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Patriots' Cassel Looking Like A QB Option For Bucs

The Associated Press

Matt Cassel, 26, has led the Pats to a 9-5 record after replacing the injured Tom Brady. He is slated to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

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By IRA KAUFMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 19, 2008

Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans have a special reason to keep an eye on the New England Patriots down the stretch.

Tampa Bay is likely to bring in a new starting quarterback in 2009, and New England's Matt Cassel figures to be available. Cassel, 26, has led the Pats to a 9-5 record after replacing injured Tom Brady under center in Week 1, and he is slated to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

The marriage between Jeff Garcia and Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden has been on shaky ground for almost a year. With Garcia turning 39 in February, the Bucs undoubtedly will allow him to leave, seeking a new starter through free agency or via a trade.

If the Pats are convinced Brady's left knee has healed, they will have a difficult time persuading Cassel to re-sign rather than test the free-agent market, where he could be a highly sought commodity. At 6-foot-4, Cassel has enviable size, and he has completed 63.8 percent of his pass attempts this year for 3,270 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Despite Brady's absence, New England leads the league in first downs and is averaging 25 points per game.

The Patriots could slap a franchise or transition tag on Cassel after the season in an effort to secure his services for one more year, but that would involve a big contract, obligating much of New England's salary cap to Brady and Cassel.

Cassel doesn't have much wear and tear on that right arm, having thrown only 33 passes at the University of Southern California, where he backed up Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart. A seventh-round pick in the 2005 draft, Cassel had attempted only 39 passes in three years with the Patriots until assuming the starting role this season when Brady tore his MCL in the opener against Kansas City.

After playing out the final year of his rookie contract, Cassel could find himself the top free-agent quarterback on the market in March. Should the Bucs be interested at that point, they could face other potential suitors such as Detroit, Minnesota and the New York Jets, if Brett Favre retires.

Cassel is accurate, and he has capitalized on this opportunity by studying the way a consummate pro like Brady prepares for pro defenses.

Cassel's relative lack of mobility may not suit Gruden's preference for resourceful quarterbacks like Garcia, who can make plays when the pocket breaks down. Cassel has been sacked an NFL-high 45 times this season, with two games remaining as the Patriots battle the Jets and Dolphins for first place in the AFC East.

Like Garcia, Brad Johnson and Rich Gannon, who excelled for Gruden in Oakland, Cassel's arm strength is considered merely adequate. Of his 301 completions this year, Cassel has connected on only four passing plays of 40 yards or longer – and that's with Randy Moss on the New England roster.

In contrast, Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers, also in his first season as an NFL starter, has 14 completions of at least 40 yards, despite six fewer pass attempts than Cassel.

With Donovan McNabb resurrecting his career in Philadelphia, the Bucs may find themselves with few satisfactory options at quarterback in the offseason. Brady's rehab is the key to Cassel's future in New England, and Cassel's next few games may be the key in determining his landing spot in '09.

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