...there are doubts as to if Cassel is the best option.
Apparently not where it counts.
I for one, think playing Cassel is throw away experience. He is not the starting QB going forward, and most likely, not the primary back up (long term - a 1 year extension is not out of the question). What better way to prepare your back up of the future for the system, then let him get quality snaps?
So who is this backup of the future? My crystal ball is a bit foggy.
As for throwing away experience, for whom? I presume you mean O'Connell, but what experience do you want him to take away? He came into the league needing a great deal of refinement per NFLDraftScout.com:
Negatives: Despite his athletic ability, size and arm strength, he is very inconsistent with his delivery, needing to improve his footwork, as he tends to throw off balance and off his back foot too often...Must develop better zip on his deep throws and not generate so much velocity throwing into the short-to-intermediate areas...Has good mobility throwing on the move, but needs to see threats better firing downfield and is not always alert to backside pressure, as many of his fumbles (20 in the last three years) have come after getting hit from the blind side...Has good command of the team and shows courage, but gets into "home run" mindset, trying to force big plays and instead makes mistakes...Must develop a better rhythm on his passes, especially with his footwork...Has never played in anything more than a simplified system and must become more alert on the field, as he does not usually make quick and proper reads...Seems to try to aim the ball rather than hitting his receivers in stride...Might need more than a few years to develop a good feel for reading defenses, as he must do a better job of scanning the field, as he tends to look too long at his primary targets, taking unnecessary punishment when the pocket collapses...Needs to improve his timing patterns to prevent receivers from having to adjust...Will need more refinement in his delivery, as he does not open and close his shoulders quickly...Overthrows at times on fades and post patterns.
Compares To: MATT CASSEL-New England...O'Connell is a more mobile passer, but like Cassel, he is going to need time and patient coaching to add technique and mechanical refinement. He is a rare-sized athlete with great mobility in the pocket, but his delivery is a mess and his footwork leaves a lot to be desired. He forces a lot of throws and needs generate better touch on his short-area throws and improve the zip on his deep passes. If a team preaches patience and has an established veteran in place to allow O'Connell several years to develop, he could be a good one. Rushing him, however, might render any pick used on O'Connell a wasted selection.
And per his own description from rookie camp:
05/15/08 - QB Kevin O'Connell, who struggled with his accuracy in rookie camp, got some serious attention after one of the workouts as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels ran the rookie through a variety of throws and drops with a member of the Patriots video department taping every movement. The third-round pick said the first few days of his pro career have given him coaching like he's never received before. "We've just been watching a lot of stuff and there are little things that Coach McDaniels wants me to work on every day. At the end of the day we are just going to film it every day and continue to grow with that," said the athletic San Diego State star. "That's something I'll probably do day in and day out for the rest of the summer. I really haven't been exposed to coaching like this before."
I frankly don't understand how so many people can fail to see how much better at running the offense Cassel was in preseason. Yes, he's struggling with reading defenses and seeing the field, but the two current NFL Head Coaches with two or more Super Bowl victories - and incidentally part of the even rarer back to back Lombardis club - have
both said it takes time for a young QB playing in this league to learn how to read defenses. Any number of pundits have said the Patriots
aren't simplifying the offense to any great degree for Cassel. Throwing O'Connell to the wolves seems like a poor way to develop him, some limited mop up duty like the Miami game gives him some film to learn from, without leaving him out there to be beaten on mentally and physically while he's trying to absorb all the new material and meld it with what he has recently learned. Patience please.
I had expectations for the team before the season started:
Reserve QB - meeting expectations at 3-2 after five games. He's limited turnovers and progressed in his decision making from each of the previous games. (Those who don't think so should send their resumes to Bob Kraft, if you're right he obviously needs to build a candidate pool for HC of the NEP.)
O-line - is failing to meet my expectations. Lots of room to step up here.
TE - is failing to meet my expectations.
WR - within the limits of working with a reserve QB, okay, but Randy getting owned by Jammer was a major disappointment, Cassel or no Cassel.
RB - about where I expected. Maroney's injury will heal, as will Jordens, and they will be a nice one-two punch down the stretch. Morris, Evans, and Faulk are their usual reliable selves.
D-line - is failing to meet my expectations. Lots of room to step up here.
Linebacker - is failing to meet my expectations. Lots of room to step up here.
Secondary - Seems uncoordinated, something is needed here to bring them onto the same page.
PK - Awsome.
P - is failing to meet my expectations. The directional kicking isn't what I'm looking for.
STs - more inconsistent then I expected, there is a bunch of room to make up here.
