ctpatsfan77

Basically, I can see two things that will make it very, very likely the Pats franchise Cassel:

(1) If he can lead the team to at least one post-season victory, his value will definitely increase. But, more importantly,

(2) The Patriots will do everything in their power to prevent this headline:

"Jets sign Cassel to replace Favre"

If there is any chance that this headline might come to pass, the Patriots will franchise tag him.

Thoughts?

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TheGodInAGreyHoodie

(3) The headline, "Brady injury shows signs of trouble, may not be ready for start of season"

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DaBruinz

If there was going to be trouble with his ACL beyond the infection in the MCL, it would have surfaced already. And I am speaking as someone who had very similar issues with his ACL injury that Tom did.

JSn

Yeah, but a little speculation or worry (even) false, is all they need to avoid the hassle of being accused of misusing the franchise tag.

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TheGodInAGreyHoodie

So are you telling me that don't have a greater risk of re-injuring you knee by say banging it into a table or twisting it the wrong way if you slip on ice than you did before the original injury?

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hallfamebrady

Three items to keep in mind.

1. The NFLPA and the owners are at odds and the franchise tag is an area od disagreement. Misusing the tag would add fuel to the fire even if Cassel is OK with it.

2. If the Pats tag Cassel and keep him in 2009, he would be a RFA in 2010 under the current collective bargaining agreement since one needs six years of service to be a UFA in the last year of a CBA.

3. I suspect teams are going to have some hesitation to give big money beyond 2010 with the uncertain situation with a lack of a CBA.

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TheGodInAGreyHoodie

And BB will spend less time worrying about that impact, than you spent to type that sentence.

Will tagging him help the NEP win?

Next question, wait that is the only question.

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ctpatsfan77

Which does nothing to help them, since the RFA tender must be a minimum of 110% of the player's 2009 salary.

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ALP

Lol, if cassel had a choice, i doubt that he would sign w/ the jets...

the pats and BB would humiliate him, they know his weaknesses way too well
and i believe cassel may feel like he owes them even a little something

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patsox23

Respectfully, pretty much all of these are questionable. There's no way the Patriots don't franchise and trade Cassel, and there will be multiple suitors no matter what the concerns about the CBA.

Teams know they need capable QB play - which Cassel has proven he can bring, in spades - to compete in the NFL. Impatient coaches/GMs would like prefer having a proven NFL vet like Cassel than the next JaMarcus Russell question mark. Or even a guy who may take some time to develop like a Rivers or Eli.

A guy like Jared Allen gets dealt for a #1 and we don't think we can get one for a top 10 quarterback who's been schooled in the best offensive system in the NFL and he EXCELLED in every kind of condition and under pressure? Really?

And in what way would we be "misusing" the tag? We can EASILY argue that we're unsure of Brady's health (at the time it's applied, which is February, not long from now) even though it's exceedingly likely that we will have all the internal medicals to give us comfort with trading Cassel.

We tag, we trade, we move forward. Suggesting this F.O. wouldn't do that, or that there might not be an excited market for a guy like Cassel, is laughable.