Cassel gets franchise tag

[football junkie]

Matt Cassel, coming off leading the Patriots to 11 wins during the 2008 season, was awarded the with franchise tag.

It is now a virtual certainty that Tom Brady will miss significant playing time in the 2009 season and on the bright side for Cassel, he'll earn approximately $14 million for his work -- a nice raise. Also, this will be a not so nice cap hit for the Patriots, tying up over $30 million in two players and leaving the franchise with about $85 million to sign everyone else -- all 51 of them.

I'm not an insider in the Pats organization and I don't tend to believe all the :blah: that goes in sports media. For the Patriots sake I hope Brady is back and ready in time to start the 2010 season, as putting a franchise tag on the same player two years in a row is a real bad idea.

BTW ... don't confuse me for a Pats fan. I'm a Bills' die hard.

[brady_branch]

I get the feeling Cassel will not be a Patriot after 2009, but he is needed that year, so.... good move sorta. The 14M cap hit is not so good, especially for a guy who hadn't started a game since high school prior to this season.

[football junkie]

That $14 million dollar cap hit is what has me worried about Tom Brady. We all know the frugal nature of Bill Belichick and the Patriots' organization.

If Cassel is getting handed that much money (yes he played well and won), how bad is the progression of Brady's recovery?

Remember how fast Daunte Culpepper, Trent Green, Steve Young and Troy Aikman went from MVP candidates to roadkill.

Best case scenario: Brady is back by the middle of the 2009 season and playing like Superman by December; Cassel has numerous suitors lined up for his services in 2010.

Worse case scenario: Brady never recovers; Cassel leads the Patriots to another fine season in 2009; Brady goes permanently on the PUP or IR list, allowing the Patriots to recoup his salary via insurance; the still young Cassel signs a long-term contract to stay in New England.

Worst case scenario: Brady never recovers; Cassel leads the Patriots to another fine season in 2009; Brady goes permanently on the PUP or IR list, allowing the Patriots to recoup his salary via insurance; the still young Cassel signs a long-term contract to play in Dallas, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Minnesota, Seattle ....... or any of the other half dozen teams that'd love to have him behind center.

We'll just have to wait and see.

I do hope Tom Brady's playing career is not over.

[efin98]

I get the feeling Cassel will not be a Patriot after 2009, but he is needed that year, so.... good move sorta. The 14M cap hit is not so good, especially for a guy who hadn't started a game since high school prior to this season.

16 games not enough of a resume? Not with a line that was crap all year, a running back problem during the middle of the worst part of the schedule, a coach who was overmatched in multiple games and only got saved by being overruled by the man in charge?

This will sound like a flame but it's the truth: it really shows what you really know about the Patriots...blame that on distance from Foxborough though as you haven't heard the explanations by people who actually know what they are talking about.

It's been reported recently that Brady has had a big setback in his recovery due to the infections and due to the scar tissue that may need removal. By franchising him they have him for another year even at a steep price which means should Brady be gone for the year they have an insurance policy that they may not get with another QB.

They also will get AT LEAST a first round draft pick for Cassel in 2010 should he be traded during training camp next year or in 2009 if the Brady situation is exagerated and if he isn't traded they will get a compensatory pick next year for when he signs with his new team..either way it's in the team's benefit to franchise him. They get something for him when they would have gotten nothing had he walked onto the free agent market so that too is a big benefit.

[efin98]

That $14 million dollar cap hit is what has me worried about Tom Brady. We all know the frugal nature of Bill Belichick and the Patriots' organization.

If Cassel is getting handed that much money (yes he played well and won), how bad is the progression of Brady's recovery?

At least two months behind...probably means he will be out of training camp and possibly into the start of the next season.

Remember how fast Daunte Culpepper, Trent Green, Steve Young and Troy Aikman went from MVP candidates to roadkill.

Culpepper was a running QB so his mobility being imparied by the injury ruined his career more than rushing him back.

Green is a good comparison as he came back after blowing out his knee the next year after a worse hit. What ended(or will end, he is still playing) his career though was not his knee injury but concussions- those have been what has knocked him out of games since 2000, like Young and Aikman he hasn't been the same since getting them.

I'd add in Carson Palmer who also had a similar knee injury who bounced back to play well for his team.

Best case scenario: Brady is back by the middle of the 2009 season and playing like Superman by December; Cassel has numerous suitors lined up for his services in 2010.

It is possible he could be back earlier, which means Cassel is traded for a 1st round draft pick or spends a game or two on the bench...either way it helps the Patriots.

Worse case scenario: Brady never recovers; Cassel leads the Patriots to another fine season in 2009; Brady goes permanently on the PUP or IR list, allowing the Patriots to recoup his salary via insurance; the still young Cassel signs a long-term contract to stay in New England.

They do what they did with Drew Bledsoe, find some sucker to take him off their hands based on his name alone. He probably would have several years left but his name alone will give him a new contract and at least four or five more years.