Money Matt

Cassel could make big bucks at the end of the season

Matt Cassel could be in line for a big payday at the end of the season.

In his fourth year with New England, Cassel took over at quarterback for the Patriots when Tom Brady went down with a knee injury in the season-opener against the Chiefs. He’s in the final year of his current contract, a deal that reportedly nets him just over $500,000 a season. But if he keeps improving and leads the Patriots into the postseason, many believe he could become a prime offseason target for teams yearning for a quality QB.

“If he continues to get better and not make mistakes and uses the weapons he has there, he could expect a run from some teams that don’t have a quarterback,” said one former AFC GM when asked what Cassel could expect in the offseason. “If you have a quarterback who’s out there on the free agent market who has played an entire season and led his team to the playoffs, he’ll get a very close look.”

Cassel won’t make anyone forget Brady anytime soon, but after a slow start, his numbers have steadily improved. He now stands in the top half of the AFC in most major quarterbacking categories, including total complete passes, completion percentage and touchdown passes. In all, through eight games, Cassel is 156-for-233 for 1,566 yards with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.

But if the numbers keep going up and New England reaches the postseason, it could create a long-term quandary for the Patriots. With the current state of quarterbacking in the NFL, such a performance would likely command a bump in salary. Cassel would have some leverage at the negotiating table, and if New England doesn’t want to spend that sort of money on a backup QB, Cassel would be free to hit the open market. He would be an attractive candidate to a number of teams, including San Francisco, Kansas City, Minnesota or Oakland, all of which have been plagued with subpar quarterback play this season.

“Quarterbacks are so valuable these days that one with starting experience who seems to be growing into the position is going to be very valuable on the open market,” said a players’ agent.

If he chooses to re-sign with the Patriots, he would do so knowing that he would certainly remain a backup to Brady. That would hardly seem appetizing for the 26-year-old Cassel, who sat behind a host of stars in college (Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart) and the pros (Brady) before getting a chance to start this past September. If he chooses to move on, the Patriots would likely move rookie Kevin O’Connell from No. 3 on the depth chart to No. 2 behind Brady. If O’Connell isn’t ready, they may decide to take a look at the crop of free agents and select a low-cost veteran to serve as Brady’s backup (think Damon Huard or Vinny Testaverde).

Regardless of what happens, with his performance in his first seven-plus games this season, Cassel has played himself onto the radar of opposing GMs across the league. The last two months of the regular season will determine what sort of payday awaits him this offseason.

“I think the Patriots will re-sign him,” added a former AFC personnel man, “but the next eight games will really determine his long-range value.”