Fencer

An obvious scenario is for Cassel to be traded only as the draft is ongoing, and teams discover whether or not they can draft their favorite rookie QB.

Problem -- as I understand it, Cassell can be traded only with a new contract ($14.x million one year or otherwise). So, unless he actually signs such a contract before the draft, he can not realistically be signed during it.

Traded after the draft? Sure. Team drafts for N.E. and then trades the unsigned player -- uh, is even that realistic, or is there a problem with rookie salary caps, CBA, whatever?

Am I missing anything here?

JoeSixPat

No - I don't think you're missing anything... yu've noted the issue with him needing a new contract.

I don't see a team trading top picks without an agreement in place for a long term deal - so I'm not clear why some see a team accepting a trade for a guy who's under contract for just one season.

So it would be extremely unlikely that during the draft itself - especiallly in the top picks when we'd want a pick - that the terms of the agreement and a long term contract negotiated by Cassel's agent and the team could all be worked out in a matter of minutes.

What might be more palatable to some teams is trading high 2010 draft picks - and if that's the case, with the limited number of quality QBs in the draft, I can a trade going down AFTER the draft - not necessarilly before.

Rob0729

That's not how it works. It could happen during the draft. What would happen is that a team would have already worked out the parameters with the trade with the Pats and a new contract with Cassel prior. If that team has their targeted player go off the board before they pick, they get on the phone with the Pats and Cassel and make the trade. These type of deals happen all the time at least the trading picks part.

Again, I still don't think it is crazy that a contender team trading for Cassel before a deal is in place. Not likely, but not impossible.

Patsfanin Philly

Wasn't Moss acquired during the draft and redo his contract at the same time????

ctpatsfan77

Yes, but he wasn't traded until the second day of the draft, which gave the Pats time to fly Moss out for a physical and discuss contracts. Hard to do that during round one.

There is a problem. The rookie cap is based on the draft picks you use, not the players you end up with. The only reason the Sheli-Rivers trade worked was because the cap allotments for slots 1 and 4 were close enough to make it palatable.

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Fencer

Analogies to the Bledsoe trade are not misplaced.

Fencer

My point is that transferring Cassel to a new team seemingly would take not just handshake agreement, but an Actual Signed Contract.

Unless, of course, somebody wants him for $14 million+ for a year, due to high optimism they can sign him to deal (if he works out well) a year later. But that strikes me as a triple risk -- picks, money for a year, and the danger of him walking if he DID work out well for them -- that teams probably wouldn't want to take on.

Urgent

Given the Patriots need to clear the cap space, this is a possible but less-likely scenario.
Obviously this is what happened with Bledsoe, with the Patriots ending up with a first-round pick in the following year's draft.

Further, given most team's interests in understanding their QB situation prior to the draft, there is some incentive for teams needing a QB to move earlier.

There are sure to be some suitors interested, whether they are willing to offer a first rounder in 2009 or not. The Patriots can play those options off each other in the opening days of free agency, and decide whether to accept the best offer.

Comparing Cassel to a QB in the draft is not quite apples and oranges.
Only Stafford really has the experience and capability to represent an option of starting from day one.
Sanchez, the consensus #2 QB in the draft, has a single season of college starting experience.
Of course, Cassel only has a single season of starting NFL experience, but that is a world of difference, and he also has three additional seasons of coaching, development, training camp, film study, mentoring under Brady, etc. in the NFL.
Cassel will start opening day. There may be only one drafted QB who will do that, and he will likely go #1 overall.
If your plan is to gain a starting QB on draft weekend, that is a very risky approach.

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Pawn512

Cassel can be traded at any time, with or without a long-term contract. The reason most franchise player trades have included a long-term contract is you cannot trade the player unless they are under contract - meaning they have to sign the tender. They are then traded and immediately sign an already-negotatiated long-term deal with their new team. To agree to sign the tender, thus allowing the trade, the franchised players have generally required that such a long-term deal be in place. Because Cassel has already signed the tender, he has given up that control - the Pats could trade him to anybody they want, with or without a long-term deal. Without a long-term deal he would be under the same 1-year $14.6 million contract with his new team.

Now of course, many teams may be reluctant to do a deal without agreement with Cassel on a long-term deal, but its not a requirement like it is on most tag and trade deals.

ctpatsfan77

Also, don't forget that Cassel didn't leave early, so he also had extra time in the USC system, too.

As far as Cassel starting goes--on another team, yes. With the Pats, who knows.

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