Will Cassel be franchised?

[BradyFTW!]

We have a QB who has just won 11 games, with a couple 400 yard games. We have a HOF QB who we don't know will be ready to go straight away next season and we have a rookie. We are to just give up our 11 game winning 400 yard passing QB for a comp pick? Not so sure that is the best idea

Lots of QBs can win 11 games in the Pats' offense. How many can win 16?...

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I think what you have to look at .....is against our schedule this past year, there are many vet QB'S that if they knew our system, could have rattled off the same stats.........Not to take anything away from Matt.....He had a great year based on his abilities...and showed incredible fire and guts......But if we return the same O next year, there is nothing to say yet, that Okee or Gutz, or some other vet coming in (especially if they come in NOW and learn the system)......Can't do THE SAME THING.

One thing here--as Pioli said, "Quite honestly, there is no other Matt Cassel."

That's not to say Kevin O'Connell won't/can't be just as good, merely that he won't be Matt Cassel (after all, Cassel's lack of game time was offset by years of outstanding teaching; O'Connell has outstanding measurables, but was also routinely running for his life).

 

[mgcolby]

O'Connell?????? Dude we just trained our 2nd backup QB to be a starter this decade we really dont need a 3rd, besides carson palmer's knee injury wasnt as bad, but he was and still isnt the same (yes i do know that Cincy is awful, but that doesnt mean carson is). so we should trash brades and keep cassel

You do realize that his woes have nothing to do with his knee...right???

 

[billdog3484]

if you don think he will be franchised you dont understand business and sports

 

[BelichickFan]

O'Connell?????? Dude we just trained our 2nd backup QB to be a starter this decade we really dont need a 3rd, besides carson palmer's knee injury wasnt as bad, but he was and still isnt the same (yes i do know that Cincy is awful, but that doesnt mean carson is). so we should trash brades and keep cassel

Palmer's injury was worse; he had cartilage damage too. And he played well the next two years, the team just disintegrated around him.

 

[fgssand]

we have to keep Cassel. Hes gone from "He sucks" to "best qb ever" on Patsfans.com within months. Better than Warner. Better than Roethlisburger. Good enough to trade Tom Brady. So how can they let Matt Montana go????

Good grief Lifer.......trade Brady? NEVER in a million years, never happen, never should, anyone that says to do so is an idiot in my opinion.

That said, Cassel came along very well this year and if I am a GM in Minnesota, Carolina, Detroit, KC, Jests, Tampa, etc etc - I want Mat cassel on my team - a proven, experienced, winning QB in the NFL.

Some of us said he would not be cut and would be a decent back up. Some of us said to not bring in a vet while he was learning.
Some of us said to give him a few games to figure things out and develop.

Maybe you might want to listen to some of those someones about this as well - like me, Deus I and others.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

if you don think he will be franchised you dont understand business and sports

Actually, there is a legitimate reason not to franchise Cassel, namely the question of whether the Patriots can afford to tie up so much cap space in Cassel's franchise tender. They might decide that the cost of so doing outweighs the benefit.

 

[billdog3484]

Actually, there is a legitimate reason not to franchise Cassel, namely the question of whether the Patriots can afford to tie up so much cap space in Cassel's franchise tender. They might decide that the cost of so doing outweighs the benefit.

this is the Quarterback position, NOT any other position. you can afford to live without an OLineman or other positions, but you cannot mess around with QB. Brady is coming off major major knee problems. if you are not sure of Brady, which is going to be the case, you HAVE to franchise cassel even if it means losing 2 other starters

 

[billdog3484]

Palmer's injury was worse; he had cartilage damage too. And he played well the next two years, the team just disintegrated around him.

i think what a lot of people have done with Palmer's knee injury is tie it in with the problems he is currently having with his elbow. they are totally unrelated. people think palmer has been unable to play because of the knee, when in reality, he needs Tommy John elbow surgery.

 

[MassPats38]

if you don think he will be franchised you dont understand business and sports

It's good to hear we have your understanding to guide the masses.

First, and this may come as a surprise, unlike fans and the media Belichick and the Patriots actually know how Brady's rehab is going. If his rehab is going poorly and Brady will not be available at the beginning of next season, I have no doubt the Pats franchise him.

Second, if the organization has no doubt Brady will be ready for next season, there are plenty of business reasons not to franchise him. It is a gamble played on the expected response of other teams (you might call it a bluff), and the loser in that hand craps away 10% of the salary cap on a bench warmer. Is this team a gambling organization (Moss and Dillon were not true gambles as they had met extensively with and researched both well before signing them)? How does one research whether a team would part with the trade value you are seeking? How do you know Cassel would agree to that trade rather than taking the one-year tender and sitting on the bench (teams will not want to pay the franchise contract price - they will exect multi-year restructuring)? None of these questions would be answered prior to placing the franchise tag on him.

Teams do need QBs, but the good ones (unfortunately Millen no longer runs Detroit) are a little reluctant to mortgage their future by giving up several draft picks. The questions will come up: Who was Matt Cassel throwing to this year? Is he a system QB, or can he function as well on a different team? How much data do we really have on this guy that will establish expected levels of performance in the future? Do the answers to the previous questions justify paying him the hefty contract he will expect along with several draft picks that may stand for players of equal or higher value in the future?

I don't claim to have the answer to this debate, other than I cannot see the Pats not doing it if Brady will not be ready for the season. Other than that, as a pure business decision based on potential value the organization is presented with the opportunity to look really smart if it gets a return in trade or really stupid if it surrenders $14.6 million of its salary cap for a player sitting on the bench for a season.

 

[patsox23]

How is this poll even necessary? Who the Hell's voting no???

 

[JSn]

How is this poll even necessary? Who the Hell's voting no???

cstjohn17, lobster, PatriotsInGA, TCB, The 12th Man

 

[billdog3484]

maybe im wrong, but i doubt it. even if Brady is healthy, i think every team in the league would still franchise Cassel. you cannot mess around with the QB position, it is the one position in all of football which will make or break a season. if Brady is injured there is no question about franchising him. if hes not injured, theres still no question because you will either get good compensation for him or you keep him. i mean, who cares if we lose out on signing free agents if we keep Cassel. id feel much more comfortable with him on the team and knowing that if anything happens to Brady we are in good hands. if it were a DL, well, you can always pick up a decent free agent for cheap or draft a player and be able to get away with it. that is clearly not the case for the QB position.

 

[mgcolby]

It's good to hear we have your understanding to guide the masses.

Teams do need QBs, but the good ones (unfortunately Millen no longer runs Detroit) are a little reluctant to mortgage their future by giving up several draft picks. The questions will come up: Who was Matt Cassel throwing to this year? Is he a system QB, or can he function as well on a different team? How much data do we really have on this guy that will establish expected levels of performance in the future? Do the answers to the previous questions justify paying him the hefty contract he will expect along with several draft picks that may stand for players of equal or higher value in the future?

You answered your own question. Teams that need a QB can either A) Draft a QB in the 1st round and give him a hefty contract that is justified on his performance against college players or B) Give up a 1st round pick and maybe 3rd or later and a hefty contract - but for less money than it would take to sign a QB high in the draft - on a player that did well against NFL players.

System or no system a trade for him is a no brainer, unless you have an obvious once in a lifetime QB coming out of college - and barring a surprise - that isn't there this year.

I think many folks under estimate him and fail to realize that he got better as the season went on - even as teams gathered more film on him. Most fly by nights start out on fire and simmer out as the season goes on. Or they play very well for a few games and people assume with more exerience they will get better so teams trade for them (schaub, Mitchell etc...). No one knows the future, but based on recent QB play in the NFL, he proved that he is an above average starting QB in this era.

 

[billdog3484]

yup, $65M for a rookie QB who may not play for a year and a half or a little less for a 27 year old ready to step in and perform at close to an All-Pro level

 

[billdog3484]

And look at the Texans. Instead of drafting another Rookie QB and risk another David Carr experiment, they gave up 2 second round picks for Matt Schaub and their team was competetive for the first time ever.

 

[WhiZa]

The Patriots will need to have a verbal agreement with some team before franchising them. One of the pros of not making the playoffs is the Pats now have extra time to work a deal like this out. If a deal cannot be made before the tagging period ends I think the Pats have to let him go (baring any TFB complications) and hopefully get a 3rd round comp pick next year.

 

[flasox27]

Sorry to disagree with you but I cannot foresee any circumstances in which the Pats don't franchise Cassel and let him go for nothing other than a number 3 in 2010.