Gretz: Cassel Trade Still Causing Talk
 

Cassel Trade Still Causing Talk
March 1, 2009 - Bob Gretz |

Could the Patriots have had a first and third-round picks for Matt Cassel? Could they have had at least the No. 12 choice for the New England quarterback? Did the Broncos really offer to trade Jay Cutler if they could get Cassel?

The NFL was still bubbling with chatter about the deal between the Chiefs and Patriots that sent Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel to Kansas City with a second-round draft choice heading to New England.

And if there are any truths to the stories being told around the league, then Saturday morning had to be a very interesting time for Bill Belichick and the Patriots.

Let’s see if we can weave all this together.

Everyone knew Friday that Vrabel was headed to the Chiefs. The fact he was in Kansas City for a physical was important because the linebacker apparently was bothered by a shoulder injury last season and some Boston media outlets have reported he needs surgery on that shoulder.

But while Vrabel was obviously important as far as the Chiefs and Scott Pioli were concerned, the rest of the league was not much interested in the veteran linebacker.

There was, however, interest in Cassel. But apparently, before Saturday there were not a lot of teams expressing that interest to the Patriots. Two factors may have held teams back: the $14.65 million franchise tag that Cassel carries and the fact that making a deal for the quarterback would require high draft choice compensation.

As the new NFL fiscal season started late Thursday evening, the Chiefs were the team standing at the counter, ready to place an order for Cassel. When nobody else showed up, Belilchick and Pioli put together the parameters of a deal.

That was in place Saturday morning. That’s when the rest of the league got wind of what the price tag was and suddenly, teams shifted into gear. Tampa Bay and Detroit reportedly were the two teams that expressed interest and they drew Denver into the situation.

Here’s what was going down, according to the NFL Network’s Adam Schefter: a three-team trade was proposed. Tampa Bay’s first round pick (No. 19) would go to New England. The Broncos would send Jay Cutler to the Bucs and the Patriots would send Cassel to Denver. Remember, former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is now the head coach of the Broncos.

Apparently when that wouldn’t come together, the Broncos offered their first-round pick (No. 12) straight up for Cassel and the Buccaneers offered a first and third round picks.

If any of this is true, then why is Cassel in Kansas City and not Denver or Tampa Bay? There can only be one answer: the Patriots deal with the Chiefs was done, and Belichick wasn’t going to back out at the last minute. That might be true with anyone in his dealings with anyone, but it would especially be true of someone who is a friend and former colleague.

If the bubbling grapevine is even close to accurate, and we’ll never know because Belichick and Pioli won’t talk about what happened, then Cassel is with the Chiefs because Pioli was a step ahead of the rest of the league.

lol if any of these deals are true the chiefs should flip cassel to the next highest bidder.

i'm bettin' it was more like this.

I understand this inclination, and seems to me to be how I would deal with the situation just knowing what I know.

But if the Chiefs were already decided that Cassel was "the guy" they had to have as their QB, and they weren't interested in just drafting whoever is left between Stafford/Sanchez...then why would they be willing to part with the QB they love so much for a 1st round pick? If they really think this guy can be the franchise, then nobody they draft in the the first and third rounds would be his equal. (In their minds.)

And one more point - when did Gretz become KC's most compelling columnist?

That's what I think...

Pioli got his QB (who was clearly in demand), and kept his 3rd pick in the draft...

What's not to like about that?

I can think of someone who would love nothing more than to see this deal go south, forcing us into drafting Sanchez in the first round. Who looks like the Crypt Keeper. Whose first initial is Mecca.

I don't believe mecca likes Sanchez's upside any more than me.

I'd have been dancing if this deal had somehow fell through.

I've been on the fence about Cassel. I hope he works out but I'm not sold on him being as good as some are suggesting. The thing that makes me feel better is the fact that
1. Bill B. thought enough of him to franchise him.
2. Pioli thought enough of Cassel to trade for him.
3. If the stories are correct, McDaniels was also high on him.

These are the guys that would have seen his strengths and his weaknesses on a daily basis and would know if he was actually good. If these guys believe in Cassel than I guess I'll lean towards positive rather than negatives.

This....

Other than Brady being drafted by the Pats, who has ever traded a 1st day pick for a 7th round QB and won a championship?

Anyone?

Once again Kurt Warner wasn't even drafted but I think he has had a pretty good career. I'm not saying that Cassel is going to be that good, or even any good at all, but it can be done regardless if there is already a history of it happening.

No 7th round QB has won a Super Bowl.

That didnt answer the question.... I said nothing about UDFA's...

If Matt Leinart doesn't go to USC, does Matt Cassel end up being a 1st round pick?

:hmmm:

So? Tom Brady was a 6th round pick, and has been to four and won three. And he replaced a #1 overall pick.

Cassel never started in college, but clearly had raw talent to be competing for the USC job. He ended up riding the pine behind a Heisman trophy winner. Would you rather have Lienart as our QB?

Perfect analysis of the situation, AFAICS.

Who has ever traded a 1st day pick for a 7th round QB?

That's the thing. Those three guys saw him in practice every day.

They saw more than the average Joe, or even the average scout.

If McDaniels wanted him that bad... bad enough to dump Cutler, there's a reason for it.

Our guy won.

:shrug:

I don't know. We're so used to having a running game, and Cassel was used to having several excellent receivers. Besides TG, and a butterfinger Bowe, who will he have to throw to?

Only Jesus Pioli as far as I know. :eek:ROFL

Bowe's droppsies are a bit overstated.

Bowe's gonna be just fine.... count on that.

That's exactly what I was thinking.

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showp...&postcount=276

The Chiefs.

A number 2 to STL for Green (although, maybe Green was a 6th, now that I think about it.)

How quickly we forget. :)

Gretz is great for inside info on the Chiefs. Especially during last season, with updates on players who are practicing and the like, plus he gave pretty good info on the games. His articles are normally just a bunch of crap though....

That was a first round pick. And Green was an 8th rounder.

Okay. Right, the second was for Vermiel. Close enough.

If Cassel turns in the same numbers, or anything close to what Green did here, I'll be smiling.

:thumb:

So a bunch of great stats but no playoff wins?

At least this guy isn't anywhere near the end of his career. And frankly, he's already accomplished as much as Green had before he came to KC.

I remember the last time all the pundits through we stole a player away from someone else...

Hopefully Cassel turns out better than Ryan Sims did...

I am going on out on a limb here and use a "true fan" saying...

But I am "not sold" on Cassel, He isn't "proven" (Another True fan'ism) enough...

I love it.. trade him for Cutler!

I would trade him in a heartbeat if someone would offer a 1st for him....

Wouldnt even second guess it...

And The Fourteen continue to twist painfully in the wind...LMAO

This was a good deal. I don't want to get rid of him I have high hopes that he will be the QB here for many years.

That being said. No team would give up a 1st for him now. They'd say, you gave up a 2nd that's what we'll offer.

No one could possibly have wanted Cassel other than Pioli, at any price. The numerous media outlets reporting this must have collaborated to spread lies at the expense of Pioli and the Chiefs. /blubbering moronic idiots

:D

I hate when I agree with you.

Green was a really nice player. And by all accounts a great guy.

But why are so many fans content without having our own franchise QB? Green, unfortunately, was never in this category.

I hope Cassel is much more than what Green was, and it speaks to how much the QB position has been undervalued that we often hold up a nice, system guy as a model for what we hope or would be happy to have.

Sorry, but I want and expect more.

Cassell's going on 27 years old.

He's got a full year of experience in the NFL as a starting QB. And in that year, he played exceptionally well.

He's a steal, plain and simple. I wanted to draft a QB too, but really this works out better...

We got our QB, and kept the #3 pick.

Your right, it was a crushing blow...

It wasnt ideal by any means, but hey, this franchise actually thought Herm was a NFL level coach... So that tells us something...

I think and reserve judgement until he plays a year without Moss and Welker before I annoint him the next Thigpen...

Like you, I wanted a QB at any cost. I never thought it was feasable to get a proven one (albeit just one season) for a 2nd. I'm eccstatic about the deal, and in keeping our #3, we can address one of the many other holes we already had. And with a franchise type player to boot. I can't believe the uproar this has caused. This might be the best deal ever struck by any Chiefs FO.

They'll have to get him some O-Line protection and another offensive threat to throw to befor you could truely evaluate him.

This is hilarious. We're gonna' come out on top regardless, so I'm not particularly worried about anything. That said, you'd be wise to commit the following to memory:

Whatever the end game in this affair may be, you'd best remember that assuming you know Pioli's mind is a dangerous game to play, and that this is a whole new way of doing business, and that the old Carl Parameters of "what you see is what you get" do...not...apply.

This isn't "hey, we like him, let's get him"! This is chess.

LMAO

While there seem to be lots of comparisons out there to Derek Anderson and Scott Mitchell, one thing is at least encouraging to me. In both Mitchell and Anderson's case, before they got their big contracts, and subsequently, they were never 60% passers. Cassel did complete 63.4% of his passes. So if a guy can at least be accurate, and not turn the ball over, he's got a good shot at success. Whether Cassel can turn into the next Tom Brady or the next Kurt Warner, or whether he'll just be adequate, or whether he'll be a disaster, we'll see. But if Pioli's history is any proof, while he may not use the #3 pick on a QB, he's probably going to be looking for QB's somewhere in the draft every year to bring in and compete for a spot, so if Cassel doesn't end up being the starter for the next ten years, I wouldn't be surprised if someone else we draft is in a few years...

Bono and Grbac were pretty sweet deals.... Are the Pats going to become the 49ers of the 90's for the Chiefs?

Absolutely. "Revolving Roster". Chiefs fans are used to watching guys who have passed their prime and usefulness stick around for whatever reasons.

You can kiss THAT shit goodbye. This is a 'bidness', now baby!

And I like it.

That's what shaneo69 says....

It's ****ing hopeless. It's all a huge fraud.

He's a negative bastard, I tell ya.

Obligatory Vomit; has to be done.

:Lin:

If Reerun goes all Whitlock on Pioli...

He'll be a complete joke.

We thought we were making trades of a lifetime then... ROFL

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

TRY AND YOU'LL SUCCEED

NEVER DOUBT THAT YOU'RE THE ONE

AND YOU CAN HAVE YOUR DREEAAAAAAAAAAAM!

YOU'RE THE BEST!

http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/fo...log/cassel.jpg

AROUUUUUUUUUUUUND!

NOTHING'S GONNA EVER KEEP YA DOWN!

Whitlock is a complete joke, Where did I say anything about Pioli?

You had your crusades vs. Herm... and you were right.

I was just saying that if you start up against Pioli/Haley now... it's just because you need a target.... like Whitlock.

For material.

Sorry, that's just how it reads to me...

I have a target and its not Pioli or Haley....

Right now my target is Crying Waters...

Oh yeah; those radio interviews became just as nauseating as "Hermon's Sermon".

Oh, fair enough.

Actually, Other than picking on Waters for http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_1_4.gif when Pioli and Haley told him to stop bothering them during FA, there really isnt much to complain about...

I think Scott Cassell, I mean Matt Mitchell, shit Sam Cassell,:cuss: Matt Cassel will do an average job leading this team...

Better than Thigpen, but middle of the pack NFL... The kind of QB "true fans" masturbate about...





http://www.smileycentral.com/sig.jsp...p=ZNxdm824YYUS

Sweet! Free smileys!

Yeah, see, here we go...

Free malware! LMAO

LMAO Shhhhhh! Better watch out, or ol' EBE "Bag O' Dicklestiens" will be along shortly to remind you that you're "twisting in the wind", or some other such douchelery nonsense...:rolleyes:

Hey I can make fun of the QB if I want... :LOL:

I am pretty sure I am one of the orginal 14.... or whatever it was...

Plus, and I think is the most important point, has been on an nfl roster for 4 years.

Big part of the problem is who we're they going to get at #3 at QB. The Savvy outspoken funloving extrovert superstar out of USC. That would be a spit in the face to everyone they claimed should adopt to the "Patriot way". If you talk the talk you walk the walk and unfortunatly there is no way they could keep the lockerroom if they had drafted Sanchez. This is "team first" Cassel and Vrable were brought in to show what "team first" means. There will be no superstars on this team, no Free agent monsters no larger then life draft picks.

Now I'm not saying Sanchez is a primadonna that couldnt adapt to the "patriot way" but a top 3 FRANCHISE QB sends a clear message to everyone.

Uhh, a Pats front office guy used a top 5 pick on Matt Ryan last year..Parcells himself took Bledsoe #1.

That's kind of decieving. The only, ONLY, reason Cassel was franchised was to do exactly what they did. Trade him. Cassel walks for nothing if they don't tag him. The only issue was what they were going to recieve in the trade. Personally I think the Patriots got fleeced, but we'll find out.

True, well I dont know really. Im just thinking they are really trying to send some signals to the players about the organisation now.

Yes. This is true.

If they're really trying to send a message all of the big mouth players will be moved off the team.

Give it time. Big mouthed players and lockerroom cancers are only a hot comodity in a handfull of teams right now.

They will be re-educated!:D

This is what I believe as well. Unless they are all way off this should prove to be a good move by Scott. Put a solid line in front of him and no doubt he will help make us a winner.

It makes sense to me to assume that Pioli was ahead of the league on this trade because he already knew the asking price for Cassell. Hell, he was probably half the brain trust that helped decided ultimately that they should take a high 2nd on the guy. With that much information, he could act extremely quick in getting MC.

Just a thought??? If Pioli took over the planet and decided all of the big mouth posters and message board "cancers" needed to go. Who would be the first person gone?

ROFL