Cassel Article - Boston Herald...

[BostonTim]

... FYI.

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/f...rts&position=3

Cheers, BostonTim

[StcChief]

yeah. Pollard fan club has paid off.

[Buehler445]

Matt Cassel finds own team

Everywhere Matt Cassel went, a great quarterback got in the way.

Not one but two Heisman Trophy winners kept him on the bench throughout his college career at Southern California, denying him even one start. Then he was drafted by the Patriots [team stats], where a Super Bowl MVP was running the offense.

Now he’s in Kansas City, and are things ever different. That’s not Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer and Tom Brady [stats] he’s competing against anymore. It’s Tyler Thigpen, Ingle Martin and Brodie Croyle.

At 27, Cassel has a team to call his own for the first time since high school. From the first day of spring drills, a team is finally counting on him not to follow, but to lead; not to hold the clipboard, but to help execute the plays on it.

This weekend’s mandatory minicamp brought all the Chiefs players on the field with their new quarterback for the first time. The realization is sinking in that his time is finally at hand.

“Slowly but surely,” Cassel said yesterday with a grin. “We’re building chemistry, we’re building rapport and everybody’s working hard.”

Although coach Todd Haley refuses to name a starter at any position, there is no question in anyone’s mind who the No. 1 quarterback will be.

“He’s running the team,” said wide receiver Bobby Engram. “And I’m very impressed. He’s a very sharp guy. He’s watching film, he’s drawing up plays, he’s coaching everybody up. He’s shown early on that we’re going to be able to rely on him.”

Another tipoff about who’s running the show is the fact that Cassel will be paid almost $15 million this year. After he replaced the injured Brady in the season opener last September and proved his worth by throwing for 3,693 yards and 23 touchdowns, the Patriots made him their franchise player. The trade to Kansas City soon followed.

So now he’s got all the money he could want, the chance to start that he’s always craved and Cassel is, by all accounts is, a very happy man. When he was first presented to the Kansas City media, he shook hands and introduced himself to every reporter, broadcaster and photographer in the room.

“I can’t even tell you the feelings I have, the emotions,” he said. “I couldn’t be more excited.”

Chiefs fans are excited, too. After the team won only six games in two years, the coach and general manager both were told to clean out their desks so an entirely new day could dawn for Kansas City.

“Everything’s new,” Cassel said. “It’s a new environment, it’s new teammates, getting to know my linemen, getting to know my receivers, getting to know my running backs.”

Signing in a snap

Brian Jennings will be the San Francisco 49ers’ long snapper for longer than he ever imagined.

The 49ers signed Jennings to a five-year contract extension, locking up a flawless performer on their solid special teams units through 2014.

Jennings hasn’t made a glaring mistake on Sundays ever since the club drafted him in the seventh round nine years ago. He’s been recognized as one of the NFL’s most consistent long snappers since leaving Arizona State in 2000, even making the Pro Bowl after the 2004 season as a special selection by NFC coach Jim Mora.

“In a position like mine, longevity is one of your only accomplishments,” Jennings said.

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/f...rts&position=3

Matt Cassel gets PAID!

Everywhere Matt Cassel went, a great quarterback got in the way.

Not one but two Heisman Trophy winners kept him on the bench throughout his college career at Southern California, denying him even one start. Then he was drafted by the Patriots [team stats], where a Super Bowl MVP was running the offense.

Now he’s in Kansas City, and are things ever different. That’s not Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer and Tom Brady [stats] he’s competing against anymore. It’s Tyler Thigpen, Ingle Martin and Brodie Croyle.

At 27, Cassel has a team to call his own for the first time since high school. From the first day of spring drills, a team is finally counting on him not to follow, but to lead; not to hold the clipboard, but to help execute the plays on it.

This weekend’s mandatory minicamp brought all the Chiefs players on the field with their new quarterback for the first time. The realization is sinking in that his time is finally at hand.

“Slowly but surely,” Cassel said yesterday with a grin. “We’re building chemistry, we’re building rapport and everybody’s working hard.”

Although coach Todd Haley refuses to name a starter at any position, there is no question in anyone’s mind who the No. 1 quarterback will be.

“He’s running the team,” said wide receiver Bobby Engram. “And I’m very impressed. He’s a very sharp guy. He’s watching film, he’s drawing up plays, he’s coaching everybody up. He’s shown early on that we’re going to be able to rely on him.”

Another tipoff about who’s running the show is the fact that Cassel will be paid almost $15 million this year. After he replaced the injured Brady in the season opener last September and proved his worth by throwing for 3,693 yards and 23 touchdowns, the Patriots made him their franchise player. The trade to Kansas City soon followed.

So now he’s got all the money he could want, the chance to start that he’s always craved and Cassel is, by all accounts is, a very happy man. When he was first presented to the Kansas City media, he shook hands and introduced himself to every reporter, broadcaster and photographer in the room.

“I can’t even tell you the feelings I have, the emotions,” he said. “I couldn’t be more excited.”

Chiefs fans are excited, too. After the team won only six games in two years, the coach and general manager both were told to clean out their desks so an entirely new day could dawn for Kansas City.

“Everything’s new,” Cassel said. “It’s a new environment, it’s new teammates, getting to know my linemen, getting to know my receivers, getting to know my running backs.”