Sign up or login to track your favorite teams

Sign Up for Bleacher Report

As a registered user you can subscribe to your favorite teams, post comments, write your own articles, and much more.

You must register in order for that functionality to work!








Validating sign up form ...

Bleacher Report articles are written by fans like you

Do you want to cover your favorite sports, teams, and leagues?

Processing writing preferences ...

Great, , you're signed up!

i.e. Big 10, LeBron James, USC Football

Selected Tags:

Logging in ...

As the season comes to an end, the New England Patriots are looking to make the playoffs. Matt Cassel, who took over the team this year due to an injured Tom Brady, has stepped up to the plate and hit a home run...

Matt Cassel's Future Part II: Playoffs Raise His Value to Pats

by Farris Gunning (Scribe)

0

130 reads

Opinion

December 24, 2008


As the season comes to an end, the New England Patriots are looking to make the playoffs.  Matt Cassel, who took over the team this year due to an injured Tom Brady, has stepped up to the plate and hit a home run. 

When the year began, all eyes were on Tom Brady.  Understandably so considering he is amazing on the field and gave the Patriots an undefeated season last year until the Super Bowl. 

When Brady went down in the first game, no one knew what to expect.  Who is this Matt Cassel?  Well I think we all know who he is now!

When the Patriots drafted Cassel in the seventh round (230th overall) of the 2005 draft, I don't think they even realized who they got. 

In the 16th game of this season Cassel made another huge leap in his Pro Football career.  Cassel led the Patriots to a 47–7 blowout win through snow, sleet, and rain in the Patriots' last regular-season home game of 2008. Cassel, playing in snow for the first time ever, came up strong with 20-of-36 passes completed for 345 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. 

The Patriots are still in the hunt for the playoffs, will this raise Matt Cassel's value to them?  I would have to say YES!

As I mentioned in Part I of this topic, Cassel is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in 2009.

In the wake of his performances against the Jets and the Cardinals (in the snow) and the uncertainty over Brady's recovery, NFL analysts and reporters have raised the question of whether the Patriots should, or will, apply the franchise tag to him.  My question for them is how much is he worth now? 

Can we believe that less than three months ago some of those same reporters predicted Cassel would be cut from the team?  Unbelievable!

Track this Article on My B/R
Flag This Article
Share This Article

0 commentsLeave a Comment

Leave a Comment

  • You must register to post a comment.

  • Want to write for Bleacher Report

    We are a community of fans who write about sports. And we're growing.

    Learn More and Sign Up »



    Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Getty Images.
    Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Getty Images is strictly prohibited.