Trade Peppers for Matt Cassell?

[HSCBandit07]

who cares if we have 2 good quarterbacks on our team with our top running game and an awful d line? besides...i think matt moore is our future just as soon as he stops making farve-like decisions :-)

[joemac]

Damn, I didnt know that anyone still thought Matt Moore was the future of this team....dude is garbage, get over it.

[HSCBandit07]

hahaha I'm still comparing him to vinny and carr

[joemac]

hahaha I'm still comparing him to vinny and carr

LMAO! Well that is your first mistake.

[nationsford]

maximus loving the arguements, you killing them...

i wouldnt do the trade straight up but throw there 23 overall pick and it becomes very enticing...

[rblee83]

The Pats are in the market for a pass rushing outside linebacker to pair on the outside with Adalius Thomas. Depending on what offers they get for Cassel (Vikings and Bucks would be among the front runners of a list of maybe 8 teams interested) I could see BB trading Cassel plus picks for Peppers. The Pats have 5 picks in the first 3 rounds this year (6 picks if they get a probable 3rd round compensation pick for Asante Samuel departing in FA). The Pats are in win-now mode, Cassel and their first, more likely second round pick wouldn't be out of the question for Peppers...

[CRA]

The Pats are in the market for a pass rushing outside linebacker to pair on the outside with Adalius Thomas. Depending on what offers they get for Cassel (Vikings and Bucks would be among the front runners of a list of maybe 8 teams interested) I could see BB trading Cassel plus picks for Peppers. The Pats have 5 picks in the first 3 rounds this year (6 picks if they get a probable 3rd round compensation pick for Asante Samuel departing in FA). The Pats are in win-now mode, Cassel and their first, more likely second round pick wouldn't be out of the question for Peppers...

to many holes on defense not to load up on that side of the ball with whatever we are getting with Peppers. Getting Cassell does nothing for us next season. We had a lot of holes coming into this past season on defense and losing Pep only adds to it. Cassell would come in to be a backup to replace Delhomme in the future. It just doesn't work unless you are planning on giving a 1st and then Cassell and NE is going to try to rip someone off w/ Cassell.....the scenarios just don't work w/ Carolina.

[rblee83]

If the Panthers sign Cassel it would be to make him the starter and cut Delhomme for salary cap reasons. There would be no way he'd be groomed behind Delhomme, he is better than Delhomme! The reason the Pats might prefer Peppers to multiple draft picks is that it helps them to win immediately.

[CRA]

If the Panthers sign Cassel it would be to make him the starter and cut Delhomme for salary cap reasons. There would be no way he'd be groomed behind Delhomme, he is better than Delhomme! The reason the Pats might prefer Peppers to multiple draft picks is that it helps them to win immediately.

would never happen. if they brought him in he would sit behind Delhomme for at least a year and then let him take over the following year. Even if it was an open competition Cassell couldn't beat Delhomme in THIS offense next season.

[Darth Bobo]

This year the franchise tag cost New England $14.65 million for Cassell, and cost Carolina $16.68 million for Peppers. Assuming both front offices, professional experts far smarter than us, estimated the value of their franchised players accurately, then Peppers is worth $2.03 million more this year. For that reason, I do not believe any trade arrangement would be 1 for 1, there would be additional considerations.

For example, while I think both teams believe that the price they paid for the franchise tag reflects the optimum value of their respective players, I honestly believe niether team wants to actually pay those figures for their player. In other words, both Carolina and New England are hoping to trade these players away, because the utility each team can get from their player is probably overshadowed by the price they agreed on paper to pay. Both teams have extended themselves into risk.

In the case of Carolina, I believe we knew we were going to put the tag on Peppers last year when we traded up to Philadelphia's first round pick to snag Jeff Otah, in exchange for this years first round pick(and something else but I've forgotten what). In any case, our front office knew in 2008 that we would use the franchise tag on Peppers this year. I believe he knew it too, even then. So, Carolina definitely felt confident back then, but the confidence of our front office is at odds with Peppers' agent, Carl Carey. Carey and Peppers are now insisting they will "only go" to one of four teams, 2 of which are division rivals(out), one of which has no first round pick(out) and the last unknown. In other words Peppers and his agent are trying to force the issue with the Panther's front office. I do not know the circumstances of the Cassell tag, so maybe you can share that story with us, and we can figure out what the possibilities are.

The last 5 -7 years of New England's play commands a certain respect for their front office. They are smart about their personnel decisions. They know the value of their players. If Cassell is as good as New England's tag insinuates he is, then he would certainly be an upgrade to our QB roster. We have a need at QB, and in years past that need has been glaring. To be sure, we need to invest in the position.

With what I know now though, I do not believe a trade could be Cassell for Peppers even. The Panthers need to free up more than 2 million in cap space to make other choices in free agency, for example on the defensive line. We cannot lose Peppers, after having lost Kris Jenkins the year before, and continue to play well on the D-line. The departure of both simply redefines our game at the line. We are strapped. We cannot make any personnel decisions which do not specifically involve the insertion of a new playmaker on the Dline.

[Kettle]

didn't Zod already say that Moore is the future?

[rblee83]

Good post. Cassel has signed the non-exclusive franchise tender, so he can negotiate with other teams. Teams can offer a trade to the Pats for Cassel, or give 2 first round picks if they offer him a contract straight-up (won't happen, a trade will be worked out for less than 2 firsts).

There have been rumors on Boston sports radio that New England is the 4th unnamed team. Like you said, they are the only team within those 4 that Carolina would consider trading to. It makes sense to me, Peppers declined the offer to become the highest paid defensive player in the league. It's not about the money. If he went to the Pats, he would be playing for arguably the best defensive mind of the generation in the 3-4 under BB. BB has also showed history of taking risks on players that played off, like Randy Moss, Rodney Harrison, and Corey Dillon.

[JuliusP_90]

Cassel is not really that good when under center.

He wouldn't fit into our system of running the ball and then play action passes. He's a shotgun guy.

[rblee83]

Another thing to think about is that Vince Wilfork and Richard Seymour's contracts expire in a year. Both are considered top 3 at their respective positions, and it is assumed that Wilfork would get priority for a contract extension because a blue-chip nose tackle in a 3-4 is mandatory. If New England assumes that it will lose Seymour in a year due to salary cap implications, he could be on the trading block a year early. It has been widely speculated that Seymour could be the best 4-3 tackle in the league. He could play in a more attacking defensive scheme. Currently he controls 2 gaps while being double teamed on the line, which frees up the linebackers behind him to make plays in the 3-4.

Another wrinkle in all this is whether or not the NFL has a salary cap in a year. If the salary cap is not an issue, the Pats could just pay Seymour and Wilfork the most at their respective positions without any issue. I believe the uncertainty in the cap is the reason why neither has been extended thus far.