With the 28th pick of the 2007 draft, the Patriots select.... (1 Viewer)

[Billy Bats]

...One source close to Kolb told me the Patriots were looking closely at him and were a candidate to take him at No. 28 before they dealt the pick (talk about a selection that would have raised eyebrows)...

Link to full article

So what would the reaction be in the football world if NE took Kolb with the 28th pick? Would it be the beginning of the end of the Brady era in NE? Would brady be pissed? Or would it be a genius move because Belichick made the selection? With all the fallout and talk about McNabb and his now-tenuous status on the Eagles, what kind of articles and interviews would we be hearing if he was taken by the Patriots? Just wondering....

 

[bostonfred]

A lot of people are picking the Patriots to win the Superbowl this year with the caveat "as long as Brady doesn't get hurt". Taking a backup QB early would have been a fine pick, even if the guy never set foot on the field.

 

[phthalatemagic]

No, it would have been a brilliant pick had NE taken him there.

 

[snorlax]

Doesn't Matt Cassel have a lot of fans?

 

[Billy Bats]

No, it would have been a brilliant pick had NE taken him there.

Brilliant? How so?

 

[Boston]

It was reported locally a few times that the Pats had interest in Kolb. It wouldn't surprise me if they had ranked him highly either. Yet, it really would not have made sense for the Pats to use a #1 on him. That just wouldn't be using the asset to it's fullest. With Brady still in his prime the Pats QB job is locked up for at least another five years. Obviously injuries could change that but so far Brady has been very durable.

Overall, I'd like to see the Pats add another solid backup (like Damon Huard when he was w/the Pats) because I'm not real comfortable only having two QBs, especially in a complex system like the Pats.

 

[Christo]

No, it would have been a brilliant pick had NE taken him there.

Brilliant? How so?

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Doesn't Matt Cassel have a lot of fans?

Cassel is going to be the next Matt Schaub.

 

[tombonneau]

This was discussed on a Pats board I frequent and was dismissed as bogus. BB was on the radio after the draft and was asked if he would have taken Quinn had he been on the board at #24.

BB said there is no way he would have, bc that is tying too much money into one position where only one guy can be on the field playing it at any one time.

So by that line of thinking, I find it hard to believe 4 spots later he would have taken a guy like Kolb.

If anything, its misinformation disseminated by Philly brass to take some heat off the selection.

 

[SSOG]

Doesn't Matt Cassel have a lot of fans?

Cassel is going to be the next Matt Schaub.

Personally, I always thought he was more of a Billy Volek type. Or maybe a poor man's Rohan Davies.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Doesn't Matt Cassel have a lot of fans?

Cassel is going to be the next Matt Schaub.

Personally, I always thought he was more of a Billy Volek type. Or maybe a poor man's Rohan Davies.

Care to unpack that?I think he's got more courage than Volek, more skills than Davey.Cassel will get to compete for a starting job when he goes into UFA after 08, maybe earlier if the Pats can find a suitable backup and trade partner next offseason.

 

[Colts Win]

It could have been a value pick.

I know atleast one draft ranking service GM JR had him as the 2nd over all QB ahead Quinn

 

[Kit Fisto]

Doesn't Matt Cassel have a lot of fans?

Cassel is going to be the next Matt Schaub.

I agree with Bloom. Cassel's gonna get his shot at starting somewhere down the road.

 

[T Man]

IF NE would have picked Kolb at 28 it would have raised eyebrows with the fans. A high pick on a QB when they have a very good QB always raises eyebrows.

Would it have been treated as a good pick by BB. YES. Because BB would not have said anything other then Kolb was a great player and great value (if he said anything). AND, Brady would probably not have said anything because he is secure in knowing that HE IS THE MAN.

And I am definitiely not a Pats fan or a BB fan. I just think that Brady would have handled the situation well -- something like "I look forward to teaching Kevin all I know". I would have expected something like this even if secretly he felt that the organization was out to replace him.

I think a pick up of a young QB by Philly is a good decision. McNabb has been hurt the last sesveral years. Keeping an old Garcia was not a long term answer, nor are the two backups on the roster. Philly has been a team that prepares for the future.

The problem is that McNabb is unhappy with the pick. He voices his opinion. His Dad voices an opinion. Heck, his mom voiced an opinion about Garcia. McNabb just seems to be extremely insecure. As a supposed leader of the Eagles, he should have embraced the pick publically.

 

[foxco]

it wouldn't have caused the same controversy because Brady is a proven winner, has had no injury issues so far and has never been too tired to finish a Super Bowl.

 

[phthalatemagic]

Doesn't Matt Cassel have a lot of fans?

Cassel is going to be the next Matt Schaub.

Personally, I always thought he was more of a Billy Volek type. Or maybe a poor man's Rohan Davies.

How can you get more poor than Rohan Davey? You are insulting poor people.

 

[phthalatemagic]

it wouldn't have caused the same controversy because Brady is a proven winner, has had no injury issues so far and has never been too tired to finish a Super Bowl.

Brady's shoulder makes the injury report like 80% of the time for the last 3 years.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

It could have been a value pick.I know atleast one draft ranking service GM JR had him as the 2nd over all QB ahead Quinn

That was Russ Lande - who IIRC had him on the cover.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

This was discussed on a Pats board I frequent and was dismissed as bogus. BB was on the radio after the draft and was asked if he would have taken Quinn had he been on the board at #24.BB said there is no way he would have, bc that is tying too much money into one position where only one guy can be on the field playing it at any one time.So by that line of thinking, I find it hard to believe 4 spots later he would have taken a guy like Kolb.If anything, its misinformation disseminated by Philly brass to take some heat off the selection.

Actually Adam Schefter said one AFC team had him at #12 on their board, as I recall.

 

[vinwinephans]

This was discussed on a Pats board I frequent and was dismissed as bogus. BB was on the radio after the draft and was asked if he would have taken Quinn had he been on the board at #24.BB said there is no way he would have, bc that is tying too much money into one position where only one guy can be on the field playing it at any one time.So by that line of thinking, I find it hard to believe 4 spots later he would have taken a guy like Kolb.If anything, its misinformation disseminated by Philly brass to take some heat off the selection.

To counter, I think there maybe some truth to NE's interest. Whether it was at #28 overall. that is another story, I can't speak to that.However, shortly after the 1st day of the draft, I heard an interview on the radio in the philadelphia area (can't remember if it was 610 or 950) with Kolb's personal QB draft readiness advisor - supposedly this adivisor guy, don't remember his name, does this sort of advising alot - he did so for Vince Young last year - that I do remember because that stuck out to me.This advisior guy, when asked if he was surprised the Eagles took him in their 1st pick had two comments. One was he was surprised he was taken that early, but even more so he thought NE was going to draft him. According to the advisor guy, NE spent, by far, the most time with Kolb pre-draft.I have a lot of respect for Andy Ried and I have more respect for Belichek. This tells me there is something the smarter coaches in the league, two coaches with 2 of the top 4 QB's in the league right now, like about Kolb.Furthermore, the more recent rumblings I have heard on the radio around here was that the Eagles were worried about Miami and Jacksonville taking Kolb in the second round, which is why they took him when they did.

 

[Ron_Mexico]

The problem is that McNabb is unhappy with the pick. He voices his opinion. His Dad voices an opinion. Heck, his mom voiced an opinion about Garcia. McNabb just seems to be extremely insecure. As a supposed leader of the Eagles, he should have embraced the pick publically.

I personally think McNabb's best days are behind him.I think the Kolb pick by Philly was brilliant.We may see him as full time starter within 2 seasons.

 

[corpcow]

Doesn't Matt Cassel have a lot of fans?

Cassel is going to be the next Matt Schaub.

What, a guy that gets traded to a struggling team with no offensive line? :( I mean, he might be better off collecting a few rings as a backup in that case.

 

[vinwinephans]

However, shortly after the 1st day of the draft, I heard an interview on the radio in the philadelphia area (can't remember if it was 610 or 950) with Kolb's personal QB draft readiness advisor - supposedly this adivisor guy, don't remember his name, does this sort of advising alot - he did so for Vince Young last year - that I do remember because that stuck out to me.

This advisior guy, when asked if he was surprised the Eagles took him in their 1st pick had two comments. One was he was surprised he was taken that early, but even more so he thought NE was going to draft him. According to the advisor guy, NE spent, by far, the most time with Kolb pre-draft.

I have a lot of respect for Andy Ried and I have more respect for Belichek. This tells me there is something the smarter coaches in the league, two coaches with 2 of the top 4 QB's in the league right now, like about Kolb.

Furthermore, the more recent rumblings I have heard on the radio around here was that the Eagles were worried about Miami and Jacksonville taking Kolb in the second round, which is why they took him when they did.

Advisor Guy's name is Jerry Rhome.

Jan. 3, 2007 - 8:54 a.m. ET

University of Houston's Kevin Kolb has already begun working on his predraft preparation with noted QB coach Jerry Rhome.

Our first pre-draft post of the year. Rhome coached Vince Young up throughout the predraft process. Currently with a second round grade from most scouts, Kolb has a chance to make a Jay Cutler-like climb over the next few months.

Kevin Kolb : USAToday.com - Kevin Kolb Biography from USAToday.comAlso, according to this Kevin Kolb Blog via the Houston Chronicle, NE was the first team to contact him:

New England is the first team to come and visit and they are arriving on Tues. I am looking forward to working with them 1 on 1, because in this process everything is usually done in masses. I hope that it will benefit me to work solely with them.

Blog Link

 

[Warpig]

Doesn't Matt Cassel have a lot of fans?

Cassel is going to be the next Matt Schaub.

Personally, I always thought he was more of a Billy Volek type. Or maybe a poor man's Rohan Davies.

Care to unpack that?I think he's got more courage than Volek, more skills than Davey.Cassel will get to compete for a starting job when he goes into UFA after 08, maybe earlier if the Pats can find a suitable backup and trade partner next offseason.

Bloom is a Cassel owner.

 

[redman]

Doesn't Matt Cassel have a lot of fans?

Cassel is going to be the next Matt Schaub.

I agree with Bloom. Cassel's gonna get his shot at starting somewhere down the road.

I dunno. It's pretty bold to predict that Cassell will get traded to another team, only to find weeks later that Brady is is involved in an illegal dog fighting operation.

 

[miphin]

I think if NE had taken him at 28 would have been a solid selection. Even with Brady locked up for years, if Kolb excels as a backup ala Schaub then NE trades him in 2-3 years for something they actually need.

And Philly grabbing him where they did was a great move as well.

Because I strongly believe that Miami would have taken him a few picks later had he still be there. Instead they were forced to select Beck.

Kolb is a great prospect with all the physical and intangible tools you want in a QB. If he had played at ND or Michigan or UT or any other major school I think he may have been a top 10 pick.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Doesn't Matt Cassel have a lot of fans?

Cassel is going to be the next Matt Schaub.

Personally, I always thought he was more of a Billy Volek type. Or maybe a poor man's Rohan Davies.

Care to unpack that?I think he's got more courage than Volek, more skills than Davey.Cassel will get to compete for a starting job when he goes into UFA after 08, maybe earlier if the Pats can find a suitable backup and trade partner next offseason.

Bloom is a Cassel owner.

Im a Cassel owner because I believe that, not the other way around.

 

[vinwinephans]

Kolb is a great prospect with all the physical and intangible tools you want in a QB. If he had played at ND or Michigan or UT or any other major school I think he may have been a top 10 pick.

Can't resist... if he would have played at ND would have gotten drafted, well, right around where he did... Seriously, what we do know is that quite a few Kolb ranked ranked #2 ahead of Quinn, wonder if anyone thought he was better than Russel...

 

[SSOG]

Doesn't Matt Cassel have a lot of fans?

Cassel is going to be the next Matt Schaub.

Personally, I always thought he was more of a Billy Volek type. Or maybe a poor man's Rohan Davies.

Care to unpack that?I think he's got more courage than Volek, more skills than Davey.Cassel will get to compete for a starting job when he goes into UFA after 08, maybe earlier if the Pats can find a suitable backup and trade partner next offseason.

Really? What franchises would be interested in trading anything of value for a QB who hasn't attempted a meaningful pass since his senior year of High School? Sounds like someone has been drinking a bit too much of the "every draft pick that Bill Belichick makes is secretly genius" kool-aid.

it wouldn't have caused the same controversy because Brady is a proven winner, has had no injury issues so far and has never been too tired to finish a Super Bowl.

Donovan McNabb career record: 65-33 (66%). Or were you talking about playoffs? In that case, it's 7-5 (58%).Care to revise your statement any? Or, if you'd rather, we can talk about how Peyton Manning is a choker who will never win the superbowl.

it wouldn't have caused the same controversy because Brady is a proven winner, has had no injury issues so far and has never been too tired to finish a Super Bowl.

Brady's shoulder makes the injury report like 80% of the time for the last 3 years.

Actually, he's been listed as probable on every single injury report for years.

 

[phthalatemagic]

it wouldn't have caused the same controversy because Brady is a proven winner, has had no injury issues so far and has never been too tired to finish a Super Bowl.

Brady's shoulder makes the injury report like 80% of the time for the last 3 years.

Actually, he's been listed as probable on every single injury report for years.

Really? I didn't know it was every one. I thought it was just most of them. So Brady's been playing with a injury for a long time now.Right?

 

[The Man Who Met Andy Griffith]

Brady's shoulder makes the injury report like 80% of the time for the last 3 years.

Actually, he's been listed as probable on every single injury report for years.

Really? I didn't know it was every one. I thought it was just most of them. So Brady's been playing with a injury for a long time now.Right?

Not sure if you're being sarcastic (I don't think so?). Anyway, there is (as far as we know) nothing wrong with Brady's shoulders, although he's had issues in the past. Belichick listing Brady on every report is his way of saying F-U to the NFL's ridiculously lax rules on injury reports, and especially to the perceived misleading reports of (IIRC) the Colts.

 

[SSOG]

Brady's shoulder makes the injury report like 80% of the time for the last 3 years.

Actually, he's been listed as probable on every single injury report for years.

Really? I didn't know it was every one. I thought it was just most of them. So Brady's been playing with a injury for a long time now.Right?

Not sure if you're being sarcastic (I don't think so?). Anyway, there is (as far as we know) nothing wrong with Brady's shoulders, although he's had issues in the past. Belichick listing Brady on every report is his way of saying F-U to the NFL's ridiculously lax rules on injury reports, and especially to the perceived misleading reports of (IIRC) the Colts.

It's not in response to misleading reports by anyone else. The NFL fined the Pats once for failing to list a player on the injury report when the player missed the game due to injury. Since then, Belichick has listed Brady on every report as his way of saying "there, you can't accuse me of not listing people in the injury reports anymore!"Generally speaking, the Pats and the Titans are the two franchises that play fast-and-loose with the Injury Report rules. The Titans list all players as questionable (never probable, never doubtful). The Patriots list lots of players who aren't really injured, or will deliberately mislead opponents with injury reports (like the time they listed Dillon as Questionable, then declared him active for the game and had him dress, but didn't send him on the field for a single snap).

 

[Gatorman]

I am not really sure why people are bashing the eagles for this in the first place. Just b/c McNabb is whinning?

If we have learned anything from Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, John Elway, and soon to be brett Favre is that franchises with Hall of Fame QBs struggle after their Marquee guy retires because they haven't been smart in grooming their replacement. Only SF seemed to have a plan, and that was because a Super talent was waiting in the wings.

Kolb seems to be the right guy, whether it is Philly or New England. In Philly, McNabb ha been hurt the past 2 years. The concern that he is starting to be a 1/2 year player is a valid one. In New England, BB has the luxury with this offseason of drafting a guy that at worst will give him a few draft picks in a few years, and at best can come in and play in a year or so if anything *gasp* happens to brady.

Could Kolb become the steve young to McNabbs Joe Montana. Maybe. Still, Joe Cool had a much better resume than McNabb and was still shown the door when Young was ready to start. The NFL means Not For Long, and McNabb is really underwhelming in his "leadership" these past 2 years.

Not sure if Miami would have taken Kolb. I know he was up there along with the guy they took.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Doesn't Matt Cassel have a lot of fans?

Cassel is going to be the next Matt Schaub.

Personally, I always thought he was more of a Billy Volek type. Or maybe a poor man's Rohan Davies.

Care to unpack that?I think he's got more courage than Volek, more skills than Davey.Cassel will get to compete for a starting job when he goes into UFA after 08, maybe earlier if the Pats can find a suitable backup and trade partner next offseason.

Really? What franchises would be interested in trading anything of value for a QB who hasn't attempted a meaningful pass since his senior year of High School? Sounds like someone has been drinking a bit too much of the "every draft pick that Bill Belichick makes is secretly genius" kool-aid.

SSOG, what's in your scouting report about Cassel, other than knowing that he didn't start in college? Any notes about how he has been developing the last 2 years?

 

[vinwinephans]

I think the one thing people need to keep in mind is that the Pats and Eagles are both known for not overpaying for players, whether it be because of the players age, their declining ability or simply how the team envisions a certain position fitting into the cap puzzle.

One common thread is they want to get the biggest bang for their buck. Neither organization has been forced to place this MO on their franchise QB's yet, but they have both reached 30 and I think have contracts needing an extension soon or bye-bye.

Is it possible the teams are willing to let stud QB's, just past the midpoint of their primes go so as to keep the cap managable and the team competive without a Farve-like dinasour behind center eating up cap space?

I sometime wonder...

Brady won superbowls, so I could see him sticking around longer... McNabb has not - has he done anything to prove he should be able to retire an Eagle? I'm not so sure.

 

[SSOG]

I am not really sure why people are bashing the eagles for this in the first place. Just b/c McNabb is whinning?If we have learned anything from Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, John Elway, and soon to be brett Favre is that franchises with Hall of Fame QBs struggle after their Marquee guy retires because they haven't been smart in grooming their replacement. Only SF seemed to have a plan, and that was because a Super talent was waiting in the wings.

That's not true at all. If we learned anything at all from the John Elway situation, it should be "don't draft a QB with your first draft pick while your franchise QB is still going strong". Remember Tommy Maddox? The time to begin thinking about replacing your QB is 2-3 years before he goes, and I really don't think McNabb is going to be done in 2 yearsBasically, Denver handled things correctly with Elway. They got Greise high and gave him some reps before Elway retired. There was a bit of a rough transition, but that had to do with a lot more than just the loss of Elway (for example: the loss of Davis and Sharpe, as well), and even then, Denver only went 6-10, and they were 11-5 and back in the playoffs the next season.

SSOG, what's in your scouting report about Cassel, other than knowing that he didn't start in college? Any notes about how he has been developing the last 2 years?

No, I only know one thing about Matt Cassell... but I feel like it's the only thing that's important. All I know is that nobody else knows anything about Cassell, either. He might look great in shorts, but so did A.J. Feeley, David Garrard, Billy Volek, Rohan Davies, etc, etc, etc. I am just extremely skeptical that any team would give up anything of value for a guy with absolutely *NO* idea of how he would perform against quality competition. And by "quality competition", I really mean anything tougher than Division 4 high school football. Matt Cassell might be the next Matt Hasselbeck, for all I know... but I have a hard time envisioning any team giving up a lot to find out without a single scrap of evidence that he can play at the NFL (or even Division 1 college) level.I'm not saying I'm going to be surprised if Matt Cassell goes somewhere and becomes a starter. I'm saying I'm going to be surprised if Matt Cassell commands a lot in trade when he goes.

 

[bostonfred]

No, I only know one thing about Matt Cassell... but I feel like it's the only thing that's important. All I know is that nobody else knows anything about Cassell, either. He might look great in shorts, but so did A.J. Feeley, David Garrard, Billy Volek, Rohan Davies, etc, etc, etc. I am just extremely skeptical that any team would give up anything of value for a guy with absolutely *NO* idea of how he would perform against quality competition. And by "quality competition", I really mean anything tougher than Division 4 high school football. Matt Cassell might be the next Matt Hasselbeck, for all I know... but I have a hard time envisioning any team giving up a lot to find out without a single scrap of evidence that he can play at the NFL (or even Division 1 college) level.I'm not saying I'm going to be surprised if Matt Cassell goes somewhere and becomes a starter. I'm saying I'm going to be surprised if Matt Cassell commands a lot in trade when he goes.

Feeley was traded for an early second round pick (the pick that turned into Reggie Brown). Garrard started for the Jaguars last year.The Titans let McNair go, intending to keep only Volek. That was a huge commitment. Unfortunately, he had a bad camp, and they decided to sign Collins. With that information out there, and at the worst time in the trade market for starter caliber quarterbacks, he still got a sixth round pick. Matt Hasselbeck fetched a 1.10 and a third for 1.17 and a seventh. He had never started a single game in the pros.

 

[Gatorman]

I am not really sure why people are bashing the eagles for this in the first place. Just b/c McNabb is whinning?If we have learned anything from Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, John Elway, and soon to be brett Favre is that franchises with Hall of Fame QBs struggle after their Marquee guy retires because they haven't been smart in grooming their replacement. Only SF seemed to have a plan, and that was because a Super talent was waiting in the wings.

That's not true at all. If we learned anything at all from the John Elway situation, it should be "don't draft a QB with your first draft pick while your franchise QB is still going strong". Remember Tommy Maddox? The time to begin thinking about replacing your QB is 2-3 years before he goes, and I really don't think McNabb is going to be done in 2 years

LMAO at how this became "your first pick" when we are talking about the back end of the first round, beginning of the second.

 

[Barry Jive and The Uptown Five]

Does anyone recall the thread posted in the Pool pre-draft that talked about predictors of NFL success when reviewing college QBs?

I can't find it, but IIRC, the 2 most accurate predictors of NFL success were a combination of (A) more than 35 collegiate starts and (B) Career completion percentage above 57.5%.

Russell didn't meet those numbers. (30 ... 61.9%)

Quinn was above for both. (48 ... 58.0%)

The Tier 2 QBs?

Kolb: 50 starts (every collegiate game in 4 yrs).... 61.6% career completion percentage

Beck: 38 starts ... 62.4%

Stanton: 29 starts ... 64.2%

Edwards: 31... 56.3%

Despite being a "system QB", Kolb clears both metrics by a long shot.

 

[Borat]

Maybe the Pats were just trying to entice teams that might have been interested in Klob to outbid each other for the pick.

 

[SSOG]

No, I only know one thing about Matt Cassell... but I feel like it's the only thing that's important. All I know is that nobody else knows anything about Cassell, either. He might look great in shorts, but so did A.J. Feeley, David Garrard, Billy Volek, Rohan Davies, etc, etc, etc. I am just extremely skeptical that any team would give up anything of value for a guy with absolutely *NO* idea of how he would perform against quality competition. And by "quality competition", I really mean anything tougher than Division 4 high school football. Matt Cassell might be the next Matt Hasselbeck, for all I know... but I have a hard time envisioning any team giving up a lot to find out without a single scrap of evidence that he can play at the NFL (or even Division 1 college) level.I'm not saying I'm going to be surprised if Matt Cassell goes somewhere and becomes a starter. I'm saying I'm going to be surprised if Matt Cassell commands a lot in trade when he goes.

Feeley was traded for an early second round pick (the pick that turned into Reggie Brown). Garrard started for the Jaguars last year.The Titans let McNair go, intending to keep only Volek. That was a huge commitment. Unfortunately, he had a bad camp, and they decided to sign Collins. With that information out there, and at the worst time in the trade market for starter caliber quarterbacks, he still got a sixth round pick. Matt Hasselbeck fetched a 1.10 and a third for 1.17 and a seventh. He had never started a single game in the pros.

The Feeley debacle was widely viewed as a joke at the time of the trade, and in retrospect was possibly the worst move of a long and sordid string of horrible moves by Miami's front office. Ditto that for the Volek thing (actually, that wasn't viewed as a joke at the time, but in retrospect, yeah, that was a mistake). Also, I don't see what the fact that David Garrard started last year has to do with anything. He was seen for years as one of the best backups in the entire NFL, and nobody at all was interested in giving up anything of value for him. Heck, they STILL aren't interested in giving up anything of value for him.NFL GMs may be a lot of things, but they're generally pretty good at learning from the mistakes of others. I think if Schaub turns out to be a rousing success story, then maybe Cassell might get some looks, but as things currently stand, I just cannot imagine a team giving up anything of value for a player who quite literally has not taken a meaningful snap at *ANY LEVEL OF COMPETITION* since Fall 2000.I could very well be surprised, but that's exactly what it would be- a huge surprise. I mean, what, is a prospective suitor going to go back and break down tape of his senior year of high school? Maybe look at some hot preseason footage of him? Obviously they aren't going to look at tapes of training camps or in-season workouts, since this is Bill Belichick we're talking about- the guy who treats his coffee order like a state secret and forbids his barber from speaking to the media. How could any team even fall in love with Cassell in the first place?

I am not really sure why people are bashing the eagles for this in the first place. Just b/c McNabb is whinning?If we have learned anything from Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, John Elway, and soon to be brett Favre is that franchises with Hall of Fame QBs struggle after their Marquee guy retires because they haven't been smart in grooming their replacement. Only SF seemed to have a plan, and that was because a Super talent was waiting in the wings.

That's not true at all. If we learned anything at all from the John Elway situation, it should be "don't draft a QB with your first draft pick while your franchise QB is still going strong". Remember Tommy Maddox? The time to begin thinking about replacing your QB is 2-3 years before he goes, and I really don't think McNabb is going to be done in 2 years

LMAO at how this became "your first pick" when we are talking about the back end of the first round, beginning of the second.

Hilarious. Really funny stuff, there. Where was Tommy Maddox drafted again?Oh yeah, #25 overall. You know, the "back end of the first round, beginning of the second." Clearly the fact that I believe he has a place in this conversation should be more than enough to send you into gales of laughter.

 

[bostonfred]

No, I only know one thing about Matt Cassell... but I feel like it's the only thing that's important. All I know is that nobody else knows anything about Cassell, either. He might look great in shorts, but so did A.J. Feeley, David Garrard, Billy Volek, Rohan Davies, etc, etc, etc. I am just extremely skeptical that any team would give up anything of value for a guy with absolutely *NO* idea of how he would perform against quality competition. And by "quality competition", I really mean anything tougher than Division 4 high school football. Matt Cassell might be the next Matt Hasselbeck, for all I know... but I have a hard time envisioning any team giving up a lot to find out without a single scrap of evidence that he can play at the NFL (or even Division 1 college) level.

I'm not saying I'm going to be surprised if Matt Cassell goes somewhere and becomes a starter. I'm saying I'm going to be surprised if Matt Cassell commands a lot in trade when he goes.

Feeley was traded for an early second round pick (the pick that turned into Reggie Brown). Garrard started for the Jaguars last year.

The Titans let McNair go, intending to keep only Volek. That was a huge commitment. Unfortunately, he had a bad camp, and they decided to sign Collins. With that information out there, and at the worst time in the trade market for starter caliber quarterbacks, he still got a sixth round pick.

Matt Hasselbeck fetched a 1.10 and a third for 1.17 and a seventh. He had never started a single game in the pros.

The Feeley debacle was widely viewed as a joke at the time of the trade, and in retrospect was possibly the worst move of a long and sordid string of horrible moves by Miami's front office. Ditto that for the Volek thing (actually, that wasn't viewed as a joke at the time, but in retrospect, yeah, that was a mistake). Also, I don't see what the fact that David Garrard started last year has to do with anything. He was seen for years as one of the best backups in the entire NFL, and nobody at all was interested in giving up anything of value for him. Heck, they STILL aren't interested in giving up anything of value for him.NFL GMs may be a lot of things, but they're generally pretty good at learning from the mistakes of others. I think if Schaub turns out to be a rousing success story, then maybe Cassell might get some looks, but as things currently stand, I just cannot imagine a team giving up anything of value for a player who quite literally has not taken a meaningful snap at *ANY LEVEL OF COMPETITION* since Fall 2000.

I could very well be surprised, but that's exactly what it would be- a huge surprise. I mean, what, is a prospective suitor going to go back and break down tape of his senior year of high school? Maybe look at some hot preseason footage of him? Obviously they aren't going to look at tapes of training camps or in-season workouts, since this is Bill Belichick we're talking about- the guy who treats his coffee order like a state secret and forbids his barber from speaking to the media. How could any team even fall in love with Cassell in the first place?

Just to clarify, I'm not predicting that Cassell will or won't get traded. I'm just pointing out that you said you'd be shocked if he was traded for anything of value, and used guys like Feeley and Hasselbeck as examples. Those guys were traded for a ton. You're right that you thought those trades were bad. So did a lot of people, but they still happened. And Schaub was traded again this season. And if anything, it seems like there are more high profile player trades than in the past. I wouldn't be shocked in the slightest to see a QB get traded for more than they're worth (whether it's Cassell or anyone else).

 

[Gatorman]

Oh yeah, #25 overall. You know, the "back end of the first round, beginning of the second." Clearly the fact that I believe he has a place in this conversation should be more than enough to send you into gales of laughter.

Honestly, did tommy maddox set the broncos back at all? What about Aaron Rogers? What I am saying is that if you want to grab a QB to Groom, looking late in the 1st and beyond a few years before the issue arises is better than havign no QB ready to step in and end up becoming the dolphins.When Fiedler was in his second year, the dolphins passed on a QB names Brees with the 26th pick to take john avery. Smart move? I think not. My point here is that the patriots or any team taking a QB late 1st and beyond that they think can step in is a smart move.While I think the top of the draft is fairly stupid to grab a QB, once the prices for them start going down (end of the first round and beyond), you are in a good spot. Brady Quinn at 1.09 vs. Kolb or a Beck in the second round is a no brainer for me.I hate the dolphins pick at 1.09, but not because it wasn't quinn.

 

[SSOG]

Oh yeah, #25 overall. You know, the "back end of the first round, beginning of the second." Clearly the fact that I believe he has a place in this conversation should be more than enough to send you into gales of laughter.

Honestly, did tommy maddox set the broncos back at all? What about Aaron Rogers? What I am saying is that if you want to grab a QB to Groom, looking late in the 1st and beyond a few years before the issue arises is better than havign no QB ready to step in and end up becoming the dolphins.When Fiedler was in his second year, the dolphins passed on a QB names Brees with the 26th pick to take john avery. Smart move? I think not. My point here is that the patriots or any team taking a QB late 1st and beyond that they think can step in is a smart move.While I think the top of the draft is fairly stupid to grab a QB, once the prices for them start going down (end of the first round and beyond), you are in a good spot. Brady Quinn at 1.09 vs. Kolb or a Beck in the second round is a no brainer for me.I hate the dolphins pick at 1.09, but not because it wasn't quinn.

Tommy Maddox set the Broncos back as much as any other complete draft bust did. No, it wasn't catastrophic, but generally it's a good strategy to avoid draft busts, and drafting QBs high when your stud is still in his prime isn't a good way to go about that strategy.Although, interestingly enough, one could argue that Maddox was indirectly the impetus for Denver's two SB wins. Reeves drafted Maddox, which finally pissed Elway off enough to deliver an ultimatum to Bowlen, which resulted in Reeves getting fired, which resulted in Shanahan getting hired, which resulted in two SB victories. So the moral of the story is now that drafting a QB high when your stud is in his prime is a good strategy if you hate your coach and want to see him fired.