Birth of a Media Blitz
“We will do whatever is best for our team to win”
— Not-a-direct-quote-but-we’ve-all-heard-Belichick-say-something-like-this-before.
If it was best for the Patriots, the team would dismiss Tom Brady, and appoint Matt Cassel the starting quarterback from today until the cows come home.
Bill Belichick has always made it clear, and used the philosophy to motivate rookies and veterans alike, that every position is always up for grabs.
It would be easy to throw out a hundred impressive statistics, perhaps even two or three you’d find useful at the water cooler—or better yet a few feet from a tailgate—but that’s not what you will find here.
(Quasi-Exception: see Statistics below)
Quiet Beginnings
Anyone who scratched their heads when the Patriots wasted a seventh-round pick on Matt Cassel? A quarterback with no starts in his collegiate career!? Surely must have choked on their chowder when a third-round pick was trashed on...SURPRISE a young quarterback out of San Diego State. What? A third-rounder QB? Bye-bye Matty C!
So, the saga begins : Brady down in week one, no veteran brought in, a rough start in the first handful of games, crowds call for Cassel’s head, Belichick sticks to his guns, Cassel emerges as a Pro Bowl-caliber QB, Brady is traded?
Squuueeeeeeek. I had to do it, since the sports world simply can’t sometimes. I hit the brakes.
Statistics 101
Tom Brady has been the starting quarter back for the Patriots seven years: six playoff appearances, four Super Bowls.
These are the only statistics that truly matter, not going 16-0, not 50 TD passes, NOT back-to-back 400+ yard games.
Brady out, Cassel in! (Huh? This looks long…)
Teams must always look to the future, while ensuring they don’t jeopardize the short term—it is a balancing act that few master and fewer perfect.
In the end football is the same as any business, teams must manage risk and hope for a little luck along the way.
For the Patriots the (evolving) question is, IS it more likely than not (left facing alligator and 50 percent) THAT:
(a) Tom Brady comes back from surgery, sees limited action due to subsequent injuries, career fizzles, out and bounces around the league for the next 5-6 years AND...
(b) Matt Cassel beyond his thus-far successful yet limited action proves himself to be a SUPER Bowl caliber player, who will lead the Patriots to a better future than a broken Brady.
Unless you fully believe (a) and (b) to be true—and instead you think it is likely that both plays are going to be reasonably healthy and play well—how can you NOT take Brady, who has a proven stock—especially considering that the Patriots just used a THIRD-round draft pick to grab their “quarterback of the future” this year.
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about 1 month ago
Great premise but I think that once a Quarterback is in there and doing well, it's difficult for a team to change. Maybe since it will be a new season, having Brady come back in won't be that difficult, but if Cassel takes the Patriots to the SuperBowl he should stay.
about 1 month ago
I see where you are coming from - And many probably agree that this is 'the same' as what happened to Drew B back in '01; however, the Pat's are coming off a 16-0 regular season, and Brady had the best season of his life last year - hardly the same circumstances faced by team management in 2001.
I just don't see Cassel as the starting QB next year, given the factors outlined in the article as well as salary cap, team chemistry, etc. problems that would be far too much to make it worthwhile. I think Tom Brady means more to the club hose and the franchise than Matt Cassel.
It will be hard to let Cassel go - especially if he delivers a Super Bowl victory this year - but I see him walking as a free agent. No franchise tag games or anything of the like.
Again, all in my very humble opinion - Thanks for the comment!
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