The difference in opinion concerning Cassel and his standing on the team in this thread compared to the pre-season game threads is amazing.
The peanut gallery has quieted some.
EDIT: To make this post more substantive, I never viewed this preseason as Cassel making a claim for, or fighting for, the backup role. It was more like BB giving him the game seasoning he needed.
If there was to be competition, they'd have rotated QBs against opposing #1s like they do at other positions they are evaluating talent at, like CB or OLB. In 2001, when they were evaluating multiple QBs for Bledsoe's backup, they rotated Brady in against #1s. Or if they just didn't like Cassel, they'd wouldn't have wasted reps on him, like they didn't with Hobson, Flynn, or some of the other vets.
And they probably could have called Brady out during these games to work on offensive "timing" if they wanted to. But they never did, and all that adds up to giving Cassel experience. They'll probably continue to do that in the regular season, instead of letting Brady play bombs away in the 2nd half again.
Cassel has been on the roster for quite a few years already. It actually would have surprised me if the coaching staff was just now trying to "figure out" if Cassel was a talent at QB. Like BB standing on the sidelines going, "Holy ****, this guy blows!"