Cassel’s Next Destination: Unknown

This off-season’s hottest starting quarterback is someone who’s sat on the bench longer than most NFL players have careers.  His eight starts this year are the only ones he’s made since high school.  But, somehow he’s found a way to get the job done and that will result in a monster pay day.

Matt Cassel had been known as Tom Brady’s backup since he joined the New England Patriots in 2005.  Prior to that, he played second-in-command to Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC.  The Patriots were intrigued with Cassel’s abilities to watch and learn and spent a seventh-round pick on him.

When Brady went down with a torn ACL and MCL in the first quarter of the first game of this season, it was Cassel who head coach Bill Belichick called upon to lead his team.  The Patriots were coming off a 16-0 season, their only loss coming in the Super Bowl against the New York Giants, and Belichick had more confidence in his backup than most coaches have in their starters.

In August, when I spoke with Cassel after the Patriots’ final pre-season game, he was calm.  Reporters asked him if he was scared he’d be cut before the opener, but he knew it wasn’t up for him to decide.  He told me he doesn’t think too far in advance.

Cassel does have a big off-season to look forward to though.  His rookie contract with the Patriots expires after the year, and they’ll most likely promote third-stringer Matt Gutierrez to become Brady’s backup.  That means Cassel is free to go elsewhere and several teams are expected to make a heavy push for him.

Among the teams I foresee making big bids for the 26-year-old’s services are the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs.  But, there’s three other teams that intrigue me more.

Tennessee Titans: The league’s lone undefeated team could use a younger game manager.  Kerry Collins has done an excellent job since taking over for Vince Young, but he’ll be 36 in December.  As for Young, I don’t think head coach Jeff Fisher trusts him.  Young won’t settle for a backup role again next season and he definitely has lots of trade value.

The reason Cassel fits perfecly here is because the Titans are doing some amazing things without a big-arm quarterback.  Collins manages the game and makes the throws when they need to count.  Cassel is of the same mold as Collins.  He’s learned how to dictate the flow of a game from arguably the best coach in the NFL and will only get better with the long ball after some more reps.  Cassel’s not scared to make the dangerous throws into the end zone and could help solidify the Titans’ quarterback spot for many years.

After all, remember when Jeff Garcia led the Philadelphia Eagles to a five-game win streak and a playoff victory after starter Donovan McNabb went down?  The Eagles released Garcia after the year.  I’m not saying it should happen, but it’s definitely possible.

San Francisco 49ers: Cassel spent four seasons as a backup at USC, so why wouldn’t he want to return to the Bay area?  Matt Leinart was hoping the Niners would draft him, instead he landed in Arizona.  Now the Niners have a way to bring that USC connection home.

At 3-7, the Niners are in a distant second place behind the Seattle Seahawks.  This team has potential, but the quarterback position has been their Achilles heal all season long.  Granted Shaun Hill has been a tremendous upgrade over JT O’Sullivan, but I don’t think they envision him as their quarterback of the future.

This would be a great fit for Cassel, who is from Northridge, about five hours south of San Fransisco.

Buffalo Bills: This one I’m really going out on a limb with.  This was the season the Bills — actually, any team in the AFC East — could have returned to the top of the division.  The Jets did and the Bills fell into last place.  Trent Edwards led Buffalo to a 4-0 start, but they’ve gone 1-4 since.

It’s unclear if the Bills feel confident in Edwards.  If not, Cassel can come right in and start.  He knows how to deal with cold, nasty weather.  Plus, he’d give them an advantage over the Patriots two times a year.  Seems like a great fit to me.

The Patriots have until Feb. 19 to determine what they’re going to do with Cassel.  The only way he’d return to New England next season is if Brady is not fully recovered; and in that case, they’d franchise him.