The New England Patriots fired the first salvo of the pre-free agent period by placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on quarterback Matt Cassel on Thursday, the first day the team was able to do so.
While the move was hardly unexpected, it does reveal a couple of things. First off, the Patriots are clearly concerned about Tom Brady's slow recovery from major knee surgery and the superstar signal-caller's availability for the 2009 season opener. Second, it's a pretty clear sign that New England will attempt to capitalize on Cassel's sky-high value in an offseason market devoid of desired quarterback options by trying to work out a trade in the coming months.
Cassel will earn a salary of $14.65 million as the Pats' designated franchise player. Combine that number with Brady's $14.62 million cap charge in 2009, and New England would have over $29 million invested in two players at the same position next season, not to mention little flexibility to sign free agents. If Brady isn't quite ready to go by September, and there have been conflicting reports as to whether or not that will be the case, then the Patriots have a nice insurance policy and the luxury of giving the former league MVP all the time he needs to heal. If Brady is 100 percent by the opener, however, that leaves the team stuck with an overpaid and unused asset on the bench.
How this situation plays out naturally depends on how Brady's rehab progresses over the next few months, so don't expect the Patriots to be making any hasty decisions. As draft day approaches, however, expect plenty of rumors -- many involving the Chiefs and Vikings -- to be flying around regarding Cassel's future.
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