The Patriots current backup QB, Matt Cassell, has not started a game anywhere since high school. He backed up Matt Leinart at USC for his entire career there. Nonetheless the Patriots used a 7th round pick to draft him in the 2004 draft, not even taking the chance that a player who had not played in college at all would be a undrafted free agent. The question I have, reading the story below, is whether or not the Patriots were looking for somebody smart enough to read opposing signals - given preparation from prior illegal taping of those signals - and relay them quickly to the field. They would have needed somebody who participated in a high level NFL pro set offensive plan in college, and USC was the most extensive such program in existence in 2004, and who was willing to stand on the sidelines for his entire career without complaint. Matt Cassell fit both bills. The story: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/sports/football/16walsh.html?_r=1&oref=slogin The story, BTW, insinuates very heavily that Tom Brady was the guy who relayed signals to Drew Bledsoe and that the Patriot's cheating ways began in 2000 when Belichik arrived. Note that the Patriots took a QB this year in the draft in the 3rd round after not taking one since Cassell in 2004. Maybe a move preparatory to cutting ties with the guy most likely to be able to implicate Belichik and the Pats in the relay of opposing signals during games? Obviously we're all thinking that's what the Pats were doing but Goodell and the NFL has turned a blind eye to it for the moment, probably praying it will go away.
Cassell and Leinart were head to head in competition during the pre-season leading up to Leinart's heisman campaign, and in high school Cassell was considered to be one of the top recruits in the country. I don't think they drafted a backup qb based on that.
Cassell also had great workouts. But if you want a conspiracy theory, this isn't the most farfetched one in the world. Especially since they did draft a quarterback this season, after they were apparently high on Cassell.
Come on, this is really sad. How about they liked the guy, he had measurables that reminded them of Brady, and they knew from experience that drafting a QB early, with the attendant pressure on both the QB and the salary cap, is more likely than not going crater on them? Pick a guy late, groom him slow, no pressure, maybe hit another home run. I think some of us are taking this demented evil genius thing a little too far.
OMFG .. Where do some of you get the stuff you guys smoke in new york? I have lived here aprox 2 years, and still haven't found it .. WOW ..
This thread IS stupid, but what it makes it even worse is when Pats fans comment about how stupid it is. Go to a Pats' board - All you guys do is comment about how the Patriots didn't cheat, and how awesome they are. No one on this board gives a shit about the Patriots, or their fans' opinions on ANYTHING.
Umm Eddy ... WTF are you talking about? "You Guys" Who's that? Please don't include me unless you got a link .. Have a nice day ..
No No .. Jake.. You did not show where "I" as in me .. I went thru 16 pages of that thread .. Didn't see it ..
Nah he's right...you're smug. Go ahead and admit that you drive a hybrid car, you have a Mac computer, you love Europe, and you like sucking cock. It's okay...just let it all out.
If I didn't know any better I would think this is a personal attack Mr. Electric .. I do have a Mac though :beer:
Good article. I love that this came up on the page as well. The chick looks like a moron but she's got a great rack.
I'd just like to chime in here and say that I drive a hybrid, own a mac, love europe and love sucking cock.
According to the article Walsh thinks they stopped using a quarterback in the 03 season, right after he left. It was sort of stupid to use a quarterback anyway. Here's the really interesting part. Both Bishop and Friesz left the NFL at the end of the 2000 season and where losing value through it. So if a backup was relaying the calls, and it was an intended tight nit circle...who was the apparent common backup QB at the time........... Tom "Perfect" Brady. Of course in Sept of 01 he became the starter....so they needed a new relay...maybe newly acquired Damon Huard- he was around there for a while. It would be interesting to see footage, particularly during hurry up plays. or at least a count of how often they worked favorably, and if so, how often they worked for everyone else in the NFL.
QB's have a mic and headphones in their helmet. So Cassell reads the signals and says "I think they're running this coverage..." Brady hears that in his helmet as does the offensive coordinator. Of course the mic is *supposed* to be dead in the backup QB's helmet, however the Pat's haven't exactly dotted the i's and crossed the t's when it comes to that kind of trivial detail recently, have they?
...I'm pretty sure every team in the NFL does that with signals. Stop trying to say that the Pats used the mic in their backup QBs' helmet illegally...you're just being even more ridiculous now. Everyone knows that New England cheated, but every team uses their backup QB to relay some sort of signals.
nah me and you have butted heads, but i agree this is a ridiculous theory. rofl i wish i had it too man. on that note, your still the fan of a completely false franchise. peace
