Saturday, February 28, 2009

Patriots deal Matt Cassel to the Kansas City Chiefs

The New England Patriots dealt quarterback Matt Cassel to the Chiefs on Saturday. Though many mock drafts had Mark Sanchez penciled to land in Kansas City with the third overall pick, I never saw the possibility or sense in it. Matt Cassel increased his value last season, guiding the Patriots to 11 wins as a replacement for the injured Tom Brady. He was franchise tagged by New England, guaranteeing a litte more than $14 million to play in 2009.

When Scott Pioli took over the decision making in Kansas City, it became more apparent that the Chiefs would not draft a first round quarterback. In all his years in New England's front office, the Patriots quarterbacks were selected in later rounds, including Brady in the 6th and Cassel in the 7th. Last year, Matt Ryan was selected third overall by the Atlanta Falcons, and the quarterback banked more than $35 million in guarantees. Acquiring Cassel appears as a discount, while also gaining a proven quarterback, instead of paying more for an unproven prospect.

There are no current details of the deal, but the franchise tag demands that teams acquiring Matt Cassel give the Patriots 2 first-round picks in return.

Update: The Chiefs received New England's second-round pick in the upcoming draft

No comments: