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| | AP Photo/Chris O'Meara |
| | No, we really want to know. Which New England quarterback would you rather have: Tom Brady or Matt Cassel? |
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
You're an NFL general manager.
You need a quarterback. Your options are Matt Cassel and Tom Brady. You need to pick one.
Given their circumstances, there might be a decision to make -- as absurd as that may have sounded just a few weeks ago.
The choice is between a young quarterback on the make and a decorated veteran with no guarantees he'll be the same after his complicated knee injury.
Cassel doesn't have All Pro credentials, but he'll be just 27 next season and is developing into an intriguing possibility for many clubs.
Cassel will become an unrestricted free agent after the season. NFL Network reporter Adam Schefter wrote Sunday that Cassel could be looking for a hefty contract similar to what the Green Bay Packers gave Aaron Rodgers, six years for $65 million.
Cassel's stock is soaring. He has shown he can make clutch throws, specifically his fourth-down, 16-yard pinpoint strike with one second remaining to send Thursday night's game against the New York Jets into sudden death. He passed for 400 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 62 more, accounting for all but 49 yards of the Patriots' offense.
How much better would the New England Patriots' record be if Brady hadn't been lost for the season? Maybe it wouldn't be.
We don't need to run down all of Brady's accomplishments. He will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He has won Super Bowls. He owns several records. He's a global sports icon.
But Brady, who will be 32 next season, has experienced complications from his reconstructive left knee surgery and only recently began the rehabilitation process. There are no promises he'll be ready for the start of next season, and once he does come back, nobody can say for sure if he will be the same.
Brady in 2006 and 2007 took more hits than any quarterback not named Kurt Warner. Take away a little of Brady's mobility, and the risk increases.
Before you submit a comment asking if I've lost a bolt, keep in mind I haven't revealed who I would pick. I'm merely posing a fictional scenario to debate.
Do you bank on the superstar maintaining his elite status, or invest in the rising prospect, who years from now still should be in his prime when the veteran retires?
Graham joined ESPN.com in 2008 after covering the Miami Dolphins for the Palm Beach Post. He previously spent eight years at the Buffalo News, where he was an award-winning NHL and boxing writer. The Baldwin-Wallace College grad also has worked for the Las Vegas Sun and Boston Herald.
