Prufrock

It is time for Matt Cassell to go.

Tom Brady is 30 years old next year. He probably has about 5-6 years minimum left in his tank before he starts to seriously decline. Matt Cassel is around 24-25. This means that once Brady is hitting that age wall in the NFL (he could be Warren Moon, but I'm talking about the most likely scenario), Cassell himself would be 30ish. Not the time you wan't to showcase your quarterback of the future. This is also assuming that Cassell would be personally fine with not taking the helm until he is 30. So this leads us to the conclusion that Cassell needs to go, for something decent of course.

What the Patriots need right now is an impact type defensive player. They need a Ray Lewis, Troy Polamalu, Rodney Harrison, or Brian Urlacher type player. The type of player that just seems to be everywhere, and seems to have that uncanny knack for making those plays or hits that cause a monumental shift in the momentum of the game. Rodney filled this role on the Patriots for many years, but he honestly doesn't have many more years left. We all know how the Patriots are without Rodney, good, but not great. They need to fix this hole ASAP. I don't realistically see anyone coming up through the ranks that could step into Rodney's shoes in the next few years (I love Banta-Cain to death, but he is going to probably become Teddy, not Rodney). So the only realistic way to address this hole, is through the draft or a trade.

I expect the Patriots to get a poor seed in the draft this year, so I really don't see them getting this type of player, unless they get lucky. So the only real way that they are going to get the next Ray Lewis, is by getting a top 5 draft pick and spending it on a kid that they are almost absolutely sure on. This is where Matt Cassell comes in.

I don't think that the Patriots would find any suitor for a straight-up Cassell for a #1-5 pick, so they would have to maybe bundle in a 1st, or 2nd and a 4th, or something similar. So make that bundle, and trade it to a team that needs a starting QB.

The lure of Cassell becomes that he is obviously a lot more NFL ready than some 22 year old kid you are going to draft out of USC or wherever, and has been under the tutelage of one of the greatest QBs in history. In addition, if the Patriots can show that he capable of handling the flow of an NFL game, he becomes infinitely more attractive. Tell me this; Would a team rather have some baby-faced kid that they have to show the ropes of the NFL, or a 26 year old man entering his prime, who has shown that he knows how to handle the stress of playing professional football? The choice is obvious. He very well may be the next Steve Young, the only problem is that the Patriots have Joe Montana at the helm.

Trading Cassell also gives the Patriots a chance to get another young QB, and groom him until he is ready to take over for Brady. It doesn't have to be anyone special, just someone that they see a lot of potential in, and has the ability to learn. Think about it, if they use a 4th round or lower pick on some kid in the draft after this one, it lines up perfectly with the time Brady is starting to decline. This kid will be 26-28, and ready to enter the NFL… and guess what, the cycle starts all over again.

BelichickFan

I expect we'll get something like a 3rd round pick for Cassel. Certainly nothing that we can use with other picks for a top five pick. But either this offseason or next I expect we'll trade him and, unlike Davey, I think we'll actually get a (late) Day One pick for him.

Remix 6

teams werent even offering a #1 for Schaub..the best was a #2 and he actually has been proven in game a lot compared to Cassell..sorry to tell you but doing good in preseason doesnt make u a great player. Cassell wont even get a 3rd or 4th imo..only way he can get up there is if god forbid Brady gets hurt and he takes over for half season or more and does great

BelichickFan

I don't know what was offered for Schaub, but if teams see a QB they like they'll make an offer. A #3 if nothing if a team thinks it's getting a good, young QB and Cassel has looked like that in the preseason and in his start against Miami last year.

Prufrock

That's why you package in other picks with Cassell. I wasn't suggesting that anyone would trade for Cassell straight-up. I think it's very realistic the Patriots could package Cassell and a 1st, and move up 15 or more spots in the first round.

spacecrime

No, that is the maximum, the best case scenario.

The minimum he has left is one snap this afternoon. That is all it takes for a career ending injury.

That is why you need two good RBs and two good QBs. To get rid of Cassell is to lose our insurance.

I am the original Cassell lover, from his first pass in his first mini-camp. It was for me that AJ coined the term Cassell-ite. But there is no way you can get a high draft pick for him. The only way you could do better than a fourth rounder would be for him to play in some games and prove what he has. If you have been a fan long enough to remember Rohan Davey's NFLE MVP season, and what that got him in the NFL, you understand that Cassell has to show it in the regular season. And teh only way for that to happen is for Brady to be hurt, in which case we won't want to trade him.

Sorry, no one thinks more highly of Cassell than I do, but getting a first day pick for him is not going to happen.

BelichickFan

I have no idea how you can say that. I'm not some nutty "we're going to get a #1 pick for him" guy but there are lots of lousy QB out there. If he continues to look good in his chances I think a team would strongly consider a #3 - especially if it's delayed a year. Before the 2007 draft, draft him for a 2008 #3 (or both a year later). That's not a huge price to pay for a potential answer at QB for a team.

Remix 6

but what if Brady gets hurt? then whos a QB..hes a good backup for us.

if we wanna move into top 15..we can do it other ways

MoLewisrocks

Cassel was signed to a 4 year deal for a reason. He isn't going anywhere this offseason unless someone literally blows BB's doors off. He's too valuable because of his familiarity with the system. And he hasn't been showcased sufficiently yet to garner that blow your doors off deal. He likely will be in Chinabowl and with an extra pre season game in 2007. And there is no one in the pipeline to replace him since both of the QB's in TC this year bombed out. Which means one or more of the many draft picks we have for 2007 will be used on another potential developmental QB.

BB would love to flip a backup QB for value. But he will not flip one while he represents better value on the roster than in draft/player compensation. Until we get another promising youngster in the mix, Matt represents the best insurance we've had at that position since...Brady.

BelichickFan

I disagree with that. Davey never looked that good in preseason. NFLE or not, against NFL players Cassel simply looks better.