HiEnd
Bench Warmer
NFL.com reports that the Patriots have agreed to trade Matt Cassel to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Patriots have not yet confirmed the move, but the Boston Globe is also reporting it.
Compensation was not yet clear. The Patriots prevented Cassel from reaching free agency by designating him as their franchise player earlier this month. The Chiefs own the third overall pick in April's draft, but a second-round pick (the Chiefs will get either pick 34 or 35) could be a more likely return to New England. NBC Sports reports the third pick would not be part of the deal.
The trade would be the second between the two teams in two days, after New England sent LB Mike Vrabel to the Chiefs yesterday. Chiefs GM Scott Pioli left the Patriots in January to assume the top job in Kansas City.
Cassel would become the Chiefs' presumptive starting quarterback, ahead of Tyler Thigpen on the depth chart. The trade would indicate that the Patriots have confidence that QB Tom Brady is on track to return from the ACL tear that ended his season in Week 1 last season.
But the Patriots will probably have to find a new backup quarterback to provide insurance in case Brady must miss more time.
Cassel was a seventh-round pick for New England in 2005. He never started a game in the NFL or in college, where he was a career backup at Southern California, until Brady was injured in September. Cassel led the Patriots to an 11-5 finish in Brady's absence.
Ironically, it was against the Chiefs that Brady was hurt and Cassel got first got the opportunity to play.
Compensation was not yet clear. The Patriots prevented Cassel from reaching free agency by designating him as their franchise player earlier this month. The Chiefs own the third overall pick in April's draft, but a second-round pick (the Chiefs will get either pick 34 or 35) could be a more likely return to New England. NBC Sports reports the third pick would not be part of the deal.
The trade would be the second between the two teams in two days, after New England sent LB Mike Vrabel to the Chiefs yesterday. Chiefs GM Scott Pioli left the Patriots in January to assume the top job in Kansas City.
Cassel would become the Chiefs' presumptive starting quarterback, ahead of Tyler Thigpen on the depth chart. The trade would indicate that the Patriots have confidence that QB Tom Brady is on track to return from the ACL tear that ended his season in Week 1 last season.
But the Patriots will probably have to find a new backup quarterback to provide insurance in case Brady must miss more time.
Cassel was a seventh-round pick for New England in 2005. He never started a game in the NFL or in college, where he was a career backup at Southern California, until Brady was injured in September. Cassel led the Patriots to an 11-5 finish in Brady's absence.
Ironically, it was against the Chiefs that Brady was hurt and Cassel got first got the opportunity to play.
