http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3809444
Cassel isn't going anywhere until Brady's status has been solidified. As of now, Tom Brady being ready for next season is a huge question mark. The Pats are going to keep both QBs for next season and make a decision afterward.
Brady's status is completely unknown at this time; the Pats are being very secretive with his rehab process. There's no reason to believe he's going to be ready for the next season yet. Even if Brady recovers, Cassel won't be traded unless the Pats are 100% sure Tom is ready to play. There's NO WAY all of this is going to be resolved before the draft. Cassel will stay put for now.
Peter King is saying the exact opposite of that report. Adam Shefter also. The report you are reading is based on a peice written by Tom Curran. The pats are secrative with everyone, not just Brady. There is good reason to believe that Brady might be ready for next season, because Carson Palmer had a much more severe injury than Brady much later in the season and he came back to start the year. There are all kinds of reports going around right now. I live two blocks from Brady on Comm Ave in Boston, and I have seen him out with Gisele a few times over the last few months. I know you can't tell much from a person walking down the street, but I doubt Brady would be out walking around if his knee was that bad.
That said, I am basing what I said on the Brady coming back. At this point it's pure speculation, but IMO he will be back and Cassel will be traded. A lot of rumbles of that in the Boston media right now.
So on Sunday morning, Tom Curran of NBCSports.com reported that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady might miss the 2009 season due to his slower-than-expected recovery from knee surgery.
And on Sunday night Peter King of NBC contradicted the, um, NBC report.
King said on Football Night In America that two people close to Brady dispute the report, claiming that he’s actually ahead of schedule.
Per King, there’s also a theory in the Brady camp that the Patriots are floating a phony story in order to get more value for quarterback Matt Cassel via a trade.
Of course, to trade Cassel, the Patriots would have to slap the franchise tag on Cassel. But King has previously opined that the Pats won’t franchise Cassel if Brady is healthy.
But now King is now citing sources close to Brady who think that the Patriots intend to franchise Cassel even if Brady is healthy.
So when in the hell did ESPN buy NBC?