Michael Silver on Pats/Brady

[SVN]

The Chargers: For real or frauds? - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

Contrary to a report on nbcsports.com, which suggests that Tom Brady’s knee injury is healing so slowly that he might have to sit out the 2009 season, my sources tell me that the Patriots quarterback is rehabbing daily at the team’s facility and expects to be ready for next year’s opener. In the meantime, the Pats are smart enough not to let Matt Cassel, due to become a free agent after the season, get away until they’re sure that Brady can return. Does that mean the Pats would be willing to franchise Cassel, potentially putting them on the hook for roughly $12 million in ‘09 salary (and tying up a reported $26 million of the salary cap for the team’s top two QBs)? As a certain former vice presidential candidate would say … You betcha. Yes, New England could make it work cap-wise, and no, the Pats wouldn’t let Cassel go for free even if they knew Brady was healthy. At the very least, franchising Cassel would allow them to get some compensation via a trade. Another question for the Pats: If a trade is made, who’ll be executing it? Sources say longtime vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli may finally be ready to end his successful partnership with coach Bill Belichick and listen to offers from Cleveland (which fired general manager Phil Savage on Sunday), Kansas City or other teams looking for a new front-office chief. Watching a guy who worked under him in New England, Thomas Dimitroff, enjoy enormous success as the Falcons’ first-year GM undoubtedly is influencing Pioli’s willingness to consider running his own show somewhere else. Under such a scenario Belichick, presumably, would hand-pick Pioli’s successor in New England. One man you can be sure he won’t be selecting: Pioli’s shameless father-in-law, Miami executive vice president of operations Bill Parcells, who according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen may be ready to execute an out clause relating to a Dolphins ownership change, pocket $12 million for a year’s worth of work and jump to another franchise. The report surfaced on the day the Dolphins were getting ready to play their biggest game in years. Stay classy, Tuna. Finally, a word on Belichick: After losing Brady in the season opener and numerous key players thereafter, he finagled an 11-5 record and near-playoff appearance out of a team that set an NFL record for fewest penalties (57) in a 16-game season. Think the man can coach a little?

 

[LloydBraun]

BB and Pioli are always prepared. If Pioli is leaving, then BB has known about it for months. They likely already have someone ready to step in.

Will we get compensation for Pioli?

We will get compensation for Cassel.

With our 1, two 2's, a 3 and a likely 3rd round comp for Asante, we are stacked. When you figure in a likely 1 and 3 (just a guess) for Cassel, then this draft in April will be huge.

Early prediction... a trade up for Aaron Curry from Wake Forest. The guy is a beast, can play OLB and ILB, and would look great next to Mayo.

While trading up, we would still be able to snag a good corner and a new SS on day 1.

 

[Pujo]

BB and Pioli are always prepared. If Pioli is leaving, then BB has known about it for months. They likely already have someone ready to step in.

Hopefully Pioli has been honest about his intent. Belichick can't read minds.

Will we get compensation for Pioli?

No.

We will get compensation for Cassel.[/Quote
With our 1, two 2's, a 3 and a likely 3rd round comp for Asante, we are stacked. When you figure in a likely 1 and 3 (just a guess) for Cassel, then this draft in April will be huge.

No way. Maybe a round 1 2010 pick, or a round 2 2009 pick. Everyone knows the Pats will want to unload Cassel, and that's if they even franchise him.

 

[tombonneau]

No way. Maybe a round 1 2010 pick, or a round 2 2009 pick. Everyone knows the Pats will want to unload Cassel, and that's if they even franchise him.

I'm not so sure. Teams were making offers to the Browns for Derek Anderson of a 1st & 3rd. It doesn't matter that teams know the Pats want to unload him. All it takes is two teams to make a bidding war. This isn't like Manny & Boras where they are trying to get the Dodgers to bid against themselves; the Pats will have at a minimum two very real suitors for Cassel and that is all they'll need.

 

[BelichickFan]

I'm not so sure. Teams were making offers to the Browns for Derek Anderson of a 1st & 3rd. It doesn't matter that teams know the Pats want to unload him.

Anderson wasn't a UFA so that made trading him a lot easier. That said, Cassel looked a lot better than Anderson did in 2007 when he had a great first half of the season and a crappy second half.

 

[Fixit]

Eff Michael Silver up his A.

 

[Mark Morse]

A 1st and 3rd sounds right. Detroit has two #1's and we could get the lower one (Dallas via the Williams trade). The Patriots would already get a 3rd round cmpensatory pick for Cassel if he were to go via free agency. Thats the starting point for negotiations.

 

[tombonneau]

Anderson wasn't a UFA so that made trading him a lot easier. That said, Cassel looked a lot better than Anderson did in 2007 when he had a great first half of the season and a crappy second half.

I'm just talking about QB compensation value. DA was valued a 1+3, that had nothing to do with his status as a RFA vs. Franchise Player.

 

[BradyManny]

The important part here to me is that its yet another source claiming that Brady is NOT behind schedule as the Curran article stated.

 

[SoCal Pmen]

As long as there are clueless owners in the league ala Jerry Jones, Al Davis and Dan Snyder, there will be chances for the Pats to get a 1st round pick for MC.

As to Pioli's successor, Reis recently reported that Nick Cesario could be elevated to the position as he is #2 to Pioli right now.

 

[BelichickFan]

I'm just talking about QB compensation value. DA was valued a 1+3, that had nothing to do with his status as a RFA vs. Franchise Player.

Understood - although Cassel being a UFA does negatively affect his value. Playing along, though, if Cassel were signed for two more years than a #1 and #3 should be the starting point for his trade value IMO.

 

[Ungeheuer]

Understood - although Cassel being a UFA does negatively affect his value. Playing along, though, if Cassel were signed for two more years than a #1 and #3 should be the starting point for his trade value IMO.

The franchise tag gives the Pats a lot of leverage in this scenario and it seems to me that a #1 and a #3 is a very good price tag for a young quarterback who just had the year Cassel had. If Matt Schaub is worth two high #2s, Cassel is certainly worth a #1 and a #3.

Cassel is an enormously valuable commodity. You take 10 GMs and ask them who they'd rather pay $60 million and a hefty bonus to, a guy who's already won 10 of 15 games he started or some kid like Sam Bradford -- all 10 will prefer to pay the known commodity. Cassel showed toughness and he showed that he can be a team player. He dealt with enormous pressure this year. He's media savvy. He's also a great athlete who's only going to get better. He's everything you want in the face of a franchise. If you have a team that has no quarterback and you have draft choices and cap space, Cassel is exactly the kind of guy you'd want to sign. A team like Detroit wouldn't hesitate, I would think, to ante up two or even three high picks for a guy like Cassel. Especially if they hire a Josh McDaniel to coach the team.

The Pats know what they have and there's no way he's getting away cheap, if he gets away at all.

 

[Watson's IQ]

I'm not so sure. Teams were making offers to the Browns for Derek Anderson of a 1st & 3rd. It doesn't matter that teams know the Pats want to unload him. All it takes is two teams to make a bidding war. This isn't like Manny & Boras where they are trying to get the Dodgers to bid against themselves; the Pats will have at a minimum two very real suitors for Cassel and that is all they'll need.

And any team that did make that trade would be monumentally regretting it today. I'd actually think Anderson's 2008 would serve as a cautionary tale for quarterback desperate teams who might want to break the bank for Cassel. I'm not saying the situations are completely analogous, but they have exactly the same NFL tenure. Let's not forget Anderson when trying to figure out the market for Cassel.

 

[Deus Irae]

And any team that did make that trade would be monumentally regretting it today. I'd actually think Anderson's 2008 would serve as a cautionary tale for quarterback desperate teams who might want to break the bank for Cassel. I'm not saying the situations are completely analogous, but they have exactly the same NFL tenure. Let's not forget Anderson when trying to figure out the market for Cassel.

Anderson had been falling back to Earth before last season even ended. Cassel, on the other hand, was looking better at the end of the year than he had earlier. I'm not sure the two players are really on the same plane.

 

[KCSVEN]

It all depends on the teams involved. For example:
Detroit offers the 20th pick they got from Dallas
From there point of view, a proven NFL QB, they still have #1 overall, a top of round 2 pick and two number 3's. They could then trade the #1 overall for more picks(assuming someone wants the QB at the top) or take the best defensive player/left tackle.
San Francisco wants to make a trade and offers it's #2 this yr and #1 next, then Detroit might have to throw in the Dallas #3. Basically trading Roy Williams for Matt Cassel.
Remember they got a 1 and a 3 for ROY WILLIAMS???
The only way the team wanting Cassel would have leverage is if there is only one team involved. Otherwise the fact the Pats have to trade him is MEANINGLESS.
Also the Chiefs got a first and 2 thirds for Jared Allen(A player franchised solely so they could trade him)
So a 1st and 3rd may not seem unreasonable if you consider a franchise QB is the hardest position to fill in the NFL.

 

[BionicPatriot]

Anderson had been falling back to Earth before last season even ended. Cassel, on the other hand, was looking better at the end of the year than he had earlier. I'm not sure the two players are really on the same plane.

What plane exactly?

I'm sorry, but does one season of throwing to Moss and Welker make him that great?

I'm sayin, everyone wanted him gone when he was sucked. Why? Because this offense is so talented, a starting QB should have no problem putting up good numbers throwing to Moss and Welker. But just because a guy is a good QB certainly doesn't make him worth a first rounder. Call me nuts, but this guy learned the system the last 4 years and in his 1st time starting for us he puts up 21 TDs and I don't even know how many interceptions.

In other words, hes pretty close to what Brady put up his 1st year, except he played in more games with 10X the talent. Am I saying he's not good? Not at all, I'm saying if teams wouldn't have considered a 1st for Brady, why would they for Cassel? Investing a 1st round choice is a serious matter, and I expect people to think before they unload it.

Ofcourse, everything I'm saying to you right now is meanginless if teams are stupid and they do it, but it sounds like dreaming to me expecting a 1st rounder. But nothing surprises me in the NFL, god knows I'd be dancing if we scored a first rounder off a once 7th rounder. also, Detroit, if anyone does, is the only team I could see going after Cassel. I forgot they got the extra first from Dallas. Who knows, losing #20 wouldn't kill them at all.