Cassel deal doesn't include new contract
By Jason Cole
An intriguing element of Kansas City's trade for quarterback Matt Cassel is that Cassel hasn't received a new contract from the Chiefs as part of the deal -- which figures to put new Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli in an interesting and perhaps uncomfortable position.
A source close to Cassel reiterated that the quarterback would not be unhappy playing next season under the one-year salary of $14.56 million that was guaranteed to him after New England put the franchise tag on him and he signed the deal.
"He'll play under that deal if that's what he has to do," the source said. If the Chiefs have to franchise Cassel again in 2010, that one-year salary would be at least $17.58 million.
Because of that, expect Pioli, who dealt a second-round pick to the Patriots for Cassel and Mike Vrabel, to have to make a significant offer to a quarterback who has played only one season as a starter since he was in high school.
Cassel likely will command at least $36 million in guaranteed money as part of any deal he does with the Chiefs, and that's if he does it now. With veterans such as Eli Manning and Philip Rivers coming up for new contracts soon, the numbers for quarterbacks may only go up.
"It doesn't take a lot of complicated math to figure out the numbers," the source said. "It's going to be interesting."
