If offered would you trade Cassel for a 1st round pick this offseason?

[nickagneta]

The Pats could franchise him and not sign him right away as the negotiate a longer deal. It almost never happens that a player signs right away for the one year as their agents are doing a huge disservice to their client long if they take that deal. Cassel's agent will be looking for a huge up front bonus plus years for long term security. The chances of Cassel taking the franchise offer right away is extremely slim as it will be pretty obvious to the agent what the Pats are doing and wouldn't want to screw up his client's relationship with the Pats.

this is true, but the act of franchising a player is offering a franchise contract. So as mentioned, if he and his agent realize they might have trouble getting 15 million guaranteed they may sign.  While I agree it wouldnt be a great strategy, you could foresee a situation where he signs, gets 15 mill guaranteed to sit on the bench, then goes back to being a FA next year (it isnt like his skills will have diminished).  I am not advocating this, but it is a real risk for the Pats.

What I see as a much more likely scenario is the agent sees what the Pats are doing, waits for the trade to happen and then negotiates a deal that would be similar to Aaron Rodgers(who happens to have the same agent as Cassel) where Cassel would get a $20-25 million signing bonus, a $10-15 million 2009 salary and then incrementally smaller but increasing amounts thereafter.

That pays Cassel somewhere between $30-40 million next year and playing as opposed to $14 million and sitting.

No come on, how likely is your scenario of him taking the franchise tag right away? Almost none.

[Chris]

The Pats could franchise him and not sign him right away as the negotiate a longer deal. It almost never happens that a player signs right away for the one year as their agents are doing a huge disservice to their client long if they take that deal. Cassel's agent will be looking for a huge up front bonus plus years for long term security. The chances of Cassel taking the franchise offer right away is extremely slim as it will be pretty obvious to the agent what the Pats are doing and wouldn't want to screw up his client's relationship with the Pats.

this is true, but the act of franchising a player is offering a franchise contract. So as mentioned, if he and his agent realize they might have trouble getting 15 million guaranteed they may sign.  While I agree it wouldnt be a great strategy, you could foresee a situation where he signs, gets 15 mill guaranteed to sit on the bench, then goes back to being a FA next year (it isnt like his skills will have diminished).  I am not advocating this, but it is a real risk for the Pats.

It absolutely is a risk for the Patriots, which is why they will only franchise him if they are willing to take that risk, and feel like they are in a good enough cap situation to deal with it.

But if Cassel keeps going the way he is going, that risk will definitely be minimized, since he would likely make much more money on the open market.  It is not inconcievable that he could get $30 million + guaranteed.  If his agent is getting whispers that teams are willing to offer something like that, you have to imagine he wouldn't sign the Pats contract.

[Donoghus]

This is from Peter King on what the tag number will look like:

Barring another marquee quarterback signing a long-term deal before 2009 free-agency begins, the franchise number for a quarterback next offseason will be $14.28 million. With one asterisk.

The asterisk: If Favre retires by February 2009, the day franchise designations must be made, that number goes down by $220,000, to $14.06 million.

Here's how the cap system works: The franchise number is the average of the top five cap numbers at a position from the previous season. The top five cap numbers for quarterbacks in 2008 belong to Peyton Manning ($18.7 million), Carson Palmer ($13.9 million), Rodgers ($13.9 million, done last month to use up available 2008 cap space and preserve 2009 room), Eli Manning ($12.9 million) and Favre ($12 million). If Favre retires, the next contract used to quantify the franchise figure for quarterbacks is Jake Delhomme, at $10.9 million.

So the Patriots, in the unlikely event that they franchise Cassel when the franchise designations have to be made in February, will have two good reasons to root for Favre to retire. One, it would save them money. Two, it would save them on-field headaches next fall.

[RondoIsAPimp]

No way in hell does Cassel get a 1st round pick. He is a product of the Pat's system. In any other system he is a average to below average QB. 1st round picks are valued extremely high in the NFL. I could see a team being dumb and maybe giving up a 2nd rounder for him (if he wasn't going to be a FA). But giving up a 1st round pick would be even dumber than Seattle giving up a 1st rounder for Deion Branch.

[yall hate]

But giving up a 1st round pick would be even dumber than Seattle giving up a 1st rounder for Deion Branch.

And you have to love how the compounded that mistake by paying an injury prone shrimp as if he was a top 5 WR.  I love it.

[Redz]

It doesn't how many times I see this thread title on the Latest Forum Topics box, I still get a little excited every time thinking that someone might be offering the Celtics a #1 for Sam Cassell.

[davemonsterband]

Would I do that trade? I'd hold a ceremony, I'd post up pictures of Tim Duncan and Rick Pitino and Greg Oden and throw various objects at them then set them on fire. I'd laugh and cry at the same time and look up to the clouds and acknowledge the fact that there's finally a basketball god up there that gives a [dang] the C's.

Hopefully McHale's picking up his phone again this summer.

[Redz]

But giving up a 1st round pick would be even dumber than Seattle giving up a 1st rounder for Deion Branch.

And you have to love how the compounded that mistake by paying an injury prone shrimp as if he was a top 5 WR.  I love it.

Sidebar.  How did the Pats get San Fran's #1 last year?

[SShorefan 3.0]

But giving up a 1st round pick would be even dumber than Seattle giving up a 1st rounder for Deion Branch.

And you have to love how the compounded that mistake by paying an injury prone shrimp as if he was a top 5 WR.  I love it.

Sidebar.  How did the Pats get San Fran's #1 last year?

The Pats traded I believe the 28th pick the season prior for it.

[yall hate]

But giving up a 1st round pick would be even dumber than Seattle giving up a 1st rounder for Deion Branch.

And you have to love how the compounded that mistake by paying an injury prone shrimp as if he was a top 5 WR.  I love it.

Sidebar.  How did the Pats get San Fran's #1 last year?

The Pats traded I believe the 28th pick the season prior for it.

Yes.  San Fran used the pick for Joe Staley an O lineman.


Also, this year the pats have san diego's second round pick (we traded a 3rd rounder last year for it), so everyone keep rooting for san diego to keep losing.

[SShorefan 3.0]

But giving up a 1st round pick would be even dumber than Seattle giving up a 1st rounder for Deion Branch.

And you have to love how the compounded that mistake by paying an injury prone shrimp as if he was a top 5 WR.  I love it.

Sidebar.  How did the Pats get San Fran's #1 last year?

The Pats traded I believe the 28th pick the season prior for it.

Yes.  San Fran used the pick for Joe Staley an O lineman.


Also, this year the pats have san diego's second round pick (we traded a 3rd rounder last year for it), so everyone keep rooting for san diego to keep losing.

Interesting -- I was totally pulling for them last night.  This is good to know.