Here's how we do it

[b72s]

Offer cassell a contract in which the following happens

1. Backweight it
2. first year he get's vet's minimum but if he plays 65% of snaps he gets huge bonus

Cassell would do this because when traded he can renegotiate

Pats get picks but also when brady gets back Cassell bonus never paid.

Obviously have to guarantee a portion and get insurance

 

[JSn]

Offer cassell a contract in which the following happens

1. Backweight it
2. first year he get's vet's minimum but if he plays 65% of snaps he gets huge bonus

Cassell would do this because when traded he can renegotiate

Pats get picks but also when brady gets back Cassell bonus never paid.

Obviously have to guarantee a portion and get insurance

Not a terrible idea and good insurance for TFB's return on the surface, but I think the percentage of snaps to escalate would have to be A LOT lower and I think that some tampering/illegal trade planning would have to be in place for it to go down.

 

[smg93]

Problem is, why will he agree to a Vet minimum if he can get a contract as an FA with a huge guaranteed portion? It's a violent game, you never know when you could get seriously hurt...

 

[Pats726]

Why would ge agree to it?? I see no reason he would...that simple.

 

[satz]

Why will he agree as when he sign`s someone is going to give him a signin bonus cash of 20 million or so and also after a trade where a team gave picks they might refuse to redo his contract then what happens ?.

that is like now on 1st week of FA.explain this to me.If you even franchise him he will sign fast as 14 million is nothing to laugh at.

 

[mgteich]

This offer would need to start with a $14M bonus for 2009 and more if Cassel is commited for longer.

 

[maverick4]

This offer would need to start with a $14M bonus for 2009 and more if Cassel is commited for longer.

A huge 2009 bonus instead of a franchise tag... is actually pretty darn smart. He might go for it, and it would help us keep him for multiple years, giving us more time and leverage to trade, and hopefully the huge upfront bonus will reduce the cap hit from trading him.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

A huge 2009 bonus instead of a franchise tag... is actually pretty darn smart. He might go for it, and it would help us keep him for multiple years, giving us more time and leverage to trade, and hopefully the huge upfront bonus will reduce the cap hit from trading him.

The franchise tag would reduce the cap hit from trading him...it is essentially unproratable guaranteed salary... Bonus is spread over the length of the deal and hits the cap when the player is traded (to a team who is only on the hook for remaining salary and guaranteed money).

Cassel isn't going to sign a long term deal here period because he'd have to compete with a legend for playing time going forward, which if Brady's rehab goes remotely AS PREDICTED would be zero...

He wants to be a starter outright on his own team, they all do - including Brady. He isn't going to take the money to carry a clipboard while his buzz disappears as the new flavor of the month QB bursts on the scene... He's waited his entire football life for this time and he's not stupid... A long term deal as a starter could net him upwards of $65M+ over the next several years and another year on the sidelines could negate that potential altogether.

There was a brief window to extend him to a roll of the dice interim contract with tradeable parameters that some here scoffed at a month ago...that ship has sailed barring him stumbling badly down the stretch or getting injured, and then none of you will want him again anyway...

 

[Fencer]

It's a clever idea, but nothing like that is apt to work. Here's why.

Even if you could make the deal financially reasonable for Cassell, he'd be giving up control over what team he goes to. What if the Pats trade him to Detroit when he wants to go to SF?

 

[Tunescribe]

He wants to be a starter outright on his own team, they all do - including Brady. He isn't going to take the money to carry a clipboard while his buzz disappears as the new flavor of the month QB bursts on the scene... He's waited his entire football life for this time and he's not stupid...

You're right, the guy will want to PLAY no matter what kind of money is waved under his nose. Playing time is the bottom line, even if the Pats can somehow come up with sufficient money. As great as it would be to keep him, Matt's going to be starting for someone else next season. Kevin O'Connell will be groomed as Brady's eventual replacement.

I'm beginning to think the man we REALLY need to keep onboard and throw money at is McDaniel, not only for his work as OC but also for the way he develops quarterbacks.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

You're right, the guy will want to PLAY no matter what kind of money is waved under his nose. Playing time is the bottom line, even if the Pats can somehow come up with sufficient money. As great as it would be to keep him, Matt's going to be starting for someone else next season. Kevin O'Connell will be groomed as Brady's eventual replacement.

I'm beginning to think the man we REALLY need to keep onboard and throw money at is McDaniel, not only for his work as OC but also for the way he develops quarterbacks.

Yup, along with that Brady guy who teaches young talent by example that you're never so that you don't have to outwork the competition and it's never out of the realm of possibility you will be rewarded for your efforts. Who do you think helped Matt developed the uncanny ability to step in out of relative obscurity and lead without guys either laughing you off or getting in your grill? Who taught him how you get veteran guys to line up behind you and make a damn play... He had to have the capacity to absorb it, but he also had to have a positive and willing role model he has learned to emulate.

 

[vyrago]

This offer would need to start with a $14M bonus for 2009 and more if Cassel is commited for longer.

Absolutely.
Tom Brady is not the only one whose knees don't bend sideways. Cassel would be dumb not to demand big money up front to protect against injury.