3) The most reasonable answer is that the reward of getting something better than #34 was not worth the risk of losing what he already had on the table. Any other explanation involves believing the Belichick didn't act in the best interest of the Patriots.
See, your first line, while debatable, is perfectly reasonable in its anchor to logic. The problem is the rest of this post. It's not only dead wrong, it's the same argument that people keep making. I expect much, much better from quality posters such as yourself.
The reality of sports is that some teams trade together a lot because they are comfortable with each other, don't worry about the other guy trying to hose them, etc... When this happens, you don't always get the very best deal possible.
Posters here understand things like sales, 2-for-1 deals, bulk discounts, taking less than top dollar, haggling, cutting a price for a friend, etc... How those posters have ignored that day-to-day reality just to protect BB from a non-attack has been a fascinating thing to watch. It's one thing to disagree with the idea that BB was cutting Pioli a bit of a break. It's another entirely to make the off-the-wall claims that some of you have made regarding it.
The line of thinking that Belichick cut Pioli a deal to make nice and get preferential treatment from KC in the future has no basis in reality.
Of course, you have absolutely no idea whatsoever whether this assertion of yours is true or not. This is a perfect example of what I was talking about above.
4) KC has the #3 pick in the draft and there were/are reasonable FA QBs on the market (not franchise caliber, but enough to babysit for a year or two). Belichick likely suspected that Pioli would keep his offer on the table and maybe even sweeten it as more bidders came online...but getting #34 and having KC take Cassel without renegotiating (could be a time-consuming process) was too good to risk losing. If Belichick played hardball, Pioli got miffed that he was being played and pulled out, and these 3-team deals fizzled out or couldn't get Cassel signed...well that possibility was just not acceptable.
KC wants to make a deal with N.E. DESPITE having the #3 pick in the draft, where either Sanchez or Stafford is expected to be available. BB knows this, but you think he'll believe that Thigpen and/or a Chris Simms type of player is going to be a valid threat to a deal waiting 24-36 hours?
