Patriots Trade Cassel, Vrabel to Kansas City
New England Sends Franchise Tagged QB to Chiefs for Draft Choice
Mar 1, 2009
In return for Cassell, the Pats received the Chiefs' second-round pick (34th overall) in the April draft. The club received an undisclosed draft choice for Vrabel. The deals were separate.
New England made Cassel its franchise player last month in the wake of his highly successful 2008 season once he took the reins of the offense after All-Pro quarterback Tom Brady was sidelined with a serious knee injury -- against those very same Kansas City Chiefs.
Cassel Wants Starting Job
Cassel had made it no secret that he was hoping to be a starter in 2009 and, with Brady's return seemingly imminent, the Patriots accomodated him. All told, New England now has roughly $18 million in salary cap reserve. And the second-round pick obtained from Kansas City gives the Pats three selections in the second round.
The deals freed up $17.85 million on their cap and allowed them to get rid of a twelve-year veteran whose game had begun to slip, as well as Cassel, who Belichick believed was destined to become the most expensive backup in NFL history had he remained with the Patriots.
Vrabel Brought A Lot to the Table
Vrabel, perceived as a "throw-in," was a member of all three Super Bowl championships, and former Patriots linebacker Steve Nelson said Vrabel will be missed.
“I guess that means they’re happy with their young outside linebackers. I don’t know. You’ve really caught me by surprise. He was really a great player for them,” Nelson said. “He was a real leader ... that’s kind of a stunner.”
Vrabel was a mainstay of the club since he was acquired in 2001.
“We’ve lost perhaps our best all-around football player. Defense, offense, special teams, Vrabes did it all,” said linebacker Tedy Bruschi. “His intelligence and on-field adjustments cannot be replaced. This team has just changed immensely.”
Many football pundits have surmised that KC general manager Scott Pioli, formerly New England's personnel chief, wanted Vrabel to serve as a veteran presence on the young club. Vrabel, 33, was slated to make a base salary of $2.2 million, and a $1 million roster bonus for the 2009 season. His payments would have counted $4.3 million against the cap.
Vrabel experienced a falling off last season after making the Pro Bowl in 2007, registering twelve sacks during the regular 2007 season. In 2008, Vrabel logged only four sacks. Pierre Woods appears to be the most likely candidate to replace Vrabel opposite Adalius Thomas.
The trades came in the wake of two free agent signings by New England -- running back Fred Taylor and tight end Chris Baker.
Brady, meanwhile, married girlfriend Gisele Bundchen last week in a quiet ceremony in Los Angeles. The quarterback had been dating the supermodel for two years.
