Cassel traded to Chiefs

[fishbones]

The Pats will be fine. They would rather clear up cap space than have 2 guys making starting QB money. Keep in mind that Brady, Moss, Thomas and Seymour are all making big money against the cap. These moves allow them to go after a defensive back or LB either via free agency or trade on draft day.

Also, Am I the only one who thought Cassell should have been cut after the pre-season he had? When he was playing with scrubs, he stunk. He played very well when he had guys like Faulk, Welker and Moss to throw the ball to. He'll probably be pretty good in KC, but he won't be as good as he was this past year. And if Brady's not healthy to start the year, they can bring in a backup for a couple of games if neccessary. The Pats will be fine.

[Sweetwater]

I waited a while before weighing in on this because I didn't want to knee-jerk react to the deal. Let's put this in perspective. Cassel was basically "found money." A career backup in whom the Patriots had little financial investment initially. Then Brady goes down, Cassel takes the Pats to 11-5 and the ONLY way to get value out of Cassel (a free agent) was to franchise him at $14.7 million for one year and then he's an FA again. So I like the trade, it's 34th overall (can get good value there).

However, even now I think it's too quick to judge. By including Vrabel, the Pats just cleared $17+ million in cap room and they're going to spend it. So if the deal means they resign Wilfork, Seymour, etc. and can grab a significant free agent (Julius Peppers?), Patriots nation will once again be issuing currency with the motto "In Bill We Trust."

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by Sweetwater

I waited a while before weighing in on this because I didn't want to knee-jerk react to the deal. Let's put this in perspective. Cassel was basically "found money." A career backup in whom the Patriots had little financial investment initially. Then Brady goes down, Cassel takes the Pats to 11-5 and the ONLY way to get value out of Cassel (a free agent) was to franchise him at $14.7 million for one year and then he's an FA again. So I like the trade, it's 34th overall (can get good value there).

However, even now I think it's too quick to judge. By including Vrabel, the Pats just cleared $17+ million in cap room and they're going to spend it. So if the deal means they resign Wilfork, Seymour, etc. and can grab a significant free agent (Julius Peppers?), Patriots nation will once again be issuing currency with the motto "In Bill We Trust."

Well said. My roommate and I had a similar discussion earlier that went pretty much exactly like this. While Billy B may have has some in game gaffs, I have agreed with just about every move, trade, acquisition the Pats of made. Head-to-head, I do not think there is another coach in the NFL that can come close to the skills and foresight he has shown when coaching a team. Consistency is key and he has consistently put out an incredible product - just sometimes the guys didn't show up to play.

It is of no surprise that Cassel was a complete unknown before this year and turned out to be a spectacular QB.