Quote:
Originally Posted by Mecca
The other argument there would be Sanchez is 22 Cassel is 27...so if you think there isn't a great difference wouldn't you prefer the younger one?
I've seen Cassel plenty, he holds the ball a long time, his splits from shotgun and non shotgun are extremely wide, wide enough to cause concern. He's mobile, his deep balls and balls to the middle of the field still not alot of improvement.
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My personal take is that Sanchez has more upside potential while Cassel has less downside risk. In other words, Sanchez is more likely to be great, but Cassel is less likely to bust. It's just a matter of opinion which you'd prefer--I personally think it's a wash and I like Cassel enough to back him for now.
As for the Cassel stuff, I think the reason people mention the shotgun vs. under-center splits is because they are vastly overrating the Pats' offensive line. Again, take a look at highlights of him snapping from under center--he was getting harassed like there was no tomorrow. We've seen in both New Orleans and New England that when a starter like Brees and Brady are that good, their lightning quick reads make their offensive line look a lot better than they should.
And so, I don't think Cassel holds on to the ball too long because on most downs, he didn't have enough time to hold on to the ball too long. People just think he had enough time because they think the Pats' offensive line is much better than it actually is. I don't think he holds on to the ball any more than Sanchez does, given that that's a knock some people have on him too. Like Cassel, Sanchez got that knock largely because people overrated the USC offensive line as well.