JoeSixPat
Pro Bowl Player
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- Nov 8, 2004
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I know there's multiple threads out there about fans who are hapilly eating crow regarding Cassel's performance this season. And he deserves all the compliments coming his way.
But part of me feels like there's some revisionist history going on here. Cassel's pre-season performance was spotty at best - and I submit that NO ONE expected that he could truly do what he did this season. I think even the most die hard Cassel supporters would have to admit this.
In fact, amid the "crow eatinig" contest going on, shouldn't Belichick himself be included in the mix?
After all, at a time when he was expecting Brady to be the starter, prior to week one, Belichick admitted he had put the call out to not one, but two veteran QBs, Chris Simms and Tim Rattay.
Bill Belichick of Patriots Confirms Chris Simms and Tim Rattay Were in Town - wbztv.com
When asked about this following Brady's injury in Week 1, Belichick made a tactful attempt not to go into any detail about what prompted him to invite two veteran QBs in for interviews and presumably workouts prior to the beginning of the season.
I think one can reasonably assume that it wasn't O'Connell who wasn't living up to the low expectations a rookie would have. That leaves Cassel's performance as the reason prompting Belichick's interest in a Veteran QB to come in and learn the system while Brady continued to start, with the hope and expection that they would NEVER be needed, but if they were, it was somewhere later in the season when they were integrated in the system.
As of Week 1, when Brady was clearly out, Belichick wisely seems to have acknowledged that the situation had changed, and he was better off with Cassel, who knew the system, rather than a veteran who would have a very limited number of plays they could run if made the starter. Furthermore, one assumes, in an effort to bolster Cassel's confidence and reaffirm that the games were in Cassel's hands, Belichick cancelled the interviews and didn't bother working out Simms or Rattay. (A very wise choice as having a Veteran looking over his shoulder would really do Cassel no good.)
My only reason for raising this is I think its largely been forgotten, but if we're to be accurate in the "Matt Cassel Story" it would appear that even Belichick had serious doubts about whether Cassel was ready for prime time, and that it wouldn't be accurate to suggest that Belichick truly thought all along that Cassel was capable of doing all that he did...
Far from it, Belichick was actually interested in a veteran QB, and it is questionable whether he'd keep 4 QBs or risk letting O'Connell, a 3rd round pick, clear waivers and/or remain eligible to be picked up by another team by being placed on the Practice Squad roster. Hence - Cassel could very well have been right on the Bubble looking at being cut, if not for Brady's Week One injury.
Any thoughts on my analysis? Surely Belichick's pre-Week 1 interest in a veteran can't be looked at as an endorsement of Cassel's ability as a starter?
But part of me feels like there's some revisionist history going on here. Cassel's pre-season performance was spotty at best - and I submit that NO ONE expected that he could truly do what he did this season. I think even the most die hard Cassel supporters would have to admit this.
In fact, amid the "crow eatinig" contest going on, shouldn't Belichick himself be included in the mix?
After all, at a time when he was expecting Brady to be the starter, prior to week one, Belichick admitted he had put the call out to not one, but two veteran QBs, Chris Simms and Tim Rattay.
Bill Belichick of Patriots Confirms Chris Simms and Tim Rattay Were in Town - wbztv.com
When asked about this following Brady's injury in Week 1, Belichick made a tactful attempt not to go into any detail about what prompted him to invite two veteran QBs in for interviews and presumably workouts prior to the beginning of the season.
Q: There were reports that Chris Simms and Tim Rattay came to town and you told them to leave- that the situation had changed. Any insight you can give us?
BB: They visited but we didn't give them a physical and we didn't work them out. I didn't even see them while they were here. They did visit. They did come in, but we didn't end up doing anything with them. We sent them back.
I think one can reasonably assume that it wasn't O'Connell who wasn't living up to the low expectations a rookie would have. That leaves Cassel's performance as the reason prompting Belichick's interest in a Veteran QB to come in and learn the system while Brady continued to start, with the hope and expection that they would NEVER be needed, but if they were, it was somewhere later in the season when they were integrated in the system.
As of Week 1, when Brady was clearly out, Belichick wisely seems to have acknowledged that the situation had changed, and he was better off with Cassel, who knew the system, rather than a veteran who would have a very limited number of plays they could run if made the starter. Furthermore, one assumes, in an effort to bolster Cassel's confidence and reaffirm that the games were in Cassel's hands, Belichick cancelled the interviews and didn't bother working out Simms or Rattay. (A very wise choice as having a Veteran looking over his shoulder would really do Cassel no good.)
My only reason for raising this is I think its largely been forgotten, but if we're to be accurate in the "Matt Cassel Story" it would appear that even Belichick had serious doubts about whether Cassel was ready for prime time, and that it wouldn't be accurate to suggest that Belichick truly thought all along that Cassel was capable of doing all that he did...
Far from it, Belichick was actually interested in a veteran QB, and it is questionable whether he'd keep 4 QBs or risk letting O'Connell, a 3rd round pick, clear waivers and/or remain eligible to be picked up by another team by being placed on the Practice Squad roster. Hence - Cassel could very well have been right on the Bubble looking at being cut, if not for Brady's Week One injury.
Any thoughts on my analysis? Surely Belichick's pre-Week 1 interest in a veteran can't be looked at as an endorsement of Cassel's ability as a starter?
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