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QUESTION
A) If we franchise Cassel and he signs the tender, what happens if we cut him at various times (before the draft, before the season and during the season). If the team isn't obligated for the season, perhaps $875K per game isn't so bad, except that the incentive would be to bring Brady back too early.
SOME THOUGHTS ON FRANCHISING MATT CASSEL
1) We would not have $14M available as others competed for free agents.
2) If Cassel signs the tender for $14M for one year, would the team owe him anything if they were unable to make a trade? Note that Cassel doesn't need to cooperate with a trade. He can just sit tight knowing that he will make $14M or be cut and then negotiate with a team that will not need to give up a draft pick.
3) Unfortunately, the patriots may need to work directly with Cassel to secure his service for the patriots. Brady is by no means a guarantee to be near 100% to start the season. And playing next year with O'Connell as the #2 may not be the best approach. As several have indicated, perhaps the best approach is a 2 year extension at $6M or so per year (or the 3 years, with theird being a fake year). This would be able to be fit it to the patriots cap structure, as is more reasonable, than one year at $14M.
I doubt Cassel would go for that, though. He has to know that the instant Brady is healthy enough to play, Cassel is back to being 2nd string. Cassel is working towards establishing himself as a solid starter, which means he could get paid decently.
To me, a few draft picks would be worth going with O'Connel for the first few games of the year - if it even came to that. Again, Brady missing pre-season and the first few weeks is still a worst case scenario that probably won't happen.
I wish I knew the answer to your question regarding the franchise tag and cutting someone - hopefully someone w more knowledge than me chimes in, b/c thats certainly a factor.
Last edited by BradyManny; 10-27-2008 at 12:11 PM..
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It's too early to think about this because Cassel has nothing to fall back on beyond what he does this year. If we were talking about a multi-year starter who slumped a bit at the end of a season, it's not as big of a deal. But Cassel has only what he does on the field this year and of course people are going to be very skeptical.
And what glowing resume of NFL work did Matt Schaub have before the Texans shelled out two second-rounders for him? Before that trade, Schaub started exactly two games--and lost both of them.
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I can see the pats making an attempt at extending him possibly, but franchising him is too expensive. Being 10M under the cap, and having to sign your rookies (~5M?), leaves you 5M under the cap with about 45 players signed. That doesn't leave alot for the last 8 players, PS, and an injury reserve which has usually been around 5M itself from year to year.
What if you franchise him, and no one trades? His salary is guaranteed.
We don't want to get stuck paying this dog, er top caliber player, top dollar. I just don't think we can afford it.
I think he's progressing well though. I said earlier that he'd be pro bowl caliber by the end of the year. I was NEARLY BANNED FOR IT. Yes, that's how paranoid people are around here! Sheesh!
And what glowing resume of NFL work did Matt Schaub have before the Texans shelled out two second-rounders for him? Before that trade, Schaub started exactly two games--and lost both of them.
Schaub also had an impressive college resume @ Virginia. He also stepped into those games an performed like he belonged on the field. Cassel's resume, whether we like it or not, is very thin.
He may be a good QB, he may be a very good QB. He may also be a product of the talent around him, and is being made to look serviceable by great coaching and a very talented team.
Hard questions to answer when there is so little playing time to base it on.
Isn't it too early thinking about things like this? Man, I hope he becomes good enough to warrant a "frachise" tag, but right now, let's just focus on what this team needs to do against the Colts. BTW, I think Cassel is improving nicely. If his progression continues, I like our chances in the stretch run.
Wrong. Transition tag is next to useless. All it does is give a team to right to match any offer the player ACCEPTS from anoter team. If they don't they get nada. And it's pretty easy to craft an offer that would be even less palatable - not to mention with the addition of a poison pill that makes it worse for us than them - than the franchise tag...
Tag and trade doesn't guarantee us any compensation unless a team signs him without even discussing trade. Few tagged players net the so called tagged compensation, but they do net something. We tagged Tebucky Jones back in the day and flipped him to New Orleans who thought he was a big deal safety...for a package of picks.
Again, we won't tag him unless he's got quite the buzz and market next February. And if those circumstances exist he would never sign that tag (to burn us, because he owes us) because he'll be in line to get MORE than $14M guaranteed in a long term deal from the team to whom he is traded...not to mention his OWN team going forward.
I can see the pats making an attempt at extending him possibly, but franchising him is too expensive. Being 10M under the cap, and having to sign your rookies (~5M?), leaves you 5M under the cap with about 45 players signed. That doesn't leave alot for the last 8 players, PS, and an injury reserve which has usually been around 5M itself from year to year.
What if you franchise him, and no one trades? His salary is guaranteed.
The risk/reward is just not there for that.
If they tag him to trade him it will be over before the draft. If there is not sufficient interest they rescind the tag and he's a FA. What you folks are failing to grasp is this FO if savvy enough to read the tea leaves and they will not franchise him UNLESS they know there is a market. And he wouldn't sign that tag unless he and his agent do not believe there is a market.
We don't want to get stuck paying this dog, er top caliber player, top dollar. I just don't think we can afford it.
I think he's progressing well though. I said earlier that he'd be pro bowl caliber by the end of the year. I was NEARLY BANNED FOR IT. Yes, that's how paranoid people are around here! Sheesh!
Don't flatter yourself. People who don't like you are basing that assessment on the relative quality and caliber of your largely over the top posts which have been all over the place as is often the case with stealth trolls.
Bill is fond of saying we can afford to do anything we want to do.
Re: Downside to franchising Cassel?
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