Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised [merged]

[Brady'sButtBoy]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

iam wondering why would a team will trade for cassel and give up picks instead of waiting to see if pats remove the tag and let him go because of the high franchise tag price.
Unless brady is seriously behind, pats cant afford to have both the players on the roster i would think.

I made my case about this question in the other Cassel thread but in a nutshell-

Cassel is much more of a sure thing than any college QB since you've seen him play extensively in the NFL and finish the season as the no. 10 QB

With Cassel you won't have to wait for your new QB to go through the normal 1-2 years of growing pains for a college QB.

He's been schooled for 4 years by one of the very best coaches NFL ever (on top of 4 years by one of the very top college coaches, USC's Pete Carroll).

Just more than one third of 32 first round QB's in the last ten years have become stars; an nearly equal amount have bombed out, the others have had mediocre careers.

If you trade out of a very high draft pick, you might actually be able to sign Cassel for less up front money in total, on top of being much more certain about what you're getting - see Jamarcus Russell.

Using this logic, I'd think there will be teams fighting over Cassel, not smugly waiting for the Pats to fold. It wasn't a franchise situation, but Atlanta got 2 no.2's for a guy who had one notable start. Considering the hit or miss nature of QB's, it seems to me a bunch of teams will be hot to get their hands on Cassel.

Say you're Detroit, your team is in shambles, you desperately need a young leader to build around, and you don't dare blow another big pick like the last GM...um, and you don't think Cassel would be worth your second first round pick you snagged from Dallas? Think of it, essentially Roy Williams for Matt Cassel? That would be like stealing. I bet the Pats would try to get more. I wouldn't even be surprised if some team just went ahead a signed Cassel and paid the two number one's price any team can turn over for signing a franchised player. How much is a nearly sure thing QB worth?

 

[BelichickFan]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

so does that mean cassel is going to stay ? Why would he not sign a 14mil tender ? He also can refuse to agree to terms with any team the pats want to trade with , right ?

He can sign the tender and still be traded. In theory he could be traded under the one year contract against his wishes but in that case we would get next to nothing for him and, potentially, wouldn't be able to find anyone at all. The extremely likely case is we would trade him after he agrees to a new contract with a new team. He has to want to play and, like all players who are tagged, he would get more than $14M guaranteed in bonuses, first year salary and the next couple of years of salary which are basically guaranteed as it would cost too much to cut him.

 

[JoePats]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

How much is a nearly sure thing QB worth?

That's if they really think he's a sure thing. I'm sure a few coaches and GMs who might be in the market will say that he was a system QB, didn't play that well against the best teams on the schedule, benefitted from a great receiving duo, and played an easy schedule.

 

[BelichickFan]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

That's if they really think he's a sure thing. I'm sure a few coaches and GMs who might be in the market will say that he was a system QB, didn't play that well against the best teams on the schedule, benefitted from a great receiving duo, and played an easy schedule.

He's not a SURE thing but he's much surer than Stafford (who's very inconsistent mechanically and in decision making) and Bradford (who played in as QB friendly an offense as Cassel but at the college level). Combine that with Cassel costing less in draft choices than those two and Cassel presents a much safer value IMO.

 

[upstater1]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

He's not a SURE thing but he's much surer than Stafford (who's very inconsistent mechanically and in decision making) and Bradford (who played in as QB friendly an offense as Cassel but at the college level). Combine that with Cassel costing less in draft choices than those two and Cassel presents a much safer value IMO.

The one hitch to all this is that some of these GMs dream about a potential franchise QB, and they roll the dice. Some of these guys would rather do that, especially if they already think Cassel is just an OK QB, and not of the top rank.

 

[BelichickFan]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

The one hitch to all this is that some of these GMs dream about a potential franchise QB, and they roll the dice. Some of these guys would rather do that, especially if they already think Cassel is just an OK QB, and not of the top rank.

You're right that someone could easily fall in love with a Bradford, Stafford or even a Freeman. But there's enough needy teams out there I think we'll find one. I'm also confident that Belichick will know the interest and whether he's risking getting stuck with Cassel and $14M before he tags him; in fact he may already know. It's not tampering for Belichick to talk around the league about one of his players.

 

[stcjones]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

Right now, I don't think franchising Cassel is that risky. What it does is buy the Patriots time to evaluate Brady's status, and they can do the franchising without making any roster moves because of it. They'll still be going into free agency with six to eight million dollars of uncommitted cap space without any additional cuts, restructures or extensions, and if they want to play for a big FA or two, they can easily structure contracts to fit under those constraints.

If franchising Cassel gives the Patriots until mid-April to evaluate Brady, then going into the draft the Pats either have good confidence that Brady is healthy and a couple of extra picks OR a competent starting quarterback in Cassel for the 2009 season or 2 additional 1st rounders to compensate for the lack of #1 or #2.

If the Pats only had 10 million in space right now, this analysis would be very different, but they have the breathing room to buy time with moderate opportunity and minimal cash/cap costs.

I agree with you here......By franchising Cassel they A) could trade him and get some draft picks back in return....RATHER than just letting him walk and get nothing.....or B) They may know MORE about Brady's present condition than they are making available.....and if the rumors of "Brady could be out for the entire 2009 season" are true......They will NEED Cassel..........we will see what happens.....I don't think they could have done anything other than Franchise the guy ......

 

[Brady'sButtBoy]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

That's if they really think he's a sure thing. I'm sure a few coaches and GMs who might be in the market will say that he was a system QB, didn't play that well against the best teams on the schedule, benefitted from a great receiving duo, and played an easy schedule.

Oh yes, I know just what you mean. GM's have an ego just like everyone else and that ego whispers - "You'll be THE MAN if you pick the next Brady or Manning. Take Cassel and you're feeding off of Belichick's scraps." Or something like that. Pragmatism isn't as simply pervasive in the NFL 'profession' as we are told it is by the talking heads, and personnel folk, as well. How many GM's have lost their jobs by losing their heads just in the last few years?

 

[palm beach barry]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

Question is how much is Cassel worth to Detroit?
Detroit could draft a QB (Matt Stanford according to some draftniks) and wait a year or two or trade for Cassel...would they go for this years #1 and # 2 next year....then the pats could trade down to maybe#10 and then again to ...say #20 happy new year!

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

Question is how much is Cassel worth to Detroit?
Detroit could draft a QB (Matt Stanford according to some draftniks) and wait a year or two or trade for Cassel...would they go for this years #1 and # 2 next year....then the pats could trade down to maybe#10 and then again to ...say #20 happy new year!

If the Pats could somehow get the #1 pick overall, I doubt they'd get much to give it up (seriously, I could see them trading #1 overall for, say, #5 and a sixth-rounder).

 

[VJCPatriot]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

If the Pats could somehow get the #1 pick overall, I doubt they'd get much to give it up (seriously, I could see them trading #1 overall for, say, #5 and a sixth-rounder).

You are way underestimating the value of the #1 overall pick. The #5 and a 6th isn't even close. The #5 and a 3rd or a 2nd rounder is more like it. Besides I don't think the Lions would deal the #1 overall, they have another 1st round pick from Dallas don't they?

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

You are way underestimating the value of the #1 overall pick. The #5 and a 6th isn't even close. The #5 and a 3rd or a 2nd rounder is more like it. Besides I don't think the Lions would deal the #1 overall, they have another 1st round pick from Dallas don't they?

I'm not understimating the value--I'm just trying to analyze the cost.

 

[PatriotsReign]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

Man....this is gonna piss-off the "Trade Brady" crowd huh?

EXCELLENT!!!!!!!

 

[BPF]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

Interesting: ProFootballTalk.com - MANNING CARRIES $21.2 MILLION CAP NUMBER INTO 2009

 

[JoePats]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

Lombardi's report is confirmed by Mortensen.

ESPN - Sources: New England Patriots to put franchise tag on Matt Cassel

 

[MassPats38]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

Lombardi's report is confirmed by Mortensen.

ESPN - Sources: New England Patriots to put franchise tag on Matt Cassel

I was about to post this link as well. The difference is Lombardi sounded to be offering an opinion on what the Patriots will do, Mortensen is saying the Patriots have decided they will franchise Cassel and somehow leaked that decision to the media 7 weeks before the date it will be announced (the ubiquitous "league sources" again).

Tactically, it could be a decision to make possible suitors plan accordingly as far as trade options for rights to him rather than hope the Patriots let him go to encourage early dialogue. If the league source is not from the Patriots (and the Pats love ESPN), and given the Pats' reluctance to announce intentions on transactions prior to the draft to avoid showing their hand, I think the article is a little too definitive.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

I'll be interested to see if Cassel signs the tender in March

 

[patchick]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

I was about to post this link as well. The difference is Lombardi sounded to be offering an opinion on what the Patriots will do, Mortensen is saying the Patriots have decided they will franchise Cassel and somehow leaked that decision to the media 7 weeks before the date it will be announced (the ubiquitous "league sources" again).

Tactically, it could be a decision to make possible suitors plan accordingly as far as trade options for rights to him rather than hope the Patriots let him go to encourage early dialogue.

Makes sense to me. If you're tagging with an eye to trade possibilities, I can't think of any disadvantage whatsoever in putting the news out early.

 

[AFPatsFan12]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

LOL at ESPN. On their bottom line, under "The Lead", they've had "Patriots to Place Franchise Tag on QB Matt Cassel" all day long. Now, they've switched it to "Patriots May Franchise Matt Cassel". So not only did they vulture other media outlets, but they've subsequently backed down on that story, and STILL feel compelled to keep that garbage line up there. We all know what little journalistic integrity the Worldwide Leader in Crapola has, but this struck me as funny.

Other tidbits on The Lead: "Vikings-Eagles playoff game might not end in tie," and "Bill Belichick might keep his job next year". What a joke of a network...

 

[nescott]

Re: Mike Lombardi: Cassel to be franchised

Bad move i like matt brady will be fine we need secondary with that money say no no no