Cassel signs long term deal with Chiefs today - 6 years, $63M ($28M guaranteed)

[patfanken]

I have a dream where Tom Brady comes out and says in public,

"I understand that the first rule of capology is that for every dollar you pay one player there is one LESS dollar for the rest of the team. Given that reality, and the fact that winning championships is THE MOST important thing to me, I'm here to announce that I'm going to sign an extention today for the next 10 years @ $10MM/yr. It just doesn't make sense to pay me $20MM/yr and not be able to keep or sign the type of quality players who will allow me to attain my goal. Besides, I can't spend the money I make now....and my wife is doing pretty well in her own right. I don't rate my worth in the size of my contract. I measure it in RINGS." Thank you, and I'll open it up for questions

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Re: Cassel signs long term deal with Chiefs today

Do you think Bernard Pollard gets a cut of this? I mean if Brady plays 19 games last year and Cassel doesn't see the field except for garbage time, he is either locked up at minimum wage or even looking around for third string back up jobs around the league.

so, you're saying that luck played a role in Matt's success? last time I checked that's pretty much the way things work everywhere.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Re: Cassel signs long term deal with Chiefs today (Reported $63M 6 Years 28M guarante

Its a lot less money than Stafford got, and stafford has NO YEARS OF PLAY to compare to.

exactly. QB salaries are only rational to an extent. It's almost impossible to pay a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning what they are truly worth when you look at the money that's gone to Stafford and Sanchez. Matt's deal strikes me as great but also fair all around. I'm sure that Scott will restructure it to make it more cap-friendly in a couple of years. Meanwhile, he's got the room to do this.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I have a dream where Tom Brady comes out and says in public,

"I understand that the first rule of capology is that for every dollar you pay one player there is one LESS dollar for the rest of the team. Given that reality, and the fact that winning championships is THE MOST important thing to me, I'm here to announce that I'm going to sign an extention today for the next 10 years @ $10MM/yr. It just doesn't make sense to pay me $20MM/yr and not be able to keep or sign the type of quality players who will allow me to attain my goal. Besides, I can't spend the money I make now....and my wife is doing pretty well in her own right. I don't rate my worth in the size of my contract. I measure it in RINGS." Thank you, and I'll open it up for questions

He's already said as much and backed it up by signing his last deal on the heels of Manning's mega deal. He took $4M less in AAV on deals that may well play out...But there is no need for him to settle for $10M under the current cap. BB is comfortable with his QB taking up somewhere in the 10-12% range. The cap is currently approaching $130M, and over the next 6 years if there is one it will likely top $160-175M. Players want to be fairly compensated. Tom is a leader. They wouldn't follow him if he were a doormat or a shmuck. He will settle for less than the Manning brothers, probably by a couple of million per on average. He won't max out the slot BB is determined to maintain because he respects that it is in part that discipline where finances are concerned that allows BB to surround him with better talent and overall balance.

Condon is reportedly shooting for $15M+ AAV for Eli. He is also Peyton's agent so those deals will likely be within spitting distance of each other with PM besting little brother based on proven individual accomplishment and team significance (and the fact he's already almost there at $14M AAV) vs. age. Brady will tuck in just behind those two and nobody should lose any sleep - or be upset or disappointed over that. Tom certainly won't.

 

[patfanken]

.

the current cap. BB is comfortable with his QB taking up somewhere in the 10-12% range. The cap is currently approaching $130M, and over the next 6 years if there is one it will likely top $160-175M.

While I don't disagree with the most of what you said, I DID say that it was a "dream". However what makes you think that the cap number will progressively increase at the same level it has when the economy was robust. Remember that when the cap was first put in place, it was around $50MM/

 

[BigtimeColtsfans]

I was just reading some of the preseason threads from here about Cassel. He certainly didn't have any fans here then.

Him going from "cut him" to beloved Patriot saint in one season has got to be one of the all time great image makeovers.

 

[letekro]

I was just reading some of the preseason threads from here about Cassel. He certainly didn't have any fans here then.

Him going from "cut him" to beloved Patriot saint in one season has got to be one of the all time great image makeovers.

The guy played well, showed tremendous ability and potential, and led the team to 11 wins in difficult circumstances. That's not "image" - that's production.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

The guy played well, showed tremendous ability and potential, and led the team to 11 wins in difficult circumstances. That's not "image" - that's production.

Well said; additionally BTCF, a more detailed read of many of those threads will find one or two supporters who recognized Cassel's ability to execute the offense so the coaches could get a good read on the other players being evaluated. Preseason is never about the W, L, and OMGWTFBBQ!, it's about X's, O's, and "fits."

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I have a dream where Tom Brady comes out and says in public,

"I understand that the first rule of capology is that for every dollar you pay one player there is one LESS dollar for the rest of the team. Given that reality, and the fact that winning championships is THE MOST important thing to me, I'm here to announce that I'm going to sign an extention today for the next 10 years @ $10MM/yr. It just doesn't make sense to pay me $20MM/yr and not be able to keep or sign the type of quality players who will allow me to attain my goal. Besides, I can't spend the money I make now....and my wife is doing pretty well in her own right. I don't rate my worth in the size of my contract. I measure it in RINGS." Thank you, and I'll open it up for questions

I think he'll take a discount to stay with the BB program and will end up in the top three or four, but not number one, when it comes to QB comp. Yes, rings are huge for him but $45 guaranteed with upsides is my guess as to where the numbers will have to fall out. I know you're making a rhetorical point, but no one is going to give a 33 year old QB (his age at the beginning of the 2010 season) a ten year contract.

His wife gets paid a fair market rate; so should he. The key is to get it done and avoid an Asante mess.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

While I don't disagree with the most of what you said, I DID say that it was a "dream". However what makes you think that the cap number will progressively increase at the same level it has when the economy was robust. Remember that when the cap was first put in place, it was around $50MM/

Actually it was less than $35M. But that was 15 years ago, and it has nearly quadrupled over that timespan. But it doesn't really matter whether it continues to increase at a similar rate. If Brady signs a new deal or extrension in the $13-15M per AAV, it will again fall well within the range of his last deal, signed in 2005 that averaged 12% of the $85M cap at that time. That's all BB needs Brady to do, stay within the 10-12% of cap range he believes is where you cap slot an elite QB, if your fortunate enough to have one.

And if Brady does in fact manage to play for another 10 years this won't be his last extension. I assume this next one will run another 6 years and be structured in a way that will allow if not call for an additional extension when he's 4-5 years into it.

Pioli has now slotted Cassel at around 8% of cap, so as long as he's competent or above average Scott will sleep soundly. If he gets more out of Cassel - say sub or borderline elite performance - he will be dancing in the street.

For comparison, Manning's last deal, signed in 2004 under an $80M cap, averaged $14M per or roughly 17.5% of cap. And while that made it more difficult to fill out his roster and made him more dependent on drafting to fill need, Polian still managed to win a championship and remain consistently competitive (although it's obviously getting tougher each year to do so since he used the old amortization credit card to manage the cap effect of that level of deal). The Giants have to hope that if they give Eli a deal that averages more than 12% of current cap he's got another ring in him. Otherwise the difference between what guys like Cassel and Roethlisberger (to name just two in the $10-12M AAV range) and Eli are making/costing will become a huge issue going forward.

2009 $127,997,000
2008 $116,729,000
2007 $109,134,000
2006 $102,000,000
2005 $85,500,000
2004 $80,582,000
2003 $75,007,000
2002 $71,100,000
2001 $67,400,000
2000 $62,172,000
1999 $58,353,000
1998 $52,388,000
1997 $41,450,000
1996 $40,777,000
1995 $37,100,000
1994 $34,600,000

 

[mgteich]

I have no dream of paying one of the best QB's ever less than others on the team and 50% less than what he is worth.

I have a dream where Tom Brady comes out and says in public,

"I understand that the first rule of capology is that for every dollar you pay one player there is one LESS dollar for the rest of the team. Given that reality, and the fact that winning championships is THE MOST important thing to me, I'm here to announce that I'm going to sign an extention today for the next 10 years @ $10MM/yr. It just doesn't make sense to pay me $20MM/yr and not be able to keep or sign the type of quality players who will allow me to attain my goal. Besides, I can't spend the money I make now....and my wife is doing pretty well in her own right. I don't rate my worth in the size of my contract. I measure it in RINGS." Thank you, and I'll open it up for questions