Jay Cutler trade has Patriots fans reexamining Matt Cassel deal

(AP Photo)

It’s time for Patriots’ Nation to take a Prozac.

Can’t it be enough that you have next season’s Super Bowl favorite? Can’t it be enough that Tom Brady will be back to start the season? Can’t it be enough that you have six picks in the first three rounds in this year’s draft?

Of course not.

About 15 seconds after the Broncos traded Jay Cutler the first email hit my Inbox.

Subject: Belichick’s student teaches him a lesson!

2 first round picks, a third round pick, and a starting quarterback? For Jay Cutler? And all Belichick got for Cassel was a second round pick?

Who’s the genius now?

I walked into my real job the next day. Three people came up to my cubical within two minutes of my arrival to complain about how the Patriots got screwed in the Matt Cassel deal.

Look, I understand that Matt Cassel was a great story. I know he did a great job in 2008, basically saving the season.

But let’s take a step back for a second.

Cassel took a team that went 18-1, losing in the Super Bowl, and won 11 games with it. He took an offense that was the best in NFL history and played above average on it.

Most of Cassel’s success came from the shotgun. When he dropped back, he had trouble reading defenses and getting through his progressions fast enough.

I’m not trying to take anything away from what he did, I’m just giving you the opposing point of view. These are the things other team’s GMs were saying when the Patriots tried to trade him.

But he had potential, which is something NFL GMs love even more than talent and resume.

The problem was the contract. Cassel didn’t extend his contract prior to the trade to Kansas City. Which meant that whomever picked him up was a) only guaranteed one year and b) needed to have just south of $15 million in cap space available.

That severely limited the Patriots’ options.

Add all that to the fact that teams knew the Patriots were desperate to dump his salary so they could participate in free agency, and you have a Patriots’ team that wasn’t exactly dealing from a position of strength.

The Broncos situation was vastly different. Jay Cutler is signed to a pretty friendly contract, as far as starting quarterbacks go. He also brings with him talent, physical tools, record setting numbers (in Denver), a Pro Bowl appearance, and most importantly, youth.

In Cassel, teams saw a quarterback with potential who performed well playing in the perfect situation. They also saw a huge cap hit and only 16 games worth of film.

In Cutler, teams saw a Pro Bowl quarterback who’s only 25 years old, has a cannon for an arm, and has had varying levels of success in the NFL for more than just a single season.

For the Broncos, it was a seller’s market. For the Patriots, it was a buyer’s market.

Let’s try to remember, Matt Cassel was a seventh round pick. He was nearly cut in the preseason, and his replacement was due to interview with Pioli and Belichick a few days after Brady was injured.

The fact that the Patriots got ANYTHING for him should be considered gravy.

Let me put it this way. Which team would you rather be rooting for next season? The Patriots and the second round pick they got for Cassel, or the Broncos, Kyle Orton, and the three picks they got for Cutler?

That’s what I thought….

Questions? Comments? Insults? You can email them to Sean Crowe at scrowe@gmail.com.