Me either. :D
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All this bodes well not only for Cassel (who hit the pay day while) but for the Chiefs as well. With Pioli negotiations he frontloaded the contract and gaurenteed the Chiefs have Cassel for at least 3-4 years while not overpaying him (I.E. Detroit/Stafford). With gaurentees in-I think the $28 million dollar range-he payed a NFL experiencedQB ~$13 million less and locked him up for the forseeable future, or at least the years leading up and into his prime hopefully.
After more details of the contract come out we can see how his contract also affects:
A) The Chiefs current cap surplus (somewhere estimated in the ~30 million dollar range piror to his signing).
B) Negotiations with our 09 draft picks (the negotations with Tyson Jackson mainly [as well as our other draft choices] should/will be the main focus of the front office now that the QB situation is settled.
C) The affect on the team and the trickle down from the top now that it looks like the team is shaping up (financially at least)
Just what I was hoping to hear after a couple of weeks of drought on the news front.
I also forgot to put in about the frontloaded contract and how it affects the team postively in the future. Once the gaurentee in the first 3 years is over (assuming the Cheifs have made significant progress during the first 3 years where he is gaurenteed to make $28 million ($ 40.5 million in 3 seasons) and the cap hit drops in the 4th year the team can reload its roster while not having the cap restrictions due to poor contract management. A very cap friendly contract both for the present and forseeable future)
The only thing left now is to wait and see.
Edit: Had to change some numbers around oops.
Edit 2: Jonh Clayton makes a good point:
Cassel was in a leverage position on a one-year deal to command more than the six-year, $63 million pact he agreed to with the Chiefs. With another season comparable to his 2008 breakout performance, Cassel could have commanded more next winter in free agency. Clearly, he wants to be in Kansas City. Pioli held firm in trying to get the average salary number around $10 million a year. He was successful
For those saying wait an see
I don't think AZ would trade Leinert for Thigpen straight up. Leinert has the big gun perfect for their vertical offense. He just needs maturity and conditioning. Thigpen is the exact wrong type of QB for the AZ offense - too small with an average arm.
Purely guessing, the obvious trade partner is Carolina. Thigpen's a hometown guy, the Panthers are a playoff team in a very weak NFC, and Carolina has an enormous need for a young, competent backup (which McNown definitely isn't). Seattle has to know Seneca Wallace isn't the guy right now and would also be a good landing place for Thigpen. Problem is that those teams probably wouldn't trade a 2nd or 3rd rounder for Thigpen.