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Thank the football gods that the Patriots drafted Kevin O'Connell, because after this year, the odds point to Matt Cassel leaving Foxborough. Not many Boston faithful want to think about it right now, but Cassel’s future is undeniable...

Matt Cassel's Future: Five Teams Willing To Pay the Patriots' New Price

by Mitchell Golden (Scribe)

42

1706 reads

Rankings/List

November 15, 2008


Thank the football gods that the Patriots drafted Kevin O'Connell, because after this year, the odds point to Matt Cassel leaving Foxborough.

Not many Boston faithful want to think about it right now, but Cassel’s future is undeniable. He has proven both to Patriots fans and the nation that he is more than a serviceable NFL quarterback—he is a damn good NFL quarterback.

Here are five QB-desperate teams who would be more than willing to pay his new price:


1)    New York Jets

I hate to imagine it, but with Favre in his waning years, and Kellen Clemens not living up to expectations, Mangini will do all he can to swipe the Patriot and add to the rivalry. As a fan, I hope Cassel will at least be considerate enough to stay out of the Meadowlands, but we’ve seen traitors before.


2)    Detroit Lions

It’s no secret that Detroit desperately needs a quarterback, and Cassel would fit their needs perfectly. With Matt Millen gone, and the superb talent at wide receiver, Detroit shows a lot of promise for a young quarterback who hopes to become a franchise player.


3)    Minnesota Vikings

Tarvaris Jackson can’t play at a high level, and Gus Frerotte is too old. The Vikings need a change at signal-caller, one who will provide a true NFL pocket presence to a team who for too long has relied on mediocre quarterbacking. Cassel provides that presence, and would reshape the offensive philosophy of the "Purple People Eaters."


4)    Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs can’t live off Garcia forever. Even with the ageless carrot top, Tampa Bay quarterbacks have only thrown for nine touchdowns this year. Cassel would provide an instant upgrade to the passing attack down in Raymond James Stadium—and more importantly, some stability and longevity in a quarterback position that has undergone tremendous change over the past few years.


5)    St. Louis Rams

This is a stretch, but certainly possible. Marc Bulger is 31 years old now, and the Rams are in desperate need of change. The WR corps is not that attractive to Cassel, but Steven Jackson is certainly an attraction. Both players would help the other tremendously in opening the field.

Author Poll

Where does Matt Cassel land in 2009?

  • Patriots
  • Jets
  • Lions
  • Vikings
  • Buccaneers
  • Rams
  • Elsewhere
vote to see results
Author Poll Results

Where does Matt Cassel land in 2009?

  • Patriots

    21.6%

  • Jets

    10.6%

  • Lions

    17.5%

  • Vikings

    31.5%

  • Buccaneers

    7.5%

  • Rams

    1.0%

  • Elsewhere

    10.3%
  • Total votes: 292
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42 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. RedSox Maniac 7 months ago

    Its good to see this is being talked about more. He still has some learning to do.

    If Favre gets a ring, he may retire and its wide open for Cassel to go to the Jets. Mangini had a good repore with a lot of Pats players ( Woody, Law, Troy Brown etc. ) and wouldn't be surprised if Cassel has positive feelings about him.

    People underestimate how big Mangini was to the Belichick family. Its probably why Belichick has a dislike, since Mangini has the ability to entice former Pats players to play for him.

    I don't like Mangini, but I think his influence and tenure with the Pats may get Cassel to NY. Maybe.

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  2. Bing Wang 7 months ago

    I have a feeling that he would excel if he went to play for the Vikings. The Vikings team is one that requires stability at QB, something they don't have. The Vikings have a winning record without a QB that should be considered a starter, they have some talent at receiver and one of the better o-lines in the league. not to mention that rare player in the backfield.

    Cassel would be the final thing needed for this team to become a SB contender, If they can nab him that woudl be huge. Not to mention the PAtriots would not mind trading Cassel to the Vikings because it is in the NFC. Despite how good and smart of a move this would be, one that satisfies both parties i do see the possibility of him going the the Jets and coming back to haunt us in that far far distant time when Brady retires.

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  3. Anthony Elias 7 months ago

    I agree with your article!!

    Cassel really impressed me so far..

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  4. Samuel Bell Jr 7 months ago

    I'm not fully sold on Cassel yet...we'll see what he does in the next few weeks

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  5. Fred Richani 7 months ago

    Good article and great choices. The Vikings could be dangerous with a productive Cassel at the helm.

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    • Mitchell Golden 7 months ago

      I would love to see what Cassel could do for the Vikings. They would need to get him at least one high-quality WR though until he can throw the deep ball accurately. Teams will simply stack the box if all the Vikings can do is run with AP and throw the short pass. On the flip side, play action would be amazing with Cassel's mobility and apparently rapidly developing field vision

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    • Fred Richani 7 months ago

      the thing I'm worried about is him being a one hit wonder considering he plays in a great system. Look at Damon Huard and Derek Anderson. yes, their situations are slightly different, but both had one good season only to fade into obscurity. Either way, a team will gamble on Matt Cassel next season based on his performance this year.

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  6. Travis Evans 7 months ago

    woa woa woa Cassel good hahahahahahahhaahah look at the interception td ratio not very high and um he isn't a top 10 passer in the ratings hes just like tiny romo had a good year now he is a beast. In this case we have a hell of a qb in Todd Collins yea that what i thought

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    • Mitchell Golden 7 months ago

      Obviously Cassel will not be top 10 in ratings. It's his first season. That actually is a good thing though, because his steady growth, rather than explosion onto the scene, demonstrates that he is a quality, talented player in the middle of some rapid development -- not a flash in the pan novelty that defenses haven't seen enough footage of (Derek Anderson)

      I'll say this a million times over -- Matt Cassel's year one to this point is very similar to Tom Brady's year one. Tom Brady was not a spectacular QB at first, but he won games with a short passing attack and support from an effective run game. All Cassel needs to do is win, he doesn't need to put up stats to gain the respect of the NFL. Which, I assure you, he definitely has.

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  7. Rob Civardi 7 months ago

    I hope he goes to the Jets. Knowing Favre, he'll probly be gone next year and theres no limit to the amount of money the Jets could offer this guy. Say 50 mil over 5 years. Its well worth it if he brings us a superbowl

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    • Tim Seeman 7 months ago

      knowing favre, he'll probably be gone in march, you'll sign matt cassel to have for the future, and then in july, he'll wanna come back again after you go through the entire offseason and OTA's with the new starting quarterback...just sayin

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  8. kris topher 7 months ago

    To anoint Matt Cassel as a damn good QB is silly.

    A.J Feely filled in for McNabb better than Cassel has filled in for Brady.. and look what happened
    Matt Schaub filled in for Vick.. and look whats happened.

    Just because a backup does well doesn't mean he'll make a great starting QB. I think Big Bill's schemes have far more influence on Cassel's success than Cassel himself.

    The transition from very good backup, to passable starter is a very very tough one. Alot of QBs start having some issues when teams have to game plan around them, and then BAM!

    You've just wasted a giant wad of cash signing yourself a very good backup.

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    • Mitchell Golden 7 months ago

      Yet Cassel is a very different type of quarterback and Feely and Schaub. Cassel is not only the prototypical build, but he has the arm strength (and with practice can develop the long bomb accuracy) to be an NFL starter. Aside from the TD-INT ratio, his statistics are eerily similar to those of year 1 Tom Brady, as is his play style. Tom Brady did not throw the long ball well until his third season.

      Granted, the scheming, Moss double coverages, and Wes Welker in particular have played big parts in helping Cassel out. However, his development has been incredibly quick, and he wasn't recruited to USC, nor drafted by the Patriots, for no reason.

      AJ Feely played at Oregon and backed up the wonderful Joey Harrington. Matt Schaub played in Virginia - a good program, but not USC. With USC's recruiting power, they don't just sign any Joe Shmo onto the team. To make it, you need to have talent, and boatloads of it.

      The man is extremely athletic with an amazing pedigree. He has the physical tools to become an NFL starter. He is proving he has the mental stability to be an NFL starter.

      Matt Cassel is far from a career backup. He will be a starter -- the only question is when and where.

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    • Chris Cobb 7 months ago

      also, schaub has been a great qb, he's just been hurt over and over again this season... but he's a purty dang good qb in this league and Cassel will be too. I do see him getting wrangled by the Jets, and succeeding... but he won't be THE answer to their long term situation, just a part, they're gonna need a youth rejuvenation in the near future.

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  9. kris topher 7 months ago

    If your logic was true Matt Cassel would have been drafted much earlier. The Comparison to Feely is actually pretty accurate and simply saying that USC has better players shows a good degree of ignorance about the Oregon program, especially their QBs.

    1. Spent College Career behind Leinert / Harrington (two huge busts)
    2. Went to a prestigious school renowned for developing top tier college QBs. When you actually look at it, Oregon has a better college tradition of QBs. Yes, Oregon runs the spread/pass heavy O and USC runs a Pro-style offense so that skews things.
    3. Has the Tools but no one is sure whether or not they have to tools to start day in and day out.
    4. Drafted in 5th and 7th round

    Basically, Cassel's future will be decided in the next couple of games. There's a difference between playing half a season and a full season. We'll see how Cassel reacts now that teams are taking him out of his comfort zone. I'm a huge fan of the Pats system, and i think it makes QBs look better than they are. With the Pats defense banged up, their offense will have to score.. so we'll see.

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  10. Travis Rand 7 months ago

    I lost a tad bit of respect when I read that Cassel was a "damn good NFL QB". He has played in 10 games... He's "alright"

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    • Chris Cobb 7 months ago

      I agree he's alright right now... but he's shown significant improvement with his increased playing time... I have a feeling he'll be Top ten QB... not elite, but good for sure...

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    • Mitchell Golden 7 months ago

      so "damn good" is a bit of a stretch, I'll admit (it has made good conversation, though). I do think he has the ability to be a regular NFL starter, however. He will not be a journeyman. His style fits the stereotypical pocket offense, which many teams wish they could strive towards. "Damn good" is a stretch, but to call him a flash in the pan in my opinion is also a stretch, although you cant disprove it yet, which keeps it a viable argument for all the naysayers below

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    • Mitchell Golden 7 months ago

      In addition, he's statistically in the top 15 of all QBs right now, which places him in the top 50%, above many QBs who are full time starters. This is all in the same amount of games, which makes the statistics less skewed by averages/number of games played etc. If after the whole season he remains ranked this well, "damn good" will be valid. Not great, not spectacular, but damn good I would say is a top 15 QB

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  11. TAB BAMFORD 7 months ago

    The Lions shouldn't. They did the same thing with Scott Mitchell.

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    • Lucky Riff 7 months ago

      You took the words right out of my keyboard...SCOTT MITCHELL!!

      Cassel was a back up for a reason. He is doing a nice job of not making mistakes, but he is not in charge of very much. He has less of a role in the offense than Dilfer did on Bmore.

      Here is the very high risk...he was drafted for a specific offensive philosophy. Could he be a journeyman like Ferotte, Kitna or Brad Johnson, no doubt. Is he a franchise QB, no way.

      By the way, all of those teams you mentioned will have a chance to get Harrell, Tebow, Bradford.

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    • Chris Cobb 7 months ago

      Tebow isn't coming out this year

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    • Bing Wang 7 months ago

      Cassel isn't built for just one specific offensive philosophy, just this year alone he has played: spread and light up the skies, being conservative with all short throws and runningball, 2 minute, and a mix of everything.

      As much as I like Harrell, he reminds me of a certain QB similar to him such as Ware. He runs the spread playing with 4-5 receiver sets and he plays against weak Big 12 defenses. The reason why QB's like him don't succeed as much as a QB who runs a pro-style offense against fast defenses is in his current system he can make all his reads before the snap and on most plays he will decide who hes going to pass to before the play even starts. When he is playing NFL defenses and forced to make reads thru 2-3 receivers in a split second he might not be quick enough and the game may be too fast for him.

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  12. Thomas H. 7 months ago

    What about the 49ers? They don't have much going on. Also, I kind of doubt that Thigpen stays in KC, that could definitely happen.

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  13. Lucky Riff 7 months ago

    Did Tebow say he was staying? I know McCoy says he is coming back.

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  14. Travis Evans 7 months ago

    are you strait kidding Cassel Compared to Brady hahahahaha

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    • Mitchell Golden 7 months ago

      yes i'm "strait" comparing Cassel's FIRST YEAR to Brady's FIRST YEAR. Look at their stats through this many games in their respective first years starting, they are extremely similiar-- almost identical.

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    • Lucky Riff 7 months ago

      Cassel is no Brady. As for comparing their stats..

      "Most people use statistics the way a drunk uses a lamp post, more for support than enlightenment."

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  15. Travis Evans 7 months ago

    first off Brady didn't play a whole year so

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  1. Travis Evans 7 months ago

    check my fresh off the press article

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  2. Travis Evans 7 months ago

    i checked it out brady still is better

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  3. Travis Evans 7 months ago

    yea yea how bout this spin Brady knee infection hasn't healed yet he has had secret surgries what happens if he never the same then what don't be surprised if Cassel stays

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  4. Ryan Burns 7 months ago

    Great stuff...id like to see the pats re sign cassel, but if he takes us to the playoffs and wins a game or two, look for teams to beat down the door to get him

    ryan

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  5. Glenn Card 7 months ago

    Let me throw a twist into the discussion. What if the Patriots throw the Franchise tag on Cassel?

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    • Mitchell Golden 7 months ago

      That, honestly, is the most probably outcome. Its sad for Cassel, because after a year of not starting, teams may show less interest in him. This is what the Patriots would like most, and likely what they are going to do.

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  6. Glenn Card 7 months ago

    I believe this to be a real possibility, not to be vindictive but it is a way for them to use it as a barganing chip for trade talks. Can anyone say "Picks".

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