not so stunned

tom brady's surgically repaired knee had better be as well healed as he proclaimed it to be 10 days ago ... that would be the same day tfb told wbz-tv's steve burton he was not engaged to be married ... because his #1 back-up is now gone ... quatrerback matt cassell has been traded to kansas city ... this time ... NOT SO STUNNED ... the handwriting has been on the wall since the day the patriots slapped the "franchise player" tag on cassell ... and matt became a $14.6 mil salary cap liability ... he was going to be traded ... and it was probably going to happen quickly ... the patriots needed salary cap relief to play in this year's free agent market ... a year ago the patriots could not have gotten a dozen mouth guards in return for matt cassell ... a month ago new england risked $14.6 mil of their salary cap dollars to prevent matt (without acrimony) from becoming a free agent without compensation ... yesterday they got their compensation ... a high 2nd round draft pick (34th overall) for cassell (and mike vrabel) ... and opened up near $20 mil in cap space ... hello vince wilfork ... logan mankins ... stephen neal ... stephen gostkowski ... richard seymour

matt cassel spent 4 years at usc backing up heisman trophy winners carson palmer (2002) and matt leinart (2004) ... he spent 4 years backing up tfb and former heismen trophy winners vinny testeverde (1986) and doug flutie (1984) in new england ... then came the kansas city chiefs to new england for game #1 of the 2008 season ... and reigning mvp brady's season-ending knee injury ... with one hit the chiefs changed matt cassell's career forever ... ironically it is kansas city who will now benefit from cassell's emergence as tfb's replacement in 2008 ... good luck to matt cassell who will be "the man" in kc ... his 8 years of patience as a back-up quarterback have finally been rewarded ... and thanks to one of the "good guys" for a great 2008 season

as with mike vrabel ... bill belichick spoke glowingly about matt cassell as he heads west

"it is very easy to root for guys like matt cassel, who do everything the right way and flourish as a result. as much as we would have loved to continue working with matt, we wish him nothing but the best as he takes this next step forward in his career."