For a 4-3 team I understand Gilbert is just a shade under 6'6 and 290 and I'm not sure how he fits at DT he's a tweener in a 4-3 and a prototype 3-4 fit.

And that proves that if Cassel was worth the #34 pick, he was worth the #3 pick? After all, that was the original argument.

Because they're ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED that the only other guy they have on the roster isn't good enough.

It's really very simple.

Brodie Croyle can't stay healthy.

Tyler Thigpen can't hit the broad side of a barn.

Damon Huard can't stay off his back.

Matthew Stafford was out of reach.

They obviously evaluated Sanchez and didn't want him.

So now they're back to Tyler Thigpen.

They traded a 2nd-round pick for a guy that they obviously believe CAN be a franchise QB, and they're out NOTHING if he isn't.

The world isn't black and white, sorry.

There's a part of me that has a hard time buying that looking at what the Parcells tree guys usually do with their QB situations.

Ok, I'll bite. Twice:

1.) What is it you think Parcells tree guys usually do with their QB situations?

2.) Have you really not figured out that Belichick does a lot of things differently than Parcells?

What is that they do pray tell?

They prefer comfort and familiarity above all else...it's not that difficult to notice if you look at how it's generally handled.

Belichick traded Bledsoe and went with Brady. Romo replaced Bledsoe in Dallas and Parcells brought Testaverde into his fold in New York. Parcells went after Pennington ridiculously late last season after he was cut loose, and he made him the starter. Atlanta grabbed Ryan instead of sticking with Leftwich.

How is that comfort and familiarity?

So Parcells didn't draft Drew Bledsoe or Chad Pennington? Belichek didn't draft Tom Brady? Thomas Dimitroff didn't draft Matt Ryan?

Or maybe Sean Payton was choosing the comfortable and familiar route when he acquired Drew Brees? I mean the first thing Tom Coughlin did when he got to New York was bring in a QB he was familiar with, right? Same thing Josh McDaniels did, right?

The simple fact is that Parcells and his "tree" have used pretty much EVERY approach in the book when it comes to QB's. Yes, Miami acquired Pennington. Yes, Pioli traded for Cassel. But you act that's the rule and that couldn't be farther from the truth.

Testeverde.

Dmitroff didn't do things that way obviously but I don't count him as a Parcells guy...

You guys can say it's not true all you want. Bledsoe ended up in Dallas, Pennington ends up in Miami, Testaverde all of that...

If they can make a move for a guy they know they will, they strive for that super quick turn around.

There's a difference between bringing good players from former teams over and "prefer comfort and familiarity above all else". Parcells was very familiar with Bledsoe when he benched him for Romo. He brought Testaverde to New York even though he wasn't "comfortable and familiar" with him in that player/coach sense. Most coaches want to bring players from a former team over. It helps ease the transition for the new players and gives them a player who can show the new guys what's expected of them. That's not something exclusive to the Parcells tree.

And Testaverde went to Dallas. And then to New England.

Sure he did. But he wasn't familiar to him when he first got him. In fact, it was Belichick who had him in Cleveland because he decided it was time to move on from the familiar and comfortable Bernie Kosar. It's absolutely true that Parcells likes to bring some of his players with him when he changes teams. However, that's not exclusive to Parcells or his tree, and it's not as a result of "comfort and familiarity above all else". Hell, if that's really what Parcells wanted, he wouldn't be moving from team to team the way he does.