Here is one article claiming a deal may be in the works that would swap him for Julius Peppers:
sports.popcrunch.com/rumor-julius-peppers-to-patriots-for-matt-cassel

Here is an interesting article about various Cassel trade options:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29348968/

On a different front, has Malcolm Jenkins worked himself into range of the 23rd pick with his horrible performance at the Combine? If so, let's hope so! He is apparently not a tester, but he is STILL very much a player. Getting him there would be like getting Vince Wilfork in that same range a few years ago...i.e. A HUGE STEAL.

Personally I don't know if I'd like a Cassel for Peppers deal. Peppers would be a huge cap commitment and I'm not sure how effective he'll be in a 3-4. Also I doubt Jenkins falls that far he'll probably slip in the 12-18 range I see the Jets not being able to pass up on him.

yes, but what position would he play if in NE?

He's probably best suited for OLB in the 3-4

The Fred Taylor rumors are growing VERY LOUD.

I hope he does come here. He'd make a very fine insurance policy at RB for fragile Maroney.

I assumed the day taylor got cut that he would become a Patriot, what a great fit!!

I agree with patsforlife23 on it not being the best idea to trade for Peppers. The patriots are (unfortunately) incredible with the draft! They should take the best pick they can get and keep building with draft picks and smart financial choices.

I do wonder how good they will be in the draft now with the management changes???

at this point, what's the interest in cassel around the league? i know there are teams that could use a QB like the one cassel showed all of us last season, but it appears more and more that the pats are going to pay $14 million for a backup. maybe that's why the cassel for peppers rumors are starting. peppers wants out, the pats probably don't want to spend that much on a backup QB, but i don't know if they're going to be able to get what they want for him, either.

That is THE question as far as the Patriots are concerned this year. I also have to wonder if Pioli left our scouting cupboard bare. Although, let's be honest, outside of Cassel and last year's rookie of the year, they really haven't done all that well in the draft over the past couple of years....

Do the Jets need another corner?

I thought they'd be looking for LBs or maybe a WR now that Coles is gone.

Jenkins will probably run in the 4.4s at his Pro Day, so this could be a moot discussion.

Jets could use someone opposite Revis and a talent like Jenkins would be very hard to pass up even if my grandmother runs a similiar 40.

The latest wacky rumor has Cassel and pick #23 going to Detroit for Kitna and pick #1...

I give no real credence to this one, as I seriously doubt the Pats feel there is good value at #1, given what the pick would cost to sign. They would only consider this deal, IMO, if they had another trade back all lined up in advance with a 3rd party.

RB Fred Taylor has signed with the New England Patriots for $6 million base a salary and a $1 million bonus. Not sure yet if this is just a one-year deal, or....

One less draft need...May still go after the new Kevin Faulk though at some point...

Hmmm that would be interesting i also doubt its true but imagine Jason Smith or Aaron Curry on the Patriots. I agree that they only way this deal gets done if another team has agreed to a trade maybe the Tampa they could use Aaron Curry now that they cut everyone or maybe the Raiders and crazy Al Davis.

That's seems like an awful lot for an aging RB. Maybe he can turn back the clock though. I don't think you want him over 15 carries on average though.

Yea, that was misreported at first by ESPN. They have since corrected it.

No financial details have been released as of yet. Those figures were what he was due from the Panthers.

He'd be used exactly the way they used to use Willie McGinest.

If you are looking 3rd down back might I suggest Kory Sheets?

RB Fred Taylor has signed with the New England Patriots for $6 million base a salary and a $1 million bonus. Not sure yet if this is just a one-year deal, or....

Sheets is a 3rd-4th rounder now. I'd take Ian Johnson in the 5th or Tyrell Sutton in the 6th now. RB is no longer a priority.

As far as Cassel is concerned, the Casself-for-Peppers rumors continue, this time from the Carolina Huddle website:

http://www.carolinahuddle.com/forum/8778-p...ispered-13.html

Anybody wanna talk about the Celtics signing Stefon Marbury?...lol...

I just heard that NE linebacker Mike Vrabel is meeting with K.C. and may be traded there. Could it be for a certain TE named Tony Gonzales who is also a 34-year-old Pro Bowler? Stay tuned.

Some are speculating the undisclosed draft pick the Pats got for Mike Vrabel may be as low as a 6th rounder. Frankly, were that the case, it would be the initial indicator that Pioli is raping his old team (is BB on the way to KC next year?)

It better be a 3rd or higher, or part of some bigger deal, or Patriots fans should rightly be livid.

Fox13 in Tampa is reporting that the Bucs are close to finalizing a trade for Matt Cassel (pending contract extension). The deal is believed to be worth (4 years, 29.5 million incentives) New England will receive Tampa Bay's first rounder in 2009 (19th) and a second round pick in 2010.

Source: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/footbal...ents&cnum=5

Denver signed away the Pats UFA #3 WR, Jabar Gaffney, for a reported 4-year deal worth $10 Million. That makes WR a definite priority in the draft for NE, especially now that TE and RB have already been addressed.

Warning: There are no confirming sources on this supposed Cassell to Tampa Bay rumor. Even the Fox affiliate in Tampa Bay's website (cited as the source) has nothing on it, so hold the phone.

MAY BE AN INTERNET HOAX and nothing more.

i really hope so. cassel might be nice, sure, but do we know how he's going to be without moss/welker? i didn't like the winslow trade, really (we just let go 5 vets, which amounted to, again, 2 WR on a thin group, and 67% of our starting LBs), as i would have liked tampa to keep picks and build through the draft, if they're wanting to do it right. that's why i wouldn't like the cassel deal (the dealing of the picks when they NEED them), and hope it's a hoax.

LS Lonnie Paxton went to Denver in "a trade," but again no mention of what is coming back our way at all. I HATE THAT!

Well the Tampa rumors are dead. Cassel is a Chief. As usual, no details on what the Pats are getting yet...but it has been confirmed on NFL Network.

I am SO tired of not knowing what we are getting!!!!!

How long can teams withhold this kind of info? Anybody know??

Well the Tampa rumors are dead. Cassel is a Chief. As usual, no details on what the Pats are getting yet...but it has been confirmed on NFL Network.

I am SO tired of not knowing what we are getting!!!!!

How long can teams withhold this kind of info? Anybody know??

POM---If I am not mistaken, Lonnie Paxton was an unrestricted free agent who was not required compensation. I believe Jabar Gaffney also falls into this category. Waiting to hear the actual compensation for Matt Cassell which will then begin the real mock drafts that you are capable of--rich from newport

OMG.....

The word we are hearing is that Kansas City's new GM, Scott Pioli, former Personnel Director of the Patriots, had a deal all ironed out last night with New England that would bring QB Matt Cassel to the Chiefs for undisclosed compensation. However, even though NFL Network had announced the trade was completed at 1:00 PM, the final details are now being held up (as of 1:30 PM ET on 2/28) due to the fact that Cassel had not completed the final codicil of the trade by agreeing to a new long-term contract with the Chiefs.

As a result of that delay, reportedly a "mystery team" is now in the running for the Patriot's signal caller. Speculation early in the day had it that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were in the running for the rights to Cassel and had actually agreed on compensation (i.e. this year's 19th pick of the first round, plus next year's second-round pick.) The situation remains extremely fluid, but this all appears to be very good news for Patriots fans, as what they really needed was a bidding war for Cassel's services which now appears to be underway.

The fact that New England Pro Bowl linebacker Mike Vrable was traded last night for an undisclosed draft pick had many people assuming that Pioli may have had a deal in the works with the Patriots for weeks to bring both Cassel and Vrabel to Kansas City in some sort of mega-trade. However, at this point all bets are temporarily off and it will remain to be seen what the "mystery team" is willing to do to shake up the Chiefs plans, and indeed the free agency market for the remaining FA quarterbacks available.

Thanks Rich,

That is correct. However, the news articles are speaking of "a trade. So, unless they are wrong about this being a trade, there must be something coming back to New England for it to be a "trade."

Tom Curran of NBC Sports.com is reporting that all the Patriots are getting back for BOTH Vrabel and Cassel is the 34th pick.

New England fans have every right to be absolutely TICKED off if that is the case.

If that is all we get back for a Pro Bowl LB and a potential franchise QB, then Pioli had some hold over BB, and some way to stiff the team, and the fans who paid his salary for all of those years.

This trade is so detestable it makes me wonder if Belichik is heading out to Kansas City next year.

That sure would explain A LOT.

but.....what if cassel turns out to be a flop? and, vrabel probably only has a couple years left anyway, right? so, what if this ends up being a LB past his prime and a mediocre QB for the 34th pick? that would actually be great for the pats, right?

right now it doesn't look all that good, but let's see how cassel plays before jumping to conclusions on this trade. it's ok to come off the ledge now.

Basically, the Pats had to trade Cassell because they couldn't afford to pay him. Reportedly, both the Bucs and the Lions offered a first for him, but that was contingent upon swapping him to Denver for Jay Cutler, which obviously didn't transpire.

As far as the high second goes, that's not too bad. The Pats are used to drafting in that range, and that's where the meat of this draft is contained anyway. Also, a much cheaper contract awaits whomever they draft than a first-round deal, and the Pats are still relatively cash (and age) strapped, despite freeing up Cassell's contract. Vrabel, hate to say it because he's a great pro and a tremendous leader, was just an extra poker chip. He's part of the reason the Pats defense wasn't up to snuff last year -- old and slow. Check his numbers; far and away the worst in his tenure as a Pat. Would have been nice if he could have retired there, but that's not the Pats way.

As for Paxton, he was unrestricted and there will be no compensation, except maybe that the Patriots, and their former players and coaches, have ruined what initially was a great foray into free agency for the new regime in Denver and created a psychological storm which may be hard to overcome. Cutler for Cassell? Perhaps the altitude, violent blue skies and the powerful UV radiation from the brilliant Colorado sunshine have fried Josh McDaniels' and Brian Xanders' brains. Cassell, while he had a nice season, may turn out to be the essence of a one-year wonder, while Cutler comes off statistically the best season in Denver history (in only his third year) and the Pro Bowl. Now Cutler's **ssed and rightly so, as are most of the other emerging stars on offense, and a culture of mistrust has taken root. Great job, Josh and Brian.

As for Paxton, he can snap. But so can Mike Leach, who's been in Denver for 6 1/2 seasons and never had a single bad snap, in addition to leading all long snappers, by more than a 3-1 margin, in tackles, almost all of which came inside the receiving team's 30. I never saw Lonnie Paxton make a downfield tackle, and Leach averaged almost one a game, almost unheard of for a longsnapper. Paxton is now the second highest paid snapper in the league, but it won't be for long, because some lucky team is going to make Leach, once he is released (he was happily under contract), the highest paid. Good work.

Take heart, Pats fans. While you continue to loose pieces, you continue to screw everyone else. Belichick needs a new title of "Master Brainwasher" since league wide his proteges' never seem to succeed elsewhere except in bringing down the house. The AFC west seems to be the current recipient. And when the Pats select Clay Matthews Jr. with the 34th pick in the draft, the Broncos' infighting swells and Cassell does his Elvis Grbac imitation, you'll win again.