Why do so many people think Cassel was worth a first-rounder?

[Fixit]

I love the guy, but honestly, when was the last time a team traded a #1 for a one-year starter? Better question, if you were another team's GM, would you have traded your #1 for Cassel?

I don't want to hear about Schaub, by the way. Trading two #2's for Schaub is why the Texans are the Texans. It has no bearing on actual value.

 

[tatepatsfan]

My problem is not that we got #34 for Cassel, it is that we got #34 for Cassel AND Vrabel. Cassel alone, and I'd have thought it was a great deal.

 

[Imperator]

My problem is not that we got #34 for Cassel, it is that we got #34 for Cassel AND Vrabel. Cassel alone, and I'd have thought it was a great deal.

Ditto.

Cassel was well worth that 2nd rounder. But him AND Vrabel for the #34? That was to much.

 

[Absurdly Metro]

I didn;t believe Cassel was worth a 1st rounder until I started reading stuff by football people like Mike Lombardi saying two 1sts etc. Then you hear that BB sees MC as a top ten QB in the league right now. I think I even read Shefter saying he would take Cassel over either Stafford or Sanchez and teams will clearly be willing to part with 1's for those guys. I don;t really know what to think at this point but thanks for asking.

 

[Fixit]

People are seriously overvaluing Vrabel at this point in his career. I'm a big fan, but he was practically invisible last year. There's every possibility that we had to throw him in to make KC give up #34.

 

[mayoclinic]

Simply put, because I watched him play last year and he looked like the reincarnation of Tom Brady. He evolved beautifully over the course of the season, and showed tremendous poise and accuracy. He looks like a future franchise QB, and a franchise QB is worth much more than a 1st round pick.

I believe Cleveland turned down 1st round pick offers for Derek Anderson a year ago. Cassel was probably hurt by Anderson's poor showing this year, eroding confidence in possible "one year wonders". But I personally doubt he will be a one year wonder, I think he's the real deal. If the Pats thought so too, then they knowingly allowed themselves to get robbed in order to get out of salary cap hell.

 

[Jimke]

The funny thing is that the Patriots are much better off moneywise

with the 34th pick (second round) than the 32nd pick(first round)

due to the rookie salary structure.

 

[Deus Irae]

I love the guy, but honestly, when was the last time a team traded a #1 for a one-year starter? Better question, if you were another team's GM, would you have traded your #1 for Cassel?

I don't want to hear about Schaub, by the way. Trading two #2's for Schaub is why the Texans are the Texans. It has no bearing on actual value.

Because he was.

 

[VJCPatriot]

I think that Cassel is worth a 1st rounder IF you are willing to hold out and wait till the draft to deal him. But the Pats weren't willing to wait and they had a decent deal in place with Pioli for a high 2nd (the 2nd pick in the 2nd round), so they decideed that the opportunity cost saved by clearing the cap space quicker was well worth giving up a little bit of draft position value. Pats can now be a player early in free agency, and still get an early draft pick.

Other reports confirm that teams were in discussion with the Pats for Matt. So there was in fact more than one bidder, and the Pats could have sat back and played them off against each other until one team blinked and gave up a 1st. But in the end BB decided it wasn't worth waiting for.

 

[Imperator]

People are seriously overvaluing Vrabel at this point in his career. I'm a big fan, but he was practically invisible last year. There's every possibility that we had to throw him in to make KC give up #34.

Even so, we should have gotton a fourth next year for him at least. Old vets still have some value.

 

[Connecticut]

Great trade. Freeing up money and getting a high second rounder.

 

[aeg]

I never thought first, but I thought Cassel was worth #34 PLUS something more (maybe exchange of 3rds or conditional 2010 pick).

The fact he was worth less than #34 is still hard to digest.

OTOH, I agree with the opinion I've read in several places that it makes sense for the Pats to receive less today than any later point (the draft for sure or even a week from now) since then the cap space would be good for only one reason (re-signing our own guys) instead of two (bringing in quality FAs).

 

[Jimke]

Even so, we should have gotton a fourth next year for him at least. Old vets still have some value.

Vrabel may have been about to be cut and this was the convenient

way to handle the situation.

 

[patchick]

If the Pats thought so too, then they knowingly allowed themselves to get robbed in order to get out of salary cap hell.

That's an interesting statement. Many of us felt certain for months that the Pats would franchise Cassel, then trade him at the very beginning of the FA period to clear off his salary and dive into free agent signings. That, of course, is precisely what happened. And all of the reasons that we expected it to go fast are also reasons for the Pats to take whatever they could get, fast. It's very sensible to take the certainty and the cap space immediately rather than watch the FA pool dwindle as you try to squeeze an extra conditional 2010 pick out of somebody.

Two other passing thoughts:

- In this draft, #34 is a very attractive position. There's a vast, murky pool of talent starting around the teens, so I expect to see at least one player I'd consider at #23 still available at 34.

- Should the Lions have offered #20? Yes. Did they? We don't know, do we? All we know is that this is the best deal the Pats could swing early that Cassel also agreed to. So fine.

 

[Easywolf32]

If I were a team in need of a qb, I'd rather have Cassel than any other QB coming up in this draft, therefore he's worth a first round. Proves that at least 10-15 teams are stupid.

 

[Imperator]

Vrabel may have been about to be cut and this was the convenient

way to handle the situation.

When you put it that way, I guess it makes sense. Good point.

Alright I'm satisfied with this deal.

 

[BSR]

Why do we think he is worth a first? Because if you put him in the draft he would be the first player taken, without a doubt.

 

[Fencer]

The funny thing is that the Patriots are much better off moneywise

with the 34th pick (second round) than the 32nd pick(first round)

due to the rookie salary structure.

I don't think that's true at all.

It would be in the NBA, but in the NFL there's not much money difference, and one loses a year of low-priced service. It's actually a significant disadvantage to leave the first round.

 

[Rob0729]

Not only do I think Cassel was worth a first, but I think they would have gotten a first and possibly more if they were willing to hold onto him until April. The fact that it seems pretty obvious the Pats traded Cassel and Vrabel now were because of cap reasons, they lost power in their negotiation.

I don't think Vrabel was worth much in a trade since he might have been cut anyway in a cap saving move.

 

[Fencer]

That's an interesting statement. Many of us felt certain for months that the Pats would franchise Cassel, then trade him at the very beginning of the FA period to clear off his salary and dive into free agent signings. That, of course, is precisely what happened. And all of the reasons that we expected it to go fast are also reasons for the Pats to take whatever they could get, fast. It's very sensible to take the certainty and the cap space immediately rather than watch the FA pool dwindle as you try to squeeze an extra conditional 2010 pick out of somebody.

Two other passing thoughts:

- In this draft, #34 is a very attractive position. There's a vast, murky pool of talent starting around the teens, so I expect to see at least one player I'd consider at #23 still available at 34.

- Should the Lions have offered #20? Yes. Did they? We don't know, do we? All we know is that this is the best deal the Pats could swing early that Cassel also agreed to. So fine.

Well said.

People criticizing the trade need to recall Cassel's very strong bargaining position. I imagine he's getting paid a few million $ more than he would have gotten in the absence of the franchise tag. That cuts into his draft pick value a lot.