Patriots: Tag, Cassel's it!

Patriots franchise Cassel

The New England Patriots announced Friday that they have utilized their 2009 franchise designation on quarterback Matt Cassel.

The cost of the franchise tag (the average of the top five highest-paid players at a given position) on Cassel is a one-year tender for $14.65 million, according to the transition and franchise tag numbers released Jan. 30 by the NFL Players Association. Since the franchise tenders are guaranteed, Cassel would count more against the cap than Brady, who is scheduled to carry a cap charge of $14.62 million for 2009.

The 26-year-old Cassel, who made 15 starts after Brady's injury, completed 63.4 percent of his passes and threw for 3,693 yards and 21 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. -- Boston Globe


Pats QB Cassell wont be able to chose his next landing spot?

Matt Cassel will more than likely net a tidy sum for the Pats in the form of draft picks, and no one in recent seasons has proven more adept than using picks as currency than New England. While it is unfortunate for him that he will likely not be able to choose his next landing spot, Thursday's game of tag seems to assure that he will be in another uniform when training camp rolls around. -- Providence Journal