cstjohn17

I was not impressed during the pre-season (remind me to never watch another pre-season game ever again!).

Cassell has done everything the team has asked and played far better than I gave him credit for. Most of all I like his progression from week to week, against the Jets he was asked to manage the game. As he gets more experience I think we will see more vertical passes.

Nice job Mr. Cassell, I was wrong.

tedylb

Classy post! Thanks.

Brady to Brown

Its going to be an exciting season.

BadMoFo

This is all fine, but we know the moment the going gets tough, if it does, Cassel will hear the criticism again. By the way, Cassel is spelled with one L.

JoeSixPat

One has to think BB offered his own Mea Culpa - wasn't it confirmed by agents that he had invited Chris Simms and another QB before Brady went down, seemingly having an interest in a veteran QB after week one when he'd not be required to gurantee their salary?

In any event, for whatever the reason, Cassell has looked like a different QB compared to some of the pre-season games, but people still forget that there were some games where he really wasn't bad.

He went 6-10 in one game with 3 dropped passes. That could have easilly been 9-10. And sure it was all vanilla offense and defense, but give credit (or blame) where its due - one still can make or miss plays even in the pre-season.

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MoLewisrocks

That was not Bill, it was likely Scott doing due diligence on the day after the final cuts in updating his rolodex for the season. They had many players come in including a bunch of WR's... That's part of the way you build a shadow roster to draw on in the event of injury.

checkedout

Hope he doesn't have any 4 Int games like Brady did. Nice post!

JoeSixPat

I'm not ruling that out, but isn't it odd that you would call veteran backup QBs, invite them to come to town presumably for a physical or tryout - solely in the event that you suffered an injury at QB - and then actually suffer an injury, and send out of town without a physical or tryout? What would be the harm in having a tryout/physical when you have a need at QB and have the QBs right there? (Aside from hurting the confidence of your new starter.)

Some speculated that BB was pissed when word leaked that they were coming in - but one assumes that agents rarely would keep that to themselves. They want to demonstrate in public the high interest in their clients to get them signed.

Had Brady not been injured then it would have been more plausible to take the chance by adding a veteran to the roster for late season insurance purposes (as with Vinnie) but giving them the time to learn the playbook.

But once Brady was injured there was only one real option - Cassell - since any other veteran would be working from a severely limited number of plays for several weeks. Sending the veterans packing without a tryout or physical was likely intended to reaffirm that to Cassell and everyone else, and maybe build Cassell's confidence - because I can't figure out how or why you would invite a QB for an actual visit without any intention of trying him out or giving him a physical.

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MoLewisrocks

If they called in a bunch of JAG WR's for Monday visits and Moss went down on Sunday, their need would no longer be for back of the roster depth players.... If they didn't feel they could fill the need from within they would likely start testing the trade waters - as they did in 2006 when it became clear Deion wasn't walking through that door..although in hindsight they found out that like on D there is more to filling in on offense here than mere athletic talent, too.

Honestly, this was just due diligence. They had not had a chance to talk to Simms since before he was drafted, and were likely among the curious as to wtf is the deal with him. Ditto Rattay whom Bill and Scott never actually talked to after Dick Rebien made his Brady recommendation.

I know you all need to think Bill really, really wasn't happy with Cassel - but he was. He'd told Cassel all through the preseason that they were pleased with his progression and performance. They don't blow smoke up players asses here. In fact they are more often brutally honest. Rubs some people the wrong way but veterans will tell you that you always know where you stand with Bill unless you refuse to listen.

AzPatsFan

I'm not sure that Rattay and Simms were invited by Belichick. More likely they were routine Pioli invites, to establish a Shadow Roster possibilities, before Brady got hurt.

It was overuled by Belichick after Brady went down, as they would be looked at as direct criticism, and would appear as fear that Cassel couldn't perform.

Belichick never wavered in his view of Cassel as the #2 QB, ever since he sent Vinny T to the shadow roster last season. Many fans could not understand what he saw in Cassel.

I used to think that Belichick handed Cassel a $hitty stick, to test the likes of CJax as a receiver, and the likes of Clement, Ross, Wellbourne, Connolly, etc. on the Offensive line. Better Cassel than getting Brady beat up.

But I think that Belichick had an ulterior motive too. He was satisfied that Cassel had advanced enough to know and operate the Offense. He knew the Cassel had passed every physical test, arm, agility, running ability. The only test, and the major one for QBs, is how they lead in tough times. Do they lose their cool? Do they blame the other guys? Do they wilt under pressure ? Do they lose their Poise?

The only way to do that was to give him a situation, in the preseason, in which he was sure to fail. And then see how he handled the losses.

Cassel kept his mouth shut. He remained calm,and stoically accepted the criticism. He didn't blame his amateur, never-were WRs. He didn't blame the ever-changing Offensive line candidates. He didn't blame the (purposely?) poor choice of sent-in offensive plays he was supposed to try to execute. He maintained his Poise.

That was the test that Belichick was conducting, and Cassel passed it with flying colors, in retrospect.