Now Bills trade for Matt Cassel
The Buffalo Bills continued their busy offseason Wednesday, agreeing to terms on a trade with the Minnesota Vikings for Matt Cassel.
The Bills will send multiple undisclosed draft choices to Minnesota, while the Vikings will send an undisclosed draft choice to the Bills with Cassel, the teams announced.
The trade, which comes one day after the Bills agreed to trade linebacker Kiko Alonso to the Philadelphia Eagles for running back LeSean McCoy, cannot be made official until the new league year begins next Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
Cassel, 32, is expected to compete with EJ Manuel to become the Bills' starter at quarterback this season. Manuel was benched after four games last season in favor of Kyle Orton, who retired after the season.
The Bills entered the offseason wanting to acquire at least one veteran quarterback to compete with Manuel. They tried to sign free agent Josh McCown last month, but McCown decided to join the Cleveland Browns.
Cassel, who enters the final season of his contract, will count for $4.75 million against the Bills' salary cap.
Cassel is due to make $4.15 million in 2015, and has a $500,000 roster bonus due on the seventh day of the league year. His departure from Minnesota means the Vikings will be in the market for another backup quarterback behind Teddy Bridgewater; Christian Ponder is due to hit free agency, and practice squad player Pat Devlin is the only other quarterback on the Vikings' roster.
Cassel started three games for the Vikings last season, posting a 1-2 record. He completed 57.7 percent of his passes for three touchdowns, four interceptions and a 65.8 quarterback rating.
Cassel, who signed a two-year deal with the Vikings in 2013 to back up Ponder, wound up starting six games for the Vikings that season, and ended the year as the No. 1 quarterback after a season in which the Vikings used three different starters. He began 2014 as the starting quarterback, as the team sought to groom Bridgewater, but after Cassel broke his foot while scrambling in Week 3 in New Orleans, Bridgewater asserted himself as the starting QB.
After serving as a backup to Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC, Cassel was drafted in the seventh round of the 2005 draft by the New England Patriots. He backed up Tom Brady for three seasons until 2008, when Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 and Cassel replaced him.
Cassel went 10-5 as the Patriots' starter in 2008, setting career highs in passing yards (3,693) and completion percentage (63.4 percent). The Patriots assigned Cassel the franchise tag after the season before trading him to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Cassel went 19-28 as the starter in four seasons with the Chiefs before being released.
In his 10-year career, Cassel has appeared in 90 games, including 71 starts, and has thrown for 15,727 yards, 96 touchdowns and 70 interceptions on 1,397-of-2,369 passing (59 percent).
The Buffalo Bills continued their busy offseason Wednesday, agreeing to terms on a trade with the Minnesota Vikings for Matt Cassel.
The Bills will send multiple undisclosed draft choices to Minnesota, while the Vikings will send an undisclosed draft choice to the Bills with Cassel, the teams announced.
The trade, which comes one day after the Bills agreed to trade linebacker Kiko Alonso to the Philadelphia Eagles for running back LeSean McCoy, cannot be made official until the new league year begins next Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
Cassel, 32, is expected to compete with EJ Manuel to become the Bills' starter at quarterback this season. Manuel was benched after four games last season in favor of Kyle Orton, who retired after the season.
The Bills entered the offseason wanting to acquire at least one veteran quarterback to compete with Manuel. They tried to sign free agent Josh McCown last month, but McCown decided to join the Cleveland Browns.
Cassel, who enters the final season of his contract, will count for $4.75 million against the Bills' salary cap.
Cassel is due to make $4.15 million in 2015, and has a $500,000 roster bonus due on the seventh day of the league year. His departure from Minnesota means the Vikings will be in the market for another backup quarterback behind Teddy Bridgewater; Christian Ponder is due to hit free agency, and practice squad player Pat Devlin is the only other quarterback on the Vikings' roster.
Cassel started three games for the Vikings last season, posting a 1-2 record. He completed 57.7 percent of his passes for three touchdowns, four interceptions and a 65.8 quarterback rating.
Cassel, who signed a two-year deal with the Vikings in 2013 to back up Ponder, wound up starting six games for the Vikings that season, and ended the year as the No. 1 quarterback after a season in which the Vikings used three different starters. He began 2014 as the starting quarterback, as the team sought to groom Bridgewater, but after Cassel broke his foot while scrambling in Week 3 in New Orleans, Bridgewater asserted himself as the starting QB.
After serving as a backup to Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC, Cassel was drafted in the seventh round of the 2005 draft by the New England Patriots. He backed up Tom Brady for three seasons until 2008, when Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 and Cassel replaced him.
Cassel went 10-5 as the Patriots' starter in 2008, setting career highs in passing yards (3,693) and completion percentage (63.4 percent). The Patriots assigned Cassel the franchise tag after the season before trading him to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Cassel went 19-28 as the starter in four seasons with the Chiefs before being released.
In his 10-year career, Cassel has appeared in 90 games, including 71 starts, and has thrown for 15,727 yards, 96 touchdowns and 70 interceptions on 1,397-of-2,369 passing (59 percent).
It has to be tough to be a Bills fan these days. No one really wants to play there. When people leave there, they typically play better. You have a qb competition between EJ Manual and matt cassel. LOL Seems every year, they have a different starting quarterback who is sub par. You have a bufoon as a head coach. Is the music city miracle which was a loss the last time the Bills were in the playoffs. You can also throw Richie Incognito in there now as well. They prob. have the least desireable NFL city to play and live in
Matt Cassell is a dud...LOL.
He made his name in 2008 when Brady went down with that injury.
Ever since then he`s been horrible.
Matt Cassel=2nd Stringer
He made his name in 2008 when Brady went down with that injury.
Ever since then he`s been horrible.
Matt Cassel=2nd Stringer
It usually begins after the draft, but it's starting early this year. Buffalo bills fans going nuts, saying shit like 'this is our year!' People around here are getting all jacked up because they have a 'quarterback' now and then they list Matt Cassels 2010 year as proof.
Yup.. You now have a Super Bowl caliber QB and coach. Judas.
Yup.. You now have a Super Bowl caliber QB and coach. Judas.
If Manuel remains with the team he can beat this bum out for the job.
Rex Ryan keeps surrounding himself with Back up QB`s.....LMAO
Rex Ryan keeps surrounding himself with Back up QB`s.....LMAO
