or picks if they didn't want to take a big risk and spend huge money on the #1 round draft pick. As it stands now, they got NOTHING for these two prized players. This reminds me very much of the Red Sox "trades" for Nomar and Manny, where they unloaded Hall of Fame quality MVP players (and continued to pay their meteroric salaries) while getting absolutely nothing in return. I never thought I would see the day when the Patriots when got suckered like this!

I think a second round is not enough for Vrabel. I know everyone is high on Cassel but he sucks he is the product of a system the guy cannot throw over 20 yards. look at his stats, he got a gift when Brady went down. You need to look at his stats. KC is going to suck Scott cannot turn that mess around in one year. it frees up enough to go after a vet corner or safety and a vet Linebacker.

Boy, its a good thing that we got at least a 2nd round pick....Go Pat Patriot...this sounds like we are back in the 70`s when we sucked...Hey BB maybe you can trade Seymour and Wilfork for two thirds....Oh better yet trade Brady for a conditional pick next year...How does it feel to get you pockets picked by your own pupil....

.........and the Red Sox are officially not the lead story at the beginning of Spring Training. HAHAHAHAHAHA...Six, Two and Even

Terrible deal. Even though they got cap space and an early second round, it seems to be very one sided. Time will tell but at the moment I really do not like it.

This is a decent deal in my opinion but I really don't see why we had to throw in Vrabel. Cassel for the Chiefs 2nd round pick straight up would seem to be much more equitable.

Reiss: Who cares if you think Vrabel wouldn't have been back in 2010? We need him in '09. Unless the Pats use the extra cash to sign Julius Peppers then I really don't see who they are going to plug in to take Vrabel's spot. Who fills that role? Shawn Crable? Banta-Cain? Guyton? Give me a break. Barring some major signing we aren't getting anything for Vrabel aside from some marginal salary cap space.

Whaaaaat? Cassel AND Vrabel for only one second-round pick?

They had to *add* Vrabel to get KC to "accept" Cassel? Is this that Evil Kirk parallel universe from "Star Trek"? It just doesn't make any sense. I can't believe it.

There has to be something else going on here that we haven't been told.

To revm: You will become a KC fan...excellent..move there too, will ya. Ernst was right. Too many elementary kids in Boston eating glue in the 80s and 90s have now grown up to be WEEI minions.

My God, what ever happened to the good old days when we Boston fans were collectively thought of as enlightened?

This deal blows! I know it freed up valuable cap space, but both for a 2nd round pick, that is rediculous. Seems like Belichek is helping out an old friend, in exchange for freeing up money. I hope that the NFL looks into this deal.

I am not in favor of this trade if all we get is the Chiefs 2nd round pick. Giving up Vrabel and Cassell for just one pick smells like we just gave the two players away and did not do much in trying to get equal value for them. But like I said if we are getting more than just the one pick then maybe it was a good deal for us. I know this clears alot of salary cap but I think if they shopped Cassell around they might have gotten a better deal.

These naysayers are the same people standing in line at 7-11 waiting to buy Red Sox lotto tiks.

Blofeld is right...we have dumbdowned our Boston Sports Nation!

I feel your pain, fellow pats fans, but remember - this is why Bill B. never feels the need to justify things to the press. He is obviously setting some wheels in motion, and needed to clear cap space to do something big (perhaps peppers), or a bunch of medium things.

We are lucky to have astute management, and lets see how the chips fall.

Good luck, Matt, and thank you for the great memories Mike V. You did an amazing job.

Tom who? Come on guys, what a huge mistake this is! Tom was great, but he is a big unknown now, and Matt, well, he has proven himself superior in his first season over Brady's first year. HUGE, can't say it loud enough, HUGE mistake!

me ...you are crazy. What kind of logic is that. Moss wasn't doing anything for Oakland when he was traded for a 4th. Cassel was performing at the level of a franchise quarterback before he is traded together with Vrabel today for only a 2nd. Green Bay got more from trading Brad Favre to NY last year. Your argument is fraud!

Awful. The Chiefs couldn't have gotten as good a QB - for right now - with the 34th pick. Plus they get Mikie V? OUCH!

The Chiefs got the better end of the deal if we're only getting a 2nd round pick for both Vrabel and Cassell. Seems like those two players would command more compensation...

It never ceases to amaze me how everybody LOVES BB, When he's winning SB's, but when he has to wheel and deal to rebuild and you don't agree with his deal's, he's a MORON. Can't wait to read this board 1/2 way through the season when we'er leading the div.

Don't about anyone else but I've a pats fan when it wasn't fashionable, 1963..
I BILL I TRUST....100%

The Belichick Hall of Platitudes: A "Goodbye, I Love You Guys" Tour

Why all the doom and gloom? So it wasn't a steal such as Moss for a fourth, or Williams for three picks- about the only intelligent thing the Lions have done in recent decades. But it was a fair trade for both parties. Brady will be back and has at least four top notch years left. And like Chuck said, Brady did not "lose" that SB so much as the defense could not stop Eli Manning, - and I hate it when Mannings win SB's.
The defense must be rebuilt and it's going to take money and draft picks. And this move produces more of each. It would have been nice to get a late first rounder but this pick is just outside the first round. And a low first was going to cost them money that could spent on free agents or extended contracts for wilfork, manning, et al. Their late first and three seconds can go a long way to rebuilding the defense. Let's see what BB does. I expect we will be quite pleased.

That's simply not enough return for two proven NFL players. I'm not sure if this was a charity move from Belichick to Pioli, but you gotta get more than just one second round pick (and a lot of cap space, obviously). This move is 99% financial to me.

Look at all the cash they save....some will go to Wilfork or Seymour, or a free agent. Three 2nd rounders puts NE in position to deal, or move up in rd 1 for a player they want. BB strikes again. Genius!

Anybody that doesn't think that the #34 pick for Cassel and Vrabel isn't a good deaL should step away from the situation and their affinities for NE favorites such as Vrabel and a previously worthless Matt Cassel. The 34th pick in the draft and 19million in cap money to play with is an outstanding deal for the Patriots. Can somebody please tell me what the Chiefs offense (on both a talent and scheme level) have in common with NE's offense? Let me answer this myself...... ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Though I became a fan of Cassel's this year I think we may be getting a glimpse of just how good of a deal this is for the Patriots some time around mid-October.
When all of the components of these deals come to pass and even casual fans realize that the Patriots are stocking up for the future while continuing
to be a dominant NFL franchise they will better understand. Once BB gets rid of Seymour and can bring in a dominant pass rusher things will certainly be interesting.
I can't wait to see how this roster looks at the beginning of September.

Sounds like Scott Pioli got a very good parting gift from the pats. The pats are making room for a $$ player for sure. It's just who that player(s) is going to be.

This is why the idea of "Boston sports fans bing knowledgable" is a myth.
You ahve to understand this is a salary dump, pure and simple. THe cost to KC is tremendous due to the franchise tag put on Cassel, so the return value is extremely low. If they had negotiated a long term deal for Cassel in the 8-10 mil/year randge, they would hae received a lot more back for him, because he woudl be worth more. Vrable, same deal, high slary. The positive for you Patsies is you can now afford some better players to fill some needs, and the #34 pick is a great spot in the draft.

I hope there was some lubrication used- cause the Pats got reemed!
Good luck Matt & Vrab!!

Get excited everybody, my inside (very reliable) source from Boston Globe just told me Julius Peppers is in the air on his way to Gillette stadium for a physical. Pats traded their 2 number ones for a little Peppers on the outside, that gives our defense , Peppers & Thomas on the outside, Mayo & the KC draft pick (Clay Mathews??) on the inside. Peppers is a DONE DEAL!!!!!!!!!!

Not a bad deal, but not great either. Vrabel most likely wasn't going to be signed again after this year, he did seem to disappear last year. BBB doesn't want the 3rd overall.....too much guaranteed money for unproven players there. Cassel was a tough trade to make, any new deal he gets HAS to include at least the same 14 mil he'll get playing under the franchise cobtract, so you corner other teams right from the get go. An aside.....Julius Peppers will not be coming here......this money should be used to extend some of the key players whose contracts are up next year.....Wilfork, Mankins, Gostkowski........

Pats only getting one second round pick?????????? Whats up with BB???? Pioli out foxed BB!!!!!

Pats only getting one second round pick?????????? Whats up with BB???? Pioli out foxed BB!!!!!

But we kept Gisele? We're doomed. Anybody want season tickets on the cheap?

Remember - Cassel didnt agreed to an extension - so KC could be giving up the 34th pick for a one year rental on Cassel (plus a 34+ LB in Vrabel) . If Cassel agrees to an extension prior to the trade, Pats get more....and they didnt want the 3rd overall pick, too much money guaranteed to a unproven player. So, no to the 3rd overall pick, no to paying a backup 14Million.......34th pick aint too bad....to put it in perspective - we gave up a 3rd rd'er for Moss

Guys......come in off the ledge. 1.Cassel...the market for him was like two or three teams when one considers which teams need a QB and can afford the new cotract and the draft picks. Pioli actually appriciates him more than most. Good for us. 2.Getting rid of Vrabel hurt your tummy but for God sakes he had 4.5 sacks...thats 4.5 more than me and I didnt play. Branch, Givens, Ty Law, Lawyer Milloy...get the point. Dont fall in love..... 3. Use the cash to resign Wilfork ( he's a beast), Mankins and maybe find a corner. 4. Then reload on defense with the 23, 34, 47 and 58th picks. Trade the 23 and 47 and move up......

but please tell me which team was giving you a high number one for a one year Qb ...you had to trade. Please get a clue..

Tom who? Come on guys, what a huge mistake this is! Tom was great, but he is a big unknown now, and Matt, well, he has proven himself superior in his first season over Brady's first year. HUGE, can't say it loud enough, HUGE mistake!

Great trade. It had to be done. You can't keep both QB's. Now we have cap room to sure up the defense.

PEPPERS IS COMING NORTH AS WE SPEAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On ESPN, a report that KC is going to trade Vrabel back to the Pats for the 2nd round pick.

Anybody that doesn't think that the #34 pick for Cassel and Vrabel isn't a good deaL should step away from the situation and their affinities for NE favorites such as Vrabel and a previously worthless Matt Cassel. The 34th pick in the draft and 19million in cap money to play with is an outstanding deal for the Patriots. Can somebody please tell me what the Chiefs offense (on both a talent and scheme level) have in common with NE's offense? Let me answer this myself...... ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Though I became a fan of Cassel's this year I think we may be getting a glimpse of just how good of a deal this is for the Patriots some time around mid-October.
When all of the components of these deals come to pass and even casual fans realize that the Patriots are stocking up for the future while continuing
to be a dominant NFL franchise they will better understand. Once BB gets rid of Seymour and can bring in a dominant pass rusher things will certainly be interesting.
I can't wait to see how this roster looks at the beginning of September.

Vrabel is on the downside so I don't know why everyone is so concerned about him. If you don't believe me just look at his numbers. Cassel has had one good season with arguably the best 1-2 punch at wide receiver in the league. I would be extremely surprised to see him post numbers even remotely similar to last season. I can't wait to see what they do in the draft with all their picks.

Starting LB and starting QB from last year for a second round pick? Fair deals?

Wake up, sheep. This is the Kraft family clearly looking to save bucks now that Patriot Place is an absolute financial disaster. They just shed $19.5 million dollars in payroll. I can't wait for the Pats to do their version of the Baldelli and Smoltz type deals. The local franchises have no reason to not go on the cheap because tickets are selling no matter what.

Former 49ers and Lions head coach Steve Mariucci, who had a strong reputation for his work with quarterbacks, now serves as an analyst for NFL Network. He was asked today for his thoughts on what Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel might be worth in a trade. "Would you take a Mark Sanchez or a [Matthew] Stafford out of college in the first round, or would you take a Matt Cassel, who has won big games, is 11-5 already, and has experience under his belt for a first-rounder? You'd take Matt Cassel, I would think," Mariucci said. "He's a healthy young guy who has experience. So yeah, he's a first-round [pick] easy. More than a first round. First and something else." Mariucci elaborated on Cassel. "I would put a high value on him, but keep in mind that he's a young quarterback playing on a very good team," he said.

Comment #5 says it all. So far, the trade sucks. It may turn out OK though, I guess. We'll know in December! Sure will miss Mike!!!

Pats now have 1 1st round pick, 3 2nd round picks, 1 third round pick, most likely a 3rd round pick for lost players/compensation from last year, have cap space to sign some players (vince) long term and can sign some other free agents. Great Moves.....In Bill B We Trust.

Good D starts with stopping the run. Pats have consistently been the best at that. Keeping a back from the edge is a huge part of that. No more.

Good D starts with stopping the run. Pats have consistently been the best at that. Keeping a back from the edge is a huge part of that. No more.

What a pathetic deal. Both Vrabel and Cassel are worth at least a 2nd round pick, and they only get ONE???! That's terrible. Not to mention they have no guarantee Brady will be health, and they hardly have extra GOOD LB's hanging around waiting for something to do.

Great! Now we have the following picks in the draft in 1st 2 rounds !!
1st #23
2nd #35
2nd #48
2nd #55
I hope and think we will draft one of each of the following: CB, OLB, TE, RB.....All the other picks and any free agencies pickups will be a bonus! Typical Pats smart business....building through the draft, and overall depth and value ...we are still the best NFL business.

Great Trade!!!!! Frees up cap space to go buy a few vets and a 2nd round pick is not as much money with the same talent as the 1st round.

I'd like to see Reiss print a fake news story sometime. Print that "Mayo was traded for two 3rd round picks". Then watch all these idiot fans say what a great deal it was simply because Belichick was involved and everything he does is great.

If you asked the people who are saying this was a great trade last week if they'd trade Vrabel and Cassell for a 2nd round pick, they'd think you were out of your mind.

The Patriots got screwed in this deal no matter how you want to spin it. Perhaps people will start to recognize that Pioli had more to do with building the team than bb.

If the pats plug in Clay "Salty" Mathews, and get J Peppers, they could have a linebacker corp of Salt, Pepper, and Mayo!

Now we just neat a spoon. We already got a Wilfork.

Lets use the money and sign Ray Lewis....???

Patriot Place and the team have nothing financially to do with each other. This is a cap situation. You've got to give it time to work itself out - see what they do with the money. I guarantee you it will get spent! I do wonder how much some of you follow football -- to think the patriots won't spend all the money they can is ludicrous.

I cant believe. Dumb Pats.

I can't believe that they could not get Detroit's 20th pick in Round 1 for Cassel. I would not want KC's 3rd pick because of the $ commitment and a lack of topflight D-Line prospects this year, but one would think that they could have stockpiled at least one future pick in either round 2 or 3 for giving up a quality guy like Vrabel and not getting a mid to late first round pick for Cassel. Oh well, they turned a 7 round guy into a second rounder and are following the Steelers model at LB. Watch - Someone will join the squad who has more speed and impact upon collision.

If the Pats are only receiving the 39th pick in this years draft overall than I am somewhat disappointed. I would have expected more (like possibly 2 2nd rounders. But I guess I trust Belicheck and this must have been the best offer out there.

Mike, let's cut through the BS. The only way this happens is because Pioli knows what BB thinks of these players; Vrabel is done and Cassel is just another QB. The lack of a market is stupid as there is always a market; it just depends on the deal. There never was an issue concerning salary cap as Cassel was going to be traded no matter what.

First, congrats to cassel you are a class act. Secondly Mike Vrabel thankyou. Thankyou for your leadership and toughness. You were a guy my family and I could identify with. I hope the Pat's have not made an error. I have a 14 year old son and last year he asked me if he could get a Patriots shirt. Times are tough and I said yes for christmas. He wanted your shirt. I shelled out the cash and he wears it 3 days a week. i'm proud of him and I deeply respect the way in which you handled yourself. You are a role model and exception,

the patriots got ripped off...it sucks to be a patriot fan today

Very good deal considering Cassel and Brady can not be on the same team $$ and Vrabel is slowing fast. Cap room and picks!! The defense needs to get younger. All this makes sense to me. Doesn't anyone remember what happen when the Celts held the first big three past their primes?

they would have got more if they didn't franchise cassel

My initial reaction was one of disappointment because the Pats received less than I anticipated for two quality people/football players. But, the Pats have significant leverage now with six picks in the first three rounds...and plenty of cap space. They'll be well positioned for years to come if they choose successfully in the Draft. I expect them to trade for Peppers and another free agent (CB)...not much quality left to select from, however.
They'll definitely trade a couple picks to move up in Round 1 and pick a LB or Safety.
Pioli will win Executive of The Year if Cassel plays like he did for us last season, and if Vrabel is healthy.
My man, Tom Brady, has shortened his honeymoon upon learning the news...he's extra motivated about next season. He'll be Tom Terrific once again!!!

It is now rumored that Bob Veale and Dennnis Lamb will be opening a B-B-Q pit at Gillette featuring.

Darkness falls
on the hills of Foxboro.
New days will
always come back
with promise.
Brady, Moss
did we forget so soon
their skills?
Safe. They will
be safe.

at first i wasn't worried cos i thought this was just a precursor to a bigger deal, just like when the vrabel trade was first announced. but now that the patriots pr spin is in motion, im starting to think that this gawdawful trade is in its entirety!!! what - r u kidding me??? vrabel AND cassel for a 2nd round pick? i must be in a delusional hallucination right now! i mean, i can understand cassell for a 2nd round pick (and that's awfully weak), but cassell AND vrabel??? huh??? am i missing something???

why in the world would we give up a foundation of our LB core when we're already desperately thin there? he's not that $$$, so it can't be for cap reasons. and yes he's old , but he's still a vital part of our D, still has many a big play in him im sure. I don't know - this just doesn't make sense at all!

Whats worse, it seems pioli got an amazingly sweet deal on this - like borderline criminal. was our negotiator that bad?? who can we blame here - BB or Pioli's replacement? i still have hope that there's one more piece to the puzzle missing (maybe, HOPEFULLY Peppers), but if this is it in its entirety then the Patriots just got robbed by one of their former greats. stunning.

hOW ABOUT YOU SHUT YOUR PIE HOLES.

There are about 392 (last count) comments up here, haven't read all obviously, but probably 90+% think we were hosed. Come on folks ....you sound like sheep. Please please read comment #387 .... one guy who at least made some sense out of the deal. Bottom line we gave up quality but freed up a ton of cap space AND got the 34th pick in the draft. This is a good deal.

Frank: Please turn on your car engine, close the garage door, and ....

Your a moron. But, to give you some credit, your the 345th moron to post here today.

What was all the talk about a 1st round pick for Cassel... Now they get two guys and we get a second round pick... I don't get it.

Very good deal considering Cassel and Brady can not be on the same team $$ and Vrabel is slowing fast. Cap room and picks!! The defense needs to get younger. All this makes sense to me. Doesn't anyone remember what happen when the Celts held the first big three past their primes?

bruce and #456:

Please note that Steve Mariucci is indeed an analyst for the NFL and no longer a head coach and/or GM in the NFL. There are reasons for this.

Isn't Julius Peppers a DE?

I don't hate the deal but I definitely think that KC got the better end of this, though I'm still reserving judgement on Cassel.

I guess it all depends on what we do with that capspace. Don't we need to extend Wilfork? That will take some cash after the Haynesworth signing.

Just a 2nd round pick for my long lost brothers Vrab and Cass ?

What the f..................... only a second round pick? wish both of them the best, 2 class acts.

Poetic Sam
You are a scam
But if you cant see
Then whoa is thee!

"they would have got more if they didn't franchise cassel"

They would have gotten nothing if they didn't franchise cassel.

OK LISTEN UP PLEASE PEOPLE!

Reading these boards sometimes makes me wonder if some people know anything about football.....

Cassell was a FREE AGENT. That means that he can sign with any team and the patriots essentially get nothing in return(based on his draft position). Instead, the Pats got a high 2nd rd pick for Vrabel. Cassell was never going to be a Patriot again after last season. There are 15 teams in the NFL who need a QB.

Earlier today I was reading some guy saying we should get a 2nd and a 4th for Vrabel. LOL Wake up bro! LOL Vrabel is 34 and NOT the 2007 Vrabel. Then someone above saying we should get a 2nd this year, a 1st next year, and a 4th or a 5th for Cassell?? HELLO???????

Great play by the Pats once again turning a Free Agent backup QB and an aging pass rusher into a high 2nd rounder in a draft DEEP with OLB help. We are going to have 12 draft picks, 8 in the first 4 rounds. We get to choose 4 of the first 60 players! How can anyone say we did not get enough?

Tom V, how would they have gotten more if they did not franchise Cassel? Cassel would have been a free agent the Pats would have gotten nothing. By franchising him they get something it may not what everyone wanted but they got something and now can start spending. If they waited too long there would have been no one left to get.

This wasn't the best trade by far, they should have gotten a third or fourth rounder at least in addition to the second round pick. Check out the KC Star, they're loving this trade!

????

Cassel can immediately thank Pollard for making his big pay day & eventual starting QB job all possible. Best of luck to Matt

I hope that the Pats are getting another pick in this deal, as it is described right now with just a 2nd round pick, it seems as if they are practically giving one of the players away, whom each are worth a 2nd round pick on their own, or at least 2 high 3rds. Right now it looks like Belicheck & the Pats are doing their best to make sure that Pioli is Successful in Kansas, & just gave him 2 good pieces to get started, one on either side of the ball, & both have shown superb leadership qualities.
I think that BB can afford to get Peppers, at any cost now.

I am very happy for Matt Cassel, he deserves his own team after last year. But only a second round pick for him and Vrabel??? In a year where there are A LOT of teams looking for a good QB to complete their teams and a draft that is not looking very good at all for QBs, I was really expecting a first round pick.

The only thing that KC needed was to get rid of Herm Edwards and get a proven QB. Look out for them...

The Patriots franchised Cassel a few weeks ago because;

(A)Right after he threw for back to back 400 yard games this season, they knew what they could get for Cassel and knew he was worth more than the late 3rd round Compensatory pick they would have received if he walked via Free Agency.

(B)Once Pioli got the Chiefs job; they agreed on a deal and knew they'd never have to actually pay Cassel the $14.6M he was to count against the Cap, so there was no risk in Franchising him. (more to follow)

(C)They feel confident Brady is on schedule and must feel good about the development of last year's 3rd round QB, Kevin O'Connell.

(D)They couldn't conceivably keep 30M (25%) of cap space at one position, when it was guaranteed only half of that would actually be on the field

So,

(E)They turned the former 7th Round bench warmer into the 34th pick of the draft and they cleared $18M of cap space in the process. (Vrabel saved $3M+)

(F)They now own the following picks in the upcoming draft;

23rd
34th
48th
58th

(G)...in the last year of the expiring CBA.

(H)The ability to lock in 4 high picks with contracts under the current CBA allows them to plan much better for the possibility of an uncapped year in 2010 and beyond.

(I)They also are expected to receive a 3rd round compensatory pick for losing Asante Samuel in FA last year, which would give them 6 of the first 99 selections overall.

Patriot fans have to be thrilled with what transpired today.

This reminds me of Bush emptying the treasury as he leaves office. Pats trade away last years best offensive player and the best defensive play maker for a second rounder that may or may not eventually pan out. Looks like BB will be moving on to KC come next contract and he just gave himself his franchise QB.
We should have kept Cassel who is mobile and improving, Brady has reached his zenith and is on the downslide. Wait until the rush starts chasing him around the pocket. Lets hope he last more than 8 minutes this year.
Kraft is a business man, the economy is down, so he is dumping payroll. Don't be surprised if this cap space that everyone is so happy about goes into Kraft's bank account. It was a nice run while it lasted.

The pats got snubbed. big time. the going rate for Cassel ALONE was 2 first round draft picks. This was not a good deal. It has some pros, but they by no means outweigh the cons of this deal.

So they think they have a solid Backup Quarterback ???? I don't know !

i dont like trading vrabel, unless they get like 3 first rounders in return, because he meant SO much to this defense..although it clears some cap space, it was worth the cap space to keep vrabel, he was worth keeping. however, this sort of reminds me of trading lawyer milloy back in '03 and getting rodney harrison, who had been one of the most important players thrughout this dynasty. everyone was complaining about that trade, but it worked out pretty good, plus milloy was past his prime. we cant evaluate this move until after the draft and free agency.. are all you guys really gonna HATE this move if the pats get leigh bodden, julies peppers, another "mayo" through the draft and a healthy brady for '09?

To Tom V. who says a few posts above that "The Patriots would have got more if they didn't franchise Cassell"

Ummmm he was a Free Agent??? You can't trade a free agent, you only get compensatory picks, in Cassell's case, a 6th-7th rounder? please understand the rules before you comment. thank you!

Craig Natale: Well articulated but lost upon the dreads dominating this thread...I think JJ Chittick school in Mattapan assigned all of its 1st-4th graders a weekend assignment to comment on this story.

Craig Natale: Well articulated but lost upon the dreads dominating this thread...I think JJ Chittick school in Mattapan assigned all of its 1st-4th graders a weekend assignment to comment on this story.

As a homer, I would of thought a better deal could have been made but the real world dictates value. How do you value cap space? The pick is almost like a 1st rounder. For an aging linebacker and a QB virtually everyone , including me , was calling for him to be cut last fall, this trade seems okay but wish it was better.

From a KC perspective... how happy would you be to be able to snag Cassel and Vrabel with the 34 pick. I love how Pat fans think you can get the 3rd overall, a 2nd rounder and Tony Gonzalez, for Cassel and Vrabel. Cassel needs to prove he can do it again next year. Still a GREAT trade for the Chiefs. Thanks NE!! KC will get better and we appreciate the great trade! We didnt give up much!

Good trade.

Vrable was 34, expensive and unproductive last year.
Cassel was never going to get the Pats a first rounder. That was just fodder for the fans in lala land.

Getting a high second round pick is the best they could have hoped for.

It'a a bad deal, in my opinion. The Patriots did Scott Pioli a favor, which is fine, I suppose. Pioli nevertheless wins the day. The Chiefs made the kind of deal the Patriots are (or, I guess, WERE) known for making.

I hope Patriots management pulls their collective heads out of their a**es and stops doing deals for friends. Because this is the only explanation for such a lopsided deal.

WORST TRADE IN PATRIOTS HISTORY. WHAT IS GOING ON BILL? FIRE FLOYD REESE

i dont like trading vrabel, unless they get like 3 first rounders in return, because he meant SO much to this defense..although it clears some cap space, it was worth the cap space to keep vrabel, he was worth keeping. however, this sort of reminds me of trading lawyer milloy back in '03 and getting rodney harrison, who had been one of the most important players thrughout this dynasty. everyone was complaining about that trade, but it worked out pretty good, plus milloy was past his prime. we cant evaluate this move until after the draft and free agency.. are all you guys really gonna HATE this move if the pats get leigh bodden, julies peppers, another "mayo" through the draft and a healthy brady for '09?

Cassel is a true class act that should go far in the NFL.

anyone who thinks that this was a bad trade is a dope. patriot recievers led the league in yards after catch, cassels stats were inflated. lets see him do it for the cheifs. vrabel was declining fast and 34 years old. so you trade an aging 34 year old linebacker and a 7th round qb for the 34th pick in the draft. not bad at all. the patriots have 3 second round picks now.

im a loyal life long chiefs fan, and im really encouraged to see friendship over greed or money for a change, what a classy move by robert kraft an BB to help out clark hunt and scott pioli, for such a strong fan base we have its good to see clark hunt doing this for the fans and bringing a year in and year out championship caliber franchice back and again i have the highest respect for the patriots organization and robert kraft , good luck to the patriots and see u in the playoffs!

what a stupd trade for the pats

Not for nothing, but look at what happens when players leave the Pats via trade or free agency, they are not as productive. Then take a look at the players we have or get...they produce!!! I think the BB knows this and Vrabel and Cassell both have a "get out of jail free" card. The team is rebuilding and the Pats are established, with or without Cassell and Vrabel.

Are you kidding me!!! A QB who stepped in out of nowhere and went 11-5, and a SOLID veteran linebacker and all we get is a lousy second round pick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good thing they don't drug test coaches Bill!!!!

What do Maurice Jones Drew, Bob Sanders,Drew Brees Clinton Portis,Lofa Tatupu,Anquan Boldin have in common? All are second round draft picks. Lets see what BB does with it before we hang him. Rember ,"it is what it is".

It seems to me that 85 % of these comments are negative of the trade. 10 % are positive. But there are 5 % are not sure but think it could be a good thing. Those people are say "well it clears up cap space for Julius Peppers". But what if the patriots don't get Julius Peppers or Ray Lewis or any big defensive free agent. Then what. is the trade still worth it.

I think this was the stupidest thing ever in NFL history. For this we only got 34th round pick two all star players for this what has happened to us. New England will now go down the toilet we won't even know what hit us.

A second round pick? Is Bill taken his advice from Wall Street?

These guys were = to a 1st round, for sure.

Trading for the 34th pick for a bonafide NFL #1 QB that is in the prime of his career in my opionion is a bad deal and a 100% financial decision by the Patriots. I hope he makes Billichick regret pulling the trigger. If Brady goes down, which there is a better than 50% chance where do we turn to? It just makes no sense unless the Pats got the #3 pick.

Post #368. you've got issues, seek help.

If they traded Mike for the 34 pick Ok ! Maybe! But Casell with him? I thought that they'd trade Casell eventually but honestly thought that as a proven quarterback they'd get at least a high number one for him alone. We lost Scott. We know what he can do. We should be very leary of trades with him.

I'm not all that upset about Cassel but , Vrabel huge mistake!!!

It is what is it, level-headed, sober thinking, typical of the Belichick era, save for the single exception of the Randy, Adalius, Wes, etc., year. But the defense badly needs reinforcement, not to mention the necessity of tying up the likes of Wilfork, etc. And who will replace the on-field, veteran, level-headed, sober thinking of Vrabel?

This is all about Kraft's dwindling bank account and the crashing economy. Julius Peppers? Ray Lewis? Dream on. Don't be shocked if they sign some Arena league castoffs.

Mike Riess

Please get a clue about What the market is. The vikes traded for Sage Rosenfields. He doesn't have the body of work that matt cassel put togeather last season. Matt shaub didn't have the body of work that cassel had. For the pats to only get a 2nd round pick for him is far from good. Its not even close to market value. now they add in Vrable and still only get a 2nd round pick. Detroit would have gave up more, bucs would have put a better offer togeather. The pats bowed down to there real boss (Pioli). The pats fans should be worried about these trade and how riess agrees with it. THE PATS SAY JUMP RIESS AND HE JUMPS. CHICKEN!!!

Clearly Belicheat and the Kraft family let emotions stand in the way of a solid business decision here. 2nd rounder for a franchise QB and a defensive leader??? A #2 is way under valued...i think this is HUSH money to Pioli so he doesn't pull a Mangini and give away cheat secrets on the boys...

THE PATRIOT ORGANIZATION BUILDS WINNERS. IF THEY DO SOMETHING ITS FOR A STRATEGIC REASON THAT IS WELL THOUGHT OUT WITH MOST INTANGABLES TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AND THAT IS WHY THEY SUCCEED.. I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE IN THIS OWNER AND COACH THAT WHATEVER THEY DO WILL AMOUNT TO ANOTHER LOMBARDI TROPHY.DONT FORGET THEY MAY BE THE ONLY 2 PEOPLE ON THE PLANET THAT WANT TO SEE THE PATRIOTS SUCCEED MORE THEN US PATRIOT FANS DO.

Do you guys know what my house in Atlanta is worth?
Do any of you guys know what your house is worth?
How about your car, do you know what is is worth?

I know......
They are all worth whatever we can get for them and not a penny more.

The Chiefs just got an aging LB with solid leadership skills and a QB that just drove a pretty good 16 game race with one of the best cars in the field and to top it off the Chiefs have to come off of a second round pick , almost $15million for
Cassel this year and 4.22 this year against the cap for Vrabel. Any Chiefs fan that is celebrating today may want to reel it in.

I, as a fan, am upset with only getting (1) 2nd rounder...I clearly would have been fine if it was high 2nd round pick for Cassel, but when you throw in Vrabel for nothing more, than I find that to be upsetting and question the move(s)....I'm glad we have (3) 2nd rounders for this draft, but we could ohave obtained more from Pioli for thos 2 class acts we just handed him....

Craig Natale well said.
GO PATS!

This is some funny stuff. All you clowns are still clamoring and talking about 2 great players we lost. Are you high? Vrabel was average at best last year, next thing you know if we cut Brusci your all going to be crying. They aren't that good anymore. Period. In some bizarre world you live in you think there is a player in the draft that they would pay top 10 money for? Your all crazy. Moss is better at receiver then Cassel and Vrabel were or will ever be at their postions and all they could get was a 4th rounder. I don't think any of you have a clue how the NFL works. If we had better offers they would have taken them. Use some common sense. You don't howpe you get a better offer and end up eating 14 million.

One thing I have to say is to the people who are saying "this is fine trade one 1st round rick, three 2nd round picks thats great." Sure thats great but we did not get 3 2nd round picks. We got only one!

I wish the Patriots well in their rebuilding quest towards the 2012 Super Bowl.
The Patriots must be eyeing the recently cut Bears Quaterback as # 1 with a hobbled and still questionable Tom Brady.
One the about Belechik, he is a shrewd one !!

A give away to Scott P. and the KC Chiefs. It frees up cap $ but not enough to get J. Peppers.

Vrabel is getting a little older and probably wanted a change anyway. Looks like they may re-structure the Lineback corps anyway. Cassell deserves to start somewhere, and if it the Chiefs, so be it. It's going to take a couple of years for the Chiefs to build anyway. Lets see what we get with the free agent trades and the draft. Hopefully something good. Bill hasn't let us down yet.

the Pats are taking a big chance.. they don't know what Brady will be able to do, how long he will need to get back on track or how effective he will be.

Hey Mike Riess, Can once in your long brillant life please write something objective about the Pats. I love reading what you write but its time you get the low down about what went wrong with this trade. Find out why they made this backdoor trade? The fans deserve good reasons for this trade. We need to know if this was the BEST trade they could get? or if this had to do with Pioli treating BILL like his bitch. GET US ANSWERS MIKE.

Have to think that Kraft is looking g to unload $ and is a victim of the Madoff scene doesn't make sense

.....this just in from news reports.....Chiefs pick up Randy Moss for 7th rd. pick.....details coming!

I think the Pats got excellent value out of this trade! The Pats would have paid Cassel and Vrabel a combined $18M. What they gain in this trade is $19M in salary cap space and a 2nd round draft pick allowing them to lock up a young talented player for very little money for 4-5 years, then they go spend the rest on a free agent pickup. All the Chiefs get is a $18M hit to the payroll for players that are new to their system and only under contract to play for them for one year! When you consider that Cassel's value was at no cost to the Patriots, it's like they're printing their own money and draft picks! I am a fan of Vrable, but I want the veterans on our team to be in their prime, not at the twilight of their careers.

Way to go Patriots, we are going to be STOCKED with youth and talent come September.

David: Do your homework and go to bed. The schoolbus arrives at 7:15.

No question that the Chiefs got more value than the Patriots on this deal. Too bad neither Jerry Jones or Dan Snyder were not looking for a QB. So, could the Pats have done better? Maybe. But is was important to close the deal quickly as there is serious value in having cap room to go after impact free agents at the beginning of the season and not being hamstrung by the hit on the cap franchising Cassel had. 18M is a sizable chunk of change to have at your disposal now rather than later when the impact people you can sign at a reasonable amount are gone. Let's be cool. The fat lady hasn't sung yet, so let's see how it plays out.

Clue me in here ... is Detriot sleeping at the light switch, and not trading for Casel with their 2oth overall pick ... Mel Kiper Jr. hates this trade where was Detroit in the mix and did BB explore this option... Mel Kiper Jr. I agree with you this trade sucks for the PATS ...

Its a good move by the Patriots. It frees up over 14 million. Now let see who they draft with the pick. This also lets you sign Wolfork and other veterans.

So my take on this:

-The Pats traded Cassel for a very high 2nd round pick (probably more than he's worth)
-The Pats were going to cut Vrabel for cap/performance issues anyway, and by giving him to KC, he's got a better chance at getting paid and it's much less insulting.

I would also assume the Chiefs are going to renegotiate Cassel's contract - both sides would rather have a longer-term deal at reasonable money than the one-year franchise contract. I would almost guarantee they’re not paying him $15M for one year.

anyone who is against this deal is insane. this is a guy (cassell) whom most of us wanted to see thrown to the wolves not even 8 months ago. A seventh round pick turned into a high 2nd round pick? Pretty brilliant. Let's see how Cassell does on a team with half the offensive firepower as ours. Vrabel is a tough loss, but it shores up a bit more cap space and he gets a chance to be a solid leader for a rebuilding defense under a boss he knows and respects (Pioli). Brilliant move by BB, I hope he can parlay some of that cap space into a younger version of Ray Lewis (and maybe Ray Lewis, as well, if the price was right)

Would it make you people feel better if they traded just Cassel for KC's 2nd rounder and then turned around a month later and cut Vrabel? We'd end up with the same result. Pioli probably knew he was gonna get cut.

Why is anyone questioning BB!!! Vrabel was great but his best is way behind him and MC is not a Jet! By September the Pats will be younger and cheaper!!!! Got PATS,

What everyone is missing here is that the Pats needed to do this deal NOW. They not only needed to make the best deal possible but they needed to clear the cap space EARLY in free agency to fill some holes. They were not affofded the luxury of sitting back and waiting for the best option.

The Chiefs obviously were ready to deal now and a high 2nd round pick is a very valueable commodity. The Pats basically parlayed a 7th round draft pick into a 2nd round pick and they cleared $15 million in cap space to reinvent their defense, which was NOT a championship caliber defense. This was as good as the Patriots were going to do under the circumstances. They will be a major power broker in the upcoming draft. They key is making those picks count.

What everyone is missing here is that the Pats needed to do this deal NOW. They not only needed to make the best deal possible but they needed to clear the cap space EARLY in free agency to fill some holes. They were not affofded the luxury of sitting back and waiting for the best option.

The Chiefs obviously were ready to deal now and a high 2nd round pick is a very valueable commodity. The Pats basically parlayed a 7th round draft pick into a 2nd round pick and they cleared $15 million in cap space to reinvent their defense, which was NOT a championship caliber defense. This was as good as the Patriots were going to do under the circumstances. They will be a major power broker in the upcoming draft. They key is making those picks count.

I can onlt figue the Pats are going after Peppers, giving up their first round choice and want to salvage something in the very early second round.

A give away to Scott P. and the KC Chiefs. It frees up cap $ but not enough to get J. Peppers.

Noway,
Great point - Moss is one of the greatest receivers ever (sure, he's got some baggage), but the best Oakland could get for him was a bad 4th round pick. Vrabel is hurt and appears to be on the downhill side of his career, better to trade him too early than too late (he will be a FA next year). And just about everyone was screaming when Belichick kept Cassel after last year's preseason, now he's the second coming?

Seems like every year Belichick does something really “stupid.” A year later, everyone admits that he actually did the right thing, but they then insist that the thing he’s doing now is really stupid. Lather, rinse, repeat. At some point his coaching and player evaluation abilities may diminish, but when the Pats consistently have very good teams, you can’t argue with the philosophy.

Here's the way that I see it, we basically traded a QB that had pro bowl numbers last year and our starting outside probowl linebacker for a second round draft pick. Yup Cassels only did it for one year but how many QBs have been in the league a lot longer and never had the kind of success that he had out of the gate. Vrabel will start for the Chiefs at outside linebacker this year, and Cassels will start for them at QB. How many teams would trade their second round pick for a strating QB and a starting linebacker, my guess is pretty much every single one. Oh and one more note, yeah I'd love to have peppers on this team but NO ONE on this team should be paid more then Tom Brady, NO ONE

I think it is a good deal all around. The Pats free up $20 Million in cap space. Cassell gets to start -- on a team where he is comfortable with the GM. Vrabel was the price -- Scott Pioli's pound of flesh -- to make the deal happen. Why? Because Pioli needs the locker-room leadership, and needs at least one friendly face to support Cassell. Both of them will be free agents next year. If Cassell delivers, he'll get a good long-term contract. If not, he will certainly be well-paid for all the loyal service he has given to the Pats -- and the Krafts don't have to pay the tab. As Craig Natale pointed out above, they now are in a position to draft 23rd, 34th, 48th and 58th, strong positions to fill their gaps, and perhaps -- but I don't expect it -- trading consideration to move up to a really good pick -- like 23rd and 58th in exchange for a top five pick.

A good deal benefits both parties to the trade. I feel this is a good deal. Having said that, I'm sure we will miss Mike. But keep in mind that BB operates a system, and he is constantly teaching people how to work together and improve their game.

I have never seen such a group of whiners in my life! While the Pats could most certainly have allowed a better market to develop for Cassel, perhaps a quick resolution was in the best interest of all parties involved. There are very few win/win/win's in sports or life, but I do believe this is one of them. The Pats lose 20+ million in cap and get a 34th overall, thereby improving their free agency moves; the Chiefs acquire two players who bring leadership, skill and HOPE to a young team and the KC fans; and Matt Cassel gets a chance to prove himself outside of the shadow of Tom Brady (Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart). If anything, Pats fans should revel in the fact that they have a coach who can spin 6th and 7th rounders into gold. Was it a valentine from Belichick to Pioli? So what? Most leaders want to see their proteges succeed. Finally, Brady, is coming back--quit your bitchin' and show some gratitude.

Yeah, too bad the Pats didn't get the #3 pick - we could have used it on the next JaMarcus Russell, or the next Mike Vick, or the next Vince Young, or the next Alex Smith, or the next Katzenmoyer (or whatever the hell his name was), the next Hart Lee Dykes, etc. not just busts, but EXPENSIVE busts ----- WAY, WAY better value at #34 than at #3. Scouts Inc. had Vrabel as a liability, and Cassel was a backup to us. Put me in the group that sees the sense in this deal. I'd love to see them go after franchised Terrell Suggs now. Two firsts would be worth it in a flash.

Honestly, I would have thought we could have gotten that same pick for just Cassel. I hope that there is something big in the works. Vrabel was a hell of a player, doing so many things for the Pats (ILB, OLB, DE, TE) that it hurts to lose him. I would think we could have squeezed another pick or player out of the deal once we included Vrabel. I wish Cassel and Vrabel a lot of luck out there and I will miss them.
I'm thinking the Pats have something going underneath the surface, either a trade, a big signing or contract extensions. Here's hoping.

There HAS to be something more to this trade! Cassel and Vrabel for a second rounder? Whatever happened to "In Bill We Trust"? If this is all there is, Bill is KILLING us! Is he possibly jumping ship to Kansas City?...

Yeah, everybody thought I was washed up until I went to Miami and won 3 Superbowls with the Dolphins, oh yeah and I played for the only undefeated team in history!!!

The people who yearn for Julius Peppers have probably never seen him play. This guy is NOT a $14 million player. His sack numbers are very pedestrian and he's not a dominant player. That money can be better spent for help in the pathetic secondary.

Mike Vrabel was in his last season anyway. He's already made it very clear he wants to begin his career in coaching after his contract is up. The people killing this deal don't understand the salary cap and the value of the draft. Nobody was going to give up a #1 pick (especially the 3rd overall) for a system QB who has started 16 games in 10 years. Wake up people, this trade should be applauded.

I LOVE THIS TRADE!!!

MAKES ME WISH I WAS ABLE TO GET EVEN LESS FROM THE SHARKS FOR JOE THORNTON!!!

Can it possibly be the case that there was not a single team in all of the NFL that would put up even a first round draft pick for the combination of both Cassel (who shows every potential of becoming a first rate quarterback for another organization) and Vrabel?

Given how well Cassel in particular has played, how many organizations in search of a first rate quarterback would not have been willing to choose him as a first round pick? Could they all think that they could do better in choosing such a quarterback in a future first round pick, as risky as such picks are?

As gene Said 4 picks in the course of one round! Staritng when you actually get value for your picks. So basically the Pats are set up to get 4 players outside the big guaranteed money, in the bang for your buck range. Late first, Early third. It's possible they could get 3 Starters for the price of one tope ten pick. It has been their philosphy all along, and things don't change. All of us fans were screaming when Milloy left and they got blown out, a lot of us fans were screaming when Cassell was kept and Brady went down, and all of us were crying when Bledsoe went down and Brady (who?) came in. In BB we trust. oh by the way one game I think there were 5 undrafted players starting, and we give Cassell all the credit for winning games!. Its coaching scheme and heart

With the 3rd pick in the draft the Kansas City Chiefs select Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest.

Why would anyone ever doubt BB? The guy is a football genius. Go back and look at all of the drafts and see how much talent they drafted in the later rounds.
They are absolutely stacked on offense albeit a little aged. They can use all of this draft and the $19 million they just saved and stack up on defense. The schedule is a little tougher this year with 7 games against playoff teams from last year but the Pats are definitely contenders. They went 11-5 after losing the MVP of the league and played with a patchwork defense that showed a lot of promise with some of their younger players. The Patriots are like Rocky vs. Drago in that they make due with what they have and always fina a way to win.

I love the deal! This is a deep draft so the Pats are going to restock in a big way. The 34th pick is like getting a first rounder without having to pay a first rounder. Kevin O'Connell will be awsome so Cassell was expendible. Next news will be the signing of Julius Peppers to a long term deal.

Thats it? Thats all for those two? I'm thinking Pioli got the best of Belichick here. At the very least the Chiefs should have thrown in another draft choice, even a lower round one.

Well now I guess I can actually get tickets ot the Pats games since we'll have no team left. Great move management-you trade a guy who played his heart out and flew back from his father's funeral to play a game and keep a guy who blew off preseason traiing and games to jet set with a bimbo and model underwear.

We traded a very solid QB who has been said is better then any QB coming out of the draft AND a leader on our team .. for a 2nd round pick? That's it... nothing maybe next year... this is purely Belicheck and Pioli being friends... there are reports now that there were a few other offers including first round picks and we settled for a 2nd round pick?! And b/c it is Belicheck many fools here are saying yippee... guys, this trade is terrible!!!

591 comments? If you fellas would spend 1/10 of this energy on your girl/marriage you would be living with happier women. Treat her like a sports talk show host and......talk to her!

Why does anyone think Mike Vrabel had any trade value? 5th or a 6th at best. C'mon, I love Vrabel and he was a great Patriot who did lots for the organization but he's a below average, maginal starter linebacker at this point. This was about Casel.

And I agree with people who say the market for Cassel had really been squeezed. I think Tampa and Minny both screwed up but they clearly weren't offering much. But I believe that what's missing when people say they're so disappointed about not getting the #3 pick is that the Pats might not value the #3 pick very much. It's an awful lot of guaranteed money. I suspect they would have rather had one in the late teens or twenties than #34 but still, they did ok.

They have a medium-late #1 and 3 #2s in the upcoming draft. If they nail it they're gonna be in GREAT shape moving ahead in the late and post-Brady era.

Things are still looking great - especially if we can get a real cb and a safety who likes to hurt people.

Where's the other shoe?
There has to be something else coming. I just can't see that as the end to this.
I guess that we might have bought future considerations.

Peppers is garbage. Cassel is a fraud. Good deal to get a 2nd rounder for Cassel. Pretty sure nobody had any idea who he was this time last year. With the economy being in the toliet how long will it take for the Pat's "waiting list" to dry up? Give me a break people....

This is an absolute FARCE!!! I've heard of hooking up a friend but this is RIDICULOUS!! Come on Bill! I love you man, but this time you are cheating the fans of New England. It is your job to put the best team possible. You are not achieving this by trading two probowl caliber players, ESPECIALLY A FREEKIN QB, for a potential starter someday. It's ok to sell a car that's worth $5000 to your daughter for a $1, that doesn't effect the outcomes of games that thousands of loyal fans overpay to see! I know everyone is saying that this frees up cap space, but we could have done the same and gotten a 1st and a 3rd, two 2nds and a 3rd? Don't be surprised if management pockets a majority of that freed up cap space. This is the first time that I have been angered by any move, IN BILL WE TRUST, has made. Except maybe for that fourth down call in the Super Bowl XLIII.

I understand that we cannot keep 2 quality QBs. But why add Vrabel too? Such a versatile player.

I don't think BB wanted Vrabel to go. I mean why would he? I can bet your top dollar Belichick didn't say "Hey Pioli, you want Vrabel too because we're sick of paying him?!" WTF? Naw, Vrabel walked. Perhaps BB was blindsided like the rest of us? I wonder...

Cassel to KC was a no brainer. Vrabel followed suit for whatever reason. And that's the deal on it's face, at least for now. Cassel for the pick and Vrabel walks. Somethings fishy. BB has his work cut out for him. He is in the process of rebuilding a HUGE chunk of his organization. I will say that I'll be watching some chiefs games this year. Love to see how Cassel works out. Vrabel, he's only going to sack people, and lead their defense, and call their defensive plays, ya know, nothing important.

And it's funny how Pioli yacks about Vrabel and Cassel joining the "Chiefs Family".....*ACK* Because everyone talks about the Kraft "family" Pioli is striving to be elite. Pioli and Elite have split ways. But I'm willing to bet they'll meet again on a Sunday.

I'm looking forward to watching Brady stepping in and stepping up. But he's gotta want it like he used to. If he does, there's no doubt another SB is in our sights.

All the pissing and moaning here is ridiculous. Does anyone here pay attention to the salary cap and its implications? Do Pats fans want to see Vince Wilfork and Richard Seymour walk after next year? Folks this is about freeing up money to improve your team by having the funds to retain your most important players and having the dollars to now go out and get some guys that fit into our system. Clearly the Pats are confident that Brady will be ready.
C'mon folks get your heads out of the sand and think about it. This trade makes total sense.

People fail to realize that Matt Cassel was a 6th round pick ..6 years ago . hadnt picked up a football in anger since High School... he had ONE good season .. for Bellichick to get a second round pick .. which gives the Pats 6 ol the first 40 picks.. is a credit to his ability to see the big picture.. plus Vrabel had only 4 sacks this past season. and hes 34 yrs old .. how many linebackers produce consistently at that age??.. Theres a reason he is where he is.. and he just proved. it .. Be happy hes coaching and making deals for our team!

People fail to realize that Matt Cassel was a 6th round pick ..6 years ago . hadnt picked up a football in anger since High School... he had ONE good season .. for Bellichick to get a second round pick .. which gives the Pats 6 ol the first 40 picks.. is a credit to his ability to see the big picture.. plus Vrabel had only 4 sacks this past season. and hes 34 yrs old .. how many linebackers produce consistently at that age??.. Theres a reason he is where he is.. and he just proved. it .. Be happy hes coaching and making deals for our team!

KC Chiefs ink Bill Belichick to long term deal said worth millions and a 2nd rd. draft pick.

It appears they think a lot of O'Connell (if something happens to Brady). I think O'Connell has tremendous upside.

Marc St Jean-calm down big boy. You are way off base....way, way off.

Great deal for both sides. Pats clear some space to sign FAs and they get what is essentially a 1st rd quality pick (34 overall) with the lower cost tier. Pats now have 6 picks in the first 3 rounds. This is why NE is the best franchise in sports. Belichick is amazing.

People fail to realize that Matt Cassel was a 6th round pick ..6 years ago . hadnt picked up a football in anger since High School... he had ONE good season .. for Bellichick to get a second round pick .. which gives the Pats 6 ol the first 40 picks.. is a credit to his ability to see the big picture.. plus Vrabel had only 4 sacks this past season. and hes 34 yrs old .. how many linebackers produce consistently at that age??.. Theres a reason he is where he is.. and he just proved. it .. Be happy hes coaching and making deals for our team!

Stupid trade. We should have had Cassel start instead of Brady. I think Brady won't be as good as he once due to his surgery and has already peaked.

I think all of you guys are underrating draft picks and overrating Cassel and Vrabel. Coming from a Steelers fan I think this is a pretty good deal for the Patriots. A second round draft pick in the NFL is very very valuable as you are almost sure to get a very good players (especially in a deep draft like this year) while you don't have to commit nearly as much guaranteed money as you would on a first rounder….minimizing the risk and avoiding the possibility of hamstringing your future by taking someone with a top pick, paying them lots of money, and then seeing them bomb. In fact, I read somewhere on this site where they said BB actually preferred the 2nd over the 1st for this very reason. Having 4 picks in the first 2 rounds is a huge huge deal in the NFL...that is probably 4 very good starters right there, which will probably make less money combined than one top draft pick. As for the players the Pats are giving up…Vrabel is an aging LB who is a FA after the season...I know Pats fans love him for everything he has done but you have to think about the present and future and not the past…he probably wouldn't have brought back any kind of value in terms of a draft pick (someone above mentioned they wouldn't trade him alone for a 2nd rounder...which is ridiculous)….adding him was probably just a way to sweeten the pot a bit for the Chiefs and I doubt his production will be overly hard to replace. Further, Cassel has had one good year in a good system, is making 14 million or whatever in this kind of economy, and was throwing to the likes of Welker and Moss...when you really think about and factor in everything his trade value probably wasn't THAT great....I highly doubt he has the same year next year he did this year...ultimately, we have to see how he turns out before we can fully evaluate the deal. Finally, the fact of the matter was the Patriots had to make this trade and this is the best they could do, you just have to live with it...the only other option was waiting it out, having valuable cap space tied up, and missing out on adding any impact free agents...this way they can still had some big time FA’s…and I am sure it’s not like they had better deals out there and took this one because Pioli is with the Chiefs…if there was anything better out there I am almost positive the front office would have taken it…

Great trade...Matt's a good guy but a one year wonder on a great team. Vrabel is 34 as mentioned. This year's linebacker crop in the draft is deep. They get younger on defense. They bring their salary cap back in line with BOTH being gone. They essentially get a first rounder at 34. This is a great trade. THIS is why the Pats win. Kraft's son has said this is what separates Belichek from Parcells. Parcells would want a player regardless of financial considerations. Belichek understands the business side and long term implications. Matt's got his work cut out for him with KC's line, but Haley will continue to help him develop. Really good for both teams.

Cassel looked like Bledsoe in the pocket to me Great trade although I will miss # 50 catching tds

KC won't need or want the 3rd pick anymore (too much money). My guess is they trade it for a lower 1st and another 2nd pick and give one of those to the pats

I think this answers the question of who the personnel genius was during the Kraft / Pioli / Belicheck era - it was Pioli. He tricked his old pal Bill into taking some magic beans.

I just don't get it. Mike Vrabel was a huge part of the PATS and to trade him like that sucks. It is also fishy that they both went to Pioli's team. maybe when the dust clears i will see it differently but for now I am not a happy Pats fan.

I am of the opinion that the Chiefs debated whether Sanchez was a better fit than Cassel in Haley's offensive scheme and quickly came to the conclusion that Matt was the man. That decision freed up the 3rd pick in the draft to go for Curry, Crabtree, or either OT's Smith or Monroe. What a predicament to be in........
H-m-m-m-m?

Here is the deaql. The 34th pick is just like a bottom of first round but at much lower cost. And Vrabel deal,I believe is not totally out in the open. Is it possible we may end up with a 5th for him?

Mel Kiper is on record (see Boston Herald 2/12/09) that "if the choice were up to him and he desperately needed a quarterback, he’d trade for Patriots Matt Cassel rather than draft either of the top two prospects, Matthew Stafford of Georgia or Mark Sanchez of USC." So why is Cassel (plus Vrabel) only worth a second round draft pick?????

This is a rip-off. The only thing I can think of is this is a sweetheart, buddy-buddy deal because of the Belichick/Pioli connection. We just set up the Chiefs to win for the next 5 years and only got the 34th pick for it??! Cassel/Vrabel was worth the #3 pick and at least a second rounder, with a conditional pick next year contingent upon the Chiefs/Cassels success. We could have gotten all the picks we needed to fill the needed holes, and we all but GIVE away Cassel and Vrabel. I hope Pioli appreciates it, because he just got a huge gift. The only thing that will ease the pain of this robbery is us winning the next superbowl. VERY disappointing. I hope he proves me wrong, but this was a massive blunder on Belichicks part.

SHAWN CLARK.... I agree with you 100%. Matt Cassel did a wonderful job for the Pats last year but, IMO, that was an anomily, and it was created by the system and part of being behind Bill Belichick for a few years. I dont think he will ever come close to that kind of season again.

I have said since the beginnning of this saga that the Pats should take whatever they can get, and a near first round pick is good for what they have given up.

I think that they, and us fans, will see more out of O'Connell as a backup than we ever will see out of Cassel. I believe that the Cassel we saw in pre seasons for three years is the real Matt Cassel. I wish him luck and he has my gratitude for what he did.

This was a stunner and one has to wonder how much the Belichick-Pioli relationship came into play here. The free agency period just opened; why give away something as demonstrably valuable as Cassel so early in the period. Cap hit, franchise tag, blah blah blah. We were fleeced by a guy who fleeced other teams for years and arguably gave us at least two of the three Lombardi trophies we own. I simply refuse to believe the Lions or 49ers weren't at all interested. The Vrabel "throw-in" is adding insult to injury. This guy was the consummate Patriot during his time with us and he was basically given up for nothing--and to a team in the conference! Mark my words--this trade is the beginning of the end.

This is a good deal for the Patriots for the following reasons:

1. They clear cap space ($20m) and be aggressive in FA. The Patriots need to address secondary and the OLB, they now have the leverage to go out make those moves possibly a Ray Lewis/Julius Peppers and a couple of corners.

2. They stockpile picks to make their defense younger and faster in the draft. They can now draft a young safety and linebacker to replace Bruschi and Harrison. They could also trade picks for impact players right now or for future draft picks.

3. Vrabel is 34 and the Patriots needed to get faster and younger at that position. As much as we really like Vrabel you can't fall in love with these players and just hold on to them forever...one wouldn't be a good head coach/GM and eventually your team will get weaker.

Good luck to both of those guys...

Getting anything for Cassel is a good move. We all knew that. Vrabel is a bit hard to take, but you cannot put a tag on Vrabel next year, so this year is good to trade Vrabel.
My speculation is that BB thinks he needs speed for OLB to put pressure on QB, which Vrabel did not do too well last year.
That's the logic.
We also have a heart, and we loved Vrabel lining up at a tight end position.
I still remember Vrabel chasing down the QB from a wildcat (not Miami) formation, as he was rushing to the running-back-as-QB, realizing that the QB is not covered, made 180 degree turn, pressed the wide-out-QB, and made the pass incomplete.
If I remember correctly, he called signals for backers for all games when he was in, and he played every defensive down for a few games. He might have lost some production last year, but he is indeed a smart football player, who can read the situation correctly and react to it.
It's hard to believe anyone can replace Vrabel's as a football player. I wish him well, and also hope Pats will find a productive OLB this year.

This is a major steal for the Chiefs. Maybe the Pats secretly hired Matt Millen to replace Pioli.

Pathetic. The cap space was always going to clear when Cassell left. Moot point. To get a 2nd round draft pick for a semi-proven top 50% QB is atrocious. The talk about some sort of master plan is irrelevant, the trade has to get get measured on its own merit. How does taking less from one team affect how another team is going to behave. I'm totally horrified.

"Cassel/Vrabel was worth the #3 pick and at least a second rounder, with a conditional pick next year contingent upon the Chiefs/Cassels success."

That's ridiculous...Cassel/Vrabel alone isn't worth the 3rd pick...let alone a seond rounder and a conditional pick on top of that....like I said earlier....QB's who have played one meaningful season of football since high school/make 14 million a year/is a FA after this season + an aging LB who is clearly becoming less productive with each passing season/also a FA after the season = not as much trade value as everyone seems to think....teams just don't give away the 3rd overall pick for gusy liek Cassel and Vrabel...

"Cassel/Vrabel was worth the #3 pick and at least a second rounder, with a conditional pick next year contingent upon the Chiefs/Cassels success."

That's ridiculous...Cassel/Vrabel alone isn't worth the 3rd pick...let alone a seond rounder and a conditional pick on top of that....like I said earlier....QB's who have played one meaningful season of football since high school/make 14 million a year/is a FA after this season + an aging LB who is clearly becoming less productive with each passing season/also a FA after the season = not as much trade value as everyone seems to think....teams just don't give away the 3rd overall pick for gusy liek Cassel and Vrabel...

Mike,
This is a tough trade but in the long run it makes sense. The Patriots may have been able to get a high 1st round pick with the trade but because of the guaranteed money involved, it isn't a real beneficial spot to be in. If nothing changes, the Patriots will have taken 9 draft picks in the top 3 rounds in only the last two years. In addition, the Patriots will have 4 of the top 58 picks in the 2009 draft alone. Because the Patriots have only 1st round pick this year and Mayo was the only other 1st round and top 10 pick (13 million of guaranteed money), the amount of money the Patriots will eventually save is in the millions.

Did Kevin McHale make this trade ? !! What a gamble ! Brady was healthy at this point a year ago-- and >> the rest is history. The backup will be via Denver--Minnesota--Arizona?? The CFL ??

It is being reported on ESPN that we could have had a better pick if we traded to the Broncos. They would have sent Jay Cutler to Tampa and we would have gotten the 12th pick and possibly a 3rd rounder. How is this not a better deal?? Why would BB turn his back on that? Makes no sense really, when you think that Mayo was a top ten pick, we could get another top flight defender. Smells of a backdoor deal with Pioli.

What a rip-off! Don't be surprised if this deal was struck before Pioli took the KC job. If not, why the big rush?? This was back-door shady deal or sheer stupidity on the patriots part. If it wasn't a back-door buddy deal, then we just found out who the REAL brains behind the Patriots success was, and now he's gone.
I hope pioli is enjoying his shady severance package. We give him a franchise QB, and a solid starting olb team captain for the 34th pick?!!! AND WE LET THEM KEEP THE 3RD OVERALL PICK?????????!!!!!!! I don't mind the trade, but why didn't we make it work to set up the patriots instead of the chiefs?? Something stinks here. Don't be surprised if you see belichick in KC in a couple of years if Brady starts declining.
The third overall pick, a third rounder, and a conditional pick next year and then we're approaching a fair deal. We could have traded that 3rd overall for enough picks to set us up for years! ABSOLUTE STUPIDITY.

Hey Mike,
Thanks for not printing my opinion from Saturday at 6 PM. Must have fell under the "This blogger might want to review your comments before posting it." disclaimer. Funny, there was no profanity, so I guess you couldn't handle having a strong, thoughtful counter argument making it into your blog for public criticism. The new news from today about us turning down a better deal only solidifies the argument that the deal stunk. Maybe they can put your picture on the side of the Patriots Kool-aid bottle. You are losing credibility faster than A-Rod at a press conference

You guys are on something if you think the Pats should have received the 3rd overall pick plus two other picks...that's ridiculous...no team would trade that much value for an aging LB who has next to no trade value and a QB who has had one good season and is one of the highest paid players in the league...when is everyone going to realize that?? Good NFL teams are usually built though the draft...all you have to do is look at the Steelers (hardly ever sign a FA) and the Redskins (seems to throw money at everyone) to see that...like I said earlier, teams just don;t throw away draft picks. As for them ot taking the offer that would have got them the 12th pick...you have to think about the economics of it as well...the Pats probably didn't want to pay two first rounders...and in a deep draft like this one a second rounder is still very very good value. As for the person above me who asked wythe rush....if NE waited this out any longer than they would have had all thsi cap space tied up and they wpould not have been able to go out and potentially get an impact FA...if they held on to Cassel for too much longer they would have missed out on the big ame FA's....by franchising Cassel they were kind of backed ito a corner and didn't really have that much leverage...hence only a 2nd round pick...

Tony, this was totally a back door shady deal. Something is not right. I think BB was held hostage. Yes that's right. Pioli, I'm guessing, has more dirt on BB's practices (remember the spygate scandal) than anyone was willing to let out. Pioli demanded a QB and a defensive starter. And that's all she wrote. BB had no choice and he is NOT that stupid. BB would ALWAYS get someone for Vrabel. So far no dice. It's Blackmail, I tell ya. BB would not just CUT a guy like Vrabel. That's bogus. Well guess what Pioli......We'll see you on Sunday. Gunz a blazin'!

BB is not going to KC. He's ticked now. I smell another undefeated season. Because that's what happens when you get on BB's bad side. Watch out NFL. Try and screw us out of the playoffs next season with 16-0! 11-5 you got away with. Not 16-0! We're coming!!!!!!!!!!!

Good move. Vrabel was a half step slower in 2008. His best years are behind him, and we cannot get sentimental with aging players. Let him mentor others elsewhere ... we need speed at the linebacker position. Cassel had a great year, earned the franchise tag, but he's not Tom Brady. Matt needs to start, but not at the expense of Tom Brady. I hope he and the Chiefs do well. I'd rather root for them than the Broncos!

Getting a 2nd rounder is actually a pretty equitable deal for the Pats. FIrst rounders are expensive, and their NFL life span is not measureably greater than a 2nd rounder. I like the deal.

"BB would not just CUT a guy like Vrabel. ".....why not?? Veteran players get cut all the time...it's all about the money and the salary cap going forward, not how long you have played for a certain team or how productive you were for said team...

All of these conspiracy theories are driving me nuts...the Patriots took the deal that made the most sense for them...it is as simple as that...they obviously think it is smarter to get a second round pick (and pay the player second round money) than take a chance on a first rounder (and paying him tons of guaranteed money)...it is all baout minimizing their risk....it's a pretty smasrt move by the Patriots actually

Now the next move is BB will resign as HC of the NEP's, haha, only kidding...

If this is all that was coming for Cassel, then he might have been designated differently, like the franchise less-restricted designation etc. and we would have gotten 1 or maybe 2 2nd-rounders or maybe even a first rounder. If their thinking was out there that Vrabel was going to go, he could have been designated similarly.

This deal is indicative that BB did not want to wait until the draft, therefore Cassel was designated incorrectly. The franchise paid him too much money and restricted the Pats too much and Pioli sensed his hot hand and pushed for a deal that scorched the Pats.

I guess it is OK that BB is folding , because having made the mistake, he realizes now, too late, that he needed the money for the season to be productive.

I personally would have made do and waited until the season started because 3 weeks in there are always injuries and disappointments that teams are willing to make deals for. Why else does Tampa have $25 MM in capspace???

I couldn't understand the KC deal and then somehow my cellphone picked up the following conversation between Scott Pioli and Bill Belichek. Now it's all so clear...
"Well Bill, we'd really like Matt but man, a 2nd round pick?!! A second rounder!!?? That's awfully steep for a guy who single-handedly turned your season around and almost dragged you into the playoffs. A guy who probably made Brady think about what full time life on the beach with a supermodel would be like. I don't know man, I need something else. I mean, we were 2-14 last year, I can't jeopardize that by giving up a second rounder!! Please Bill, I'm beggin' you, give me something else so I don't get hung from the goalpost!"
"Okay Scott, I feel your pain. New guy on the job and all, you have to make a good impression, show people you know what you're doing. I know, what if we throw in one of New England's most beloved football players? A guy that's helped anchor our linebacking corps for all these years. A guy who even plays offense when we need a lift. A linebacker with 10 career pass receptions, all touchdowns. A guy whose retirement would cause sadness, and many a cocktail lifted in his honor throughout the region but whose trade as part of a package for a second rounder will send shockwaves of disbelief, anguish, and anger through that same region. How about him?"
"Yeah, thanks Bill, that's the guy we need. Can't tell you how much I appreciate this. Now I'll go see if I can sell this crazy deal to our fan base. Wish me luck."

Jeremy, then why wasn't Bruschi cut? He's been a half a step slower for the past couple seasons! Bruschi is another one of those guys getting to the end of his tenure. And why did BB bring Seau on board? He's ancient but still a role player. SMELL THE ROSES! This isn't how BB roles. What you're saying is BB got rid of Vrabel because he's sick of paying him. GIVE ME A BREAK! Cap space my a$$. That's the most rediculous thing I've ever heard. This is Vrabel we're talking about. He typically prefers veteran guys at LB. It just so happens that Mayo was a beast who caught on quick. Vrabel has a couple great seasons left and BB knows this. He wouldn't just part with him for 1 second rounder. No way. Pioli is holding something over his head. Not to mention the deal was done and QUICK. We could have done better with other teams.

I think that the trade was great for Pats. They got something for a player who everyone wanted to cut during pre season how soon you forget. As for Vrabel he is on the downside lost a few steps and injury prone now with his age.. BB is a genius he now has 3 2nd rounders and I am sure they will be wheeling and dealing for next year to get the OLB from BC Herzig(SP) he would be a beast in BB system. So don't fret all will be good in Patriots Nation Soon after the draft.. Is percy Harvin comming to NE now they have a stockpile of picks??could be very interesting now