What is in the cards for Matt Cassel?

Could Patriots lose out on Matt Cassel?

There is the outside possibility that the Patriots and Matt Cassel's representatives could hammer out a contract extension before the start of the 2009 league year in late February/early March. But given that Cassel is already close to the open market - which most players yearn to hit just once, especially when their value is rising - there is likely to be little motivation for him to pursue an extension. Plus, the Patriots simply might not be able to offer him what others can: a starting opportunity. Which is why, in the end, the Patriots are likely going to see another team benefit from an asset they produced. In a sense, they are handcuffed by their own success. The consolation prize in that case would be a compensatory draft choice in 2010. If Cassel lands a megabucks contract elsewhere - and other pieces fall into place - chances are the Patriots would receive the highest possible compensatory draft choice, a third-rounder. -- Boston Globe

Will Pats tag QB Matt Cassel?

Patriots QB Matt Cassel's stunning emergence (he hadn't started a game since high school prior to this season) and potential earning power (he's making the minimum $520,000 this season) are becoming more powerful stories each week. So given all that, what are the Patriots' options with such a valuable asset? One possibility is assigning Cassel the franchise tag. The player is tendered a one-year contract at the average of the top five players at the position, which will be approximately $14 million for quarterbacks in 2009. While some might see the tagging of Cassel as potentially violating the spirit of the rule, the Patriots would have a strong case if they made the decision out of concerns about Tom Brady's health. Still, financial considerations could lead the team away from that choice. If Cassel was counting about $14 million against the salary cap, coupled with quarterback Brady's $14.6 million charge, the Patriots would have almost $29 million of the projected $123 million cap on two players. The transition tag is another option, although it's seldom used. A player with that tag would be tendered a one-year contract that averages the top 10 salaries at the position, which for quarterbacks could be in the range of $10 million in 2009. -- Boston Globe