How the Patriots approach Cassel's situation will be an intriguing story line, because, among other things, the decision likely will be linked to their internal reports on Brady's recovery from knee surgery.
They could approach Cassel about signing a contract extension before free agency begins Feb. 27, although players are usually reluctant to do that before testing the market.
They could let Cassel walk, a decision that would be dictated by the salary cap, which makes it difficult to pay two top-tier quarterbacks and fill out the rest of the roster with quality players.
Or they could buy themselves time and assign Cassel the franchise tag. A player assigned the franchise tag is tendered a one-year contract for the average of the top five salaries at his position, and in Cassel's case, that would be approximately $14 million. Other teams still could sign Cassel, but they'd have to surrender two first-round draft choices, which is why franchise-tagged players seldom change teams. But franchise-tagged players are sometimes traded for reduced compensation.
How does Cassel see it unfolding?
As he packed up his belongings at his Gillette Stadium locker yesterday, he shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't even know how that whole thing works - I don't know anything about the franchise tag," he said. "If I'm a Patriot, I'm a Patriot. I don't know where the future goes from here."
Asked how he'd balance the thought of receiving the approximate $14 million franchise tag with denying himself the chance to become a clear-cut No. 1 quarterback elsewhere, Cassel said, "I guess I'd think about it when it comes about and go from there."
How his situation unfolds figures to be the first domino in the Patriots' offseason plans - plans that also could be affected by the NFL's uncertain labor situation.
With all this in mind, here is a breakdown of the team's personnel at each position (with the season the player's contract expires):
Quarterback Personnel: Matt Cassel (2008), Matt Gutierrez (2009), Tom Brady (2010), Kevin O'Connell (2011)
