As i mentioned in another thread on this same topic, if Cassell got the franchise tag it must be very tempting for him to just sit tight if the Pats tried to unload him onto another team in a trade - if someone was offering me $14m guaranteed in a sport where the next hit you take could end your career and when I have not made any real $$$ to date I would have to get one helluva contract offer from another team to make me give that up.
Yes, let's trade for Cassel now! Give up first round picks for the next three years! That should do it! Get it done!
They will but when they do they will have their own serious cap issues. What they do after that is the interesting part of this story.
I thought I read that franchising Cassell will put them over. In any event as this article shows they would have 28 million tied up in 2 QBs and over half the entire cap (65 million) in only 7 players total. No matter how they go from there it won't be pretty. http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/07/patriots-facing-salary-cap-problems-if-they-franchise-matt-casse/
Let's see how that works out when they're paying both Brady's contract and also paying Cassel like a top 5 QB for 2009.