The Patriots have traded Matt Cassel and outside linebacker Mike Vrabel to Kansas City for a second-round pick, the 34th overall selection in the draft. And why should you care, you ask?
Hello?
The Pats play in the AFC East. The Dolphins play in the AFC East. And movement in New England ripples in Miami.
The trade means the Patriots add another valuable draft pick only two picks into the second round. That's bad news for the Dolphins.
The trade means the Patriots just cleared $14.65 million of salary cap space, giving them the opportunity to become players in the free agent market if they like. That's bad news for Miami.
The trade also suggests quarterback Tom Bunchen, recently wed to model Gisele Bunchen, is coming along nicely with his recovery from knee surgery and the ensuing infections. The Patriots would not have given up on Cassel this early in the offseason without a good prognosis for Bunchen.
And that, friends, while not exactly bad news for Miami, is certainly not great news.
Discuss.
By the way, I assume you saw Jeff Darlington's report that cornerback Andre' Goodman is visiting Denver and Cleveland. Would hate to see him leave. He was great in the locker room, and very good on the field last year.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, have confirmed they had no unrestricted or restricted free agents visit today.
and henne played with him in high school
Posted by: Fan | February 28, 2009 at 06:56 PM
dave, i could live with that !!
Posted by: harricane | February 28, 2009 at 06:56 PM
that just means the patriots are one bad knee hit away from 1-15
Posted by: cRUZ | February 28, 2009 at 06:58 PM
cRUZ is such a nice man he wishes ill on some one with no shame at all .the word sport means O for him .
Posted by: sportsmen like | February 28, 2009 at 07:02 PM
What the hell does one guy playing center 25 years ago at the same school have to do with a player now , GEEZ . If your good ,your good . Antoine caldwell is good player who will be drafted in the 3rd round or top of the 4rth.
Posted by: nj phin fan | February 28, 2009 at 07:12 PM
Wow that a great trade for Kansas City. I woulda thought theyd want a 2nd rounder for Vrabel himself.. Along with Cassel that a steal.
Another thing whats the diff if NE cleared money for free agency. Apparently we dont think theres anyone worth trying to get.
Posted by: Chase | February 28, 2009 at 07:14 PM
I agree that what happens in NE ripples to Miami but since NE only got a 2nd for Cassel and Vrabel, it isn't seriously bad news for Miami.
Posted by: Finsfan in CT | February 28, 2009 at 07:14 PM
Armando - I hear you when you say we need to keep an eye on the Pats but there are still lots of questions to be answered. First off, they did get another 2nd rounder to go with their other 2. Now a 1st and three 2nds coming up in the draft. If you look at their results in the draft the last few years, it hasn't been that great. Jerod Mayo the exception. He was picked 10th overall. Some of their recent high picks, 2006 - Laurence Maroney 1st, Chad Jackson 2nd, 2007 - Brandon Merriweather 1st. 2008 - Jerod Mayo was a nice pick. They also spent a 2nd and 4th on the secondary. Both players ended the season on IR however. So, the jury is still out on them.
My point is that Belichek is very good but he's not a slam dunk to hit on every pick. The extra pick does increase the likelihood that they land a solid if not spectacular starter but again there's no guarantee.
Also keep in mind that Moss will be a year older and another valuable piece of their super bowl winning defense is now gone. Vrabel will be missed more than people realize and I am very happy to see him go!!
BTW - Thanks for your blogs and keep up the great work!
Posted by: Dwight57 | February 28, 2009 at 07:15 PM
Usually my comments have a negative tone to them, so I'm switching it up for right now. Rather than complain about the slow start to free agency, I'm taking a different approach. I am officially counting down the days to the most heated offseason battle the Miami Dolphins franchise has ever witnessed. That's right folks. I'm talkin about Andy Alleman vs. Joe Berger. I haven't been this excited since we signed Scorpio Babers to our practice squad. Can you guys feel it? I can't wait for mini camps!
Posted by: Kevin Hates Most of You | February 28, 2009 at 07:22 PM
Alienman sounds a lot like a lil man from the orlando area that has a small weapons problem(if you know what i mean)M@@c is this your new alias?? look m@@c you still have the same negative attitude, but your still only packing a 2 inch weapon, get some extendzz i hear it will help you grow 20% in 2 weeks, Wow think about that you"ll sport a 2.15 inch woody.... good luck little man....
Posted by: cuban menace | February 28, 2009 at 07:30 PM
By the way m@@c, when i mention your name your mothers tale wagged for some reason..
Posted by: cuban menace | February 28, 2009 at 07:34 PM
Kevin , there's alwaya the jets and skins. Nobody is stopping you. How about madden football and you could put a all - pro at every position . There's always fantasy football, because that where you live in , idiot.
Posted by: nj phin fan | February 28, 2009 at 07:35 PM
By the way,WHATS UP A.J FROM HOTLANTA.......
Posted by: cuban menace | February 28, 2009 at 07:38 PM
WOW , lol menace.
Posted by: nj phin fan | February 28, 2009 at 07:49 PM
By the way menace, you new yorkers aren't the sharpest tools in the shed !!!
Posted by: nj phin fan | February 28, 2009 at 07:58 PM
1:The Dolphins will go 19-0!!!
2:I am coming back to Miami and will sign the first ever 14 year 1,000,000,000 contract.
3:GO DOLPHINS
4: THE PATS DIDN'T MAKE THE PLAYOFFS, BECAUSE THE MIAMI DOLPHINS WON THE DIVISION!!!
5: T.O. does a commercial for TAMPAX/VAGISIL!!!
Posted by: Andre Goodman | February 28, 2009 at 07:58 PM
just a thought, but the patriots have had a tremendous amount of success with building and maintaning a team. All of a sudden Pioli leaves and they make a bone headed move like this. Was Pioli the glue?? I tivo'd the ne games and cassel has on hell of arm. the chiefs got a great deal. Pioli gone is good for us.
Posted by: ocalaphinfan | February 28, 2009 at 07:58 PM
Sorry that should have been "her tails wagging", spell check did not catch that one,nj phin fan Whats going on down the turnpike?? balmy weather today i think it got up to 40...
Posted by: cuban menace | February 28, 2009 at 08:00 PM
Oh yea I forgot.
#6) Charlie Crist gets caught toe tapping in a Minnesota bathroom.
#7) Tom Brady gets arrested in a "love boat" scandal.
#8) UCF wins a national championship
#9) The Dolphins sign Michael Vick to a 10 year deal.
Posted by: Andre Goodman | February 28, 2009 at 08:01 PM
#10) SuperMondo wins the nobel peace prize for investagative journalism
Posted by: Eric | February 28, 2009 at 08:04 PM
I'd say you'd right on the spot ocalaphinfan. They did bring in Floyd Reese so that obviously makes up for Pioli, haha. That surprised me for a team that is so up-tight about everything. I didn't see them bringing in a douche that's been publicly lobbying for jobs on the job at ESPN. Doesn't make sense which leads me to believe that Pioli really was the glue that held that personal and front office together.
None of us can really question any of Pioli's moves because I'm sure Parcells serves as some kind of mentor to him. The Tuna denies that they converse at that level but the guy is his son in law and would you expect him to say any different?
Good for Chiefs fans, they're a dedicated group that brings it in Arrowhead.
Posted by: Sprovo | February 28, 2009 at 08:06 PM
Dave,
Good stuff! Although it will never work out that way. We need interior D line work. Lots of it.
Cuban....what's up with the jets blowing wads like old men in a strip club.
Posted by: AJ in ATL | February 28, 2009 at 08:08 PM
Menace, its supposed to snow 6 inches tommorrow night. 6inches , is that what alienman , Marc} can only dream about ?.
Posted by: nj phin fan | February 28, 2009 at 08:16 PM
A.J, there going to need it, they got no offence since father time left and lavernous coles left,but other then that, yeah there spending money like men at a bachelor party, which reminds me, the best bachelor party i ever attended was in Atlanta, the club that ray lewis helped kill that one dude...oh well i degress, ive finally come out of the closet with my love for the fins, which is dangerous up here especially since my co-workers all carry guns(police)i even wore a dolphin # 13 jersey on one of our surveillance's and wasn't shot....
Posted by: cuban menace | February 28, 2009 at 08:20 PM
Nothing is more insulting than being attacked from a person who willingly lives in New Jersey. Please tell me you are incarcerated and therefore have no choice?
Posted by: Kevin Hates Most of You | February 28, 2009 at 08:24 PM
No , that's all m@@c's wife can dream about, i think she can technically still be a virgin, i don't think m@@c has broken the the plane of the goal line if you know what i mean.. and i think you do..
Posted by: cuban menace | February 28, 2009 at 08:25 PM
ah oh, i think m@@c has a new alias......
Posted by: antichrist | February 28, 2009 at 08:32 PM
nj phin fan,
I might not be able to call a signing but nailed it on the head with the snow. Have fun!
Lets have a poll of how long it'll take for us to sign another player. Day and time. Lets throw in player as well.
Tuesday, 2:00pm
Leonard Weaver
26 y/o FB from Cocoa, FL. Looks versatile and I haven't heard anything about him so far. Cheap position in the first place.
Posted by: Sprovo | February 28, 2009 at 08:33 PM
A second round pick for a QB who everybody (in the media) fell in love with and one of the leaders on the Pats defense - seems pretty cheap!
Posted by: Vtdolfan | February 28, 2009 at 09:14 PM
The Miami Dolphins are reportedly close to a deal with linebacker Kevin Burnett (Cowboys) according to several sources
http://www.profootballcentral.com/
Posted by: Robert | February 28, 2009 at 09:59 PM
Kevin, where are you from ? and be careful i might get tony soprano after you.
Posted by: nj phin fan | February 28, 2009 at 10:07 PM
Ok Kids, the menace has to get home to put water in m@@c's mommas water bowl, so i'll catch up with you guys later.... c.m.
Posted by: cuban menace | February 28, 2009 at 10:11 PM
Ok Kids, the menace has to get home to put water in m@@c's mommas water bowl, so i'll catch up with you guys later.... c.m.
Posted by: cuban menace | February 28, 2009 at 10:12 PM
Cuban , yeah i got you. lol. Sporvo is it hurricane season yet. and kevin 1 more thing , say that to somebodys face from new jersey. I guarantee you won't have a face when there done. Sporvo will back me up on that.
Posted by: nj phin fan | February 28, 2009 at 10:17 PM
Sprovo;if we keep signing players like berger and crowder we can sign one player every hour and the people talking about matt cassel trade it happened cause pats can't commit 30 mill to 2 QB a year so they choose to stick with best QB IN history cause there's still a chance that matt cassel could be one year wonder .think people think
Posted by: luggi from costa rica | February 28, 2009 at 10:22 PM
is it true that Kevin Burnett coming to visit miami on monday with his whole family .
Posted by: gas man | February 28, 2009 at 10:26 PM
Their, my bad. Sporvo ,you hear that ? kevin burnett LOL
Posted by: nj phin fan | February 28, 2009 at 10:28 PM
Not another guy with the entire family, we already got a zero(ted h.o.s. ginn and his clipboard holding daddy)in Miami, Please find somewhere else to play.....
Posted by: cuban menace | February 28, 2009 at 10:39 PM
A real state guy is working hard now to find a large nice house for the entire Berger family
Posted by: gas man | February 28, 2009 at 10:43 PM
Burnett as a backup for the Cowboys last year posted 39 tackles 2 sacks and a FF. The guy has real up side and The Trifecta loves him. I wonder how long before salguero picks up on the story.
Posted by: Robert | February 28, 2009 at 10:48 PM
haha, as soon as I jump off the Burnett bandwagon and try to guess on Weaver.
I'm glad, it made sense and if Mando had taken my advice a few hours ago and made that call to his agent he'd have another scoop.
I'm not all copy and paste.
Posted by: Sprovo | February 28, 2009 at 10:49 PM
I am sick of reading every time we hear a name of player and a person writes ;the guy has real upside and trifecta loves him,end of quote.
first ...is fins a team made only of back ups or gap fillers.
seacond...how the hell does robert knows that trifecta loves the player
third...Burnet was a back up in dallas so we are getting back up for back up .it feel real like used car dealership to me.
Posted by: luggi | February 28, 2009 at 10:58 PM
Kevin is from south Florida
Posted by: Kevin Hates New Jersey | February 28, 2009 at 10:58 PM
Breaking Copy and Paste
http://www.kffl.com/hotw/nfl
Patriots | Bodden visits, leaves without contract
Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:07:40 -0800
Shalise Manza Young, of The Providence Journal, reports free-agent CB Leigh Bodden (Lions) visited with the New England Patriots Friday, Feb. 27, though he left New England without a contract from the club.
Posted by: Sprovo | February 28, 2009 at 11:11 PM
Kevin is from south Florida
Posted by: Kevin Hates New Jersey | February 28, 2009 at 10:58 PM
Burnett? He's from Cali and went to school at Tenn.
What did NJ do to Kevin?
Posted by: Sprovo | February 28, 2009 at 11:14 PM
also from KFFL
Rams | Bartell leaves without a contract
Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:12:00 -0800
Jim Thomas, of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, reports the St. Louis Rams remain hopeful of signing free-agent CB Ron Bartell (Giants) even though Bartell left St. Louis without a contract.
Posted by: Sprovo | February 28, 2009 at 11:17 PM
Sprovo ...give it a break go make me some tea ,my eyes are hurting from reading all the info crap you writing,who care about jim thomas.
Posted by: gas man | February 28, 2009 at 11:23 PM
gas man
http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/02/28/shawn-springs-visiting-the-pats/
Is that better?
Posted by: Sprovo | February 28, 2009 at 11:26 PM
yeeeeeeeeessssssssss and thank you
Posted by: gas man | February 28, 2009 at 11:28 PM
saturday night live on nbc right now it's very funny
Posted by: gas man | February 28, 2009 at 11:31 PM
with what is going on in denver...how about the dolphins stepping up and getting cutler...offer 1st and a 3rd plus henne....stil have 2 2nds. cutler to ginn would be huge down the sidelines. TOUCHDOWN MIAMI!!!!
Posted by: terry | February 28, 2009 at 11:31 PM
Terry , put the pipe down, pleeeeeeease
Posted by: nj phin fan | February 28, 2009 at 11:37 PM
Gas Man ( menace) good fight on juan diaz vs Juan manuel marquez on HBO
Posted by: nj phin fan | February 28, 2009 at 11:39 PM
i am not the menace
Posted by: gas man | February 28, 2009 at 11:50 PM
I Am not the gas man, though sometimes i've got gas...man.
Posted by: cuban menace | March 01, 2009 at 12:08 AM
Menace- Yo, if you're truly a Fin fan and I'm off base here, than my bad. Clearly you're remarks were about "M@@C", whoever that is. I assure you I'm not him. So if I got you wrong, my apologies. Where I tend to get pi$$ed off and go off a bit is when these idiotic cowards don't even have the balls to use a regular name, and act like they're fans of the Dolphins. They come on boards like ours trying to anger our fan-base and blogging community, in any way they can. They use different names trying to give the impression that other guys have their back. My typical response? Try to ridicule them in some fashion. I still think monkey and Luggi are the same guy, but think I may have been off about you. It was the similarity in writing style. Trust me, I know it's tough writing in a 2nd language because my wife is from Eastern Europe... and English is not even her 2nd language, it's her third. I've been reading the Herald's Fin updates and news for probably 10 years... but usually avoid the blog responses now because they annoy me so bad, because of fakers like Luggi. I just recently started posting again. So no, no "maac" here. Just an Alien living on and from the west coast. PEACE...
Posted by: Alienman | March 01, 2009 at 12:09 AM
Kevin , south florida ,south florida . Are you kidding me LOL . Wow that's too funny. If it weren't for transplanted New Jerseyans and New Yorkers there would be no south florida lol. Sporvo , the reason is doesn't like jersey is he probably got his face kicked in by somebody from jersey. WOW , south florida LOL . ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
Posted by: nj phin fan | March 01, 2009 at 12:10 AM
Anyway, back to football. I know this isn't Fins, but have y'all heard about the Bronco's shopping Jay Cutler? To me, that's just crazy.
I consider him a franchise QB, and you don't shop someone with that arm strength, accuracy, and skills, who is young and in his prime. Now don't come after me saying, "HEY ALIEN! It'll never happen!" I know it won't. But hypothetically, let's say the Bronco's called and said give us Pennington, your 1st, and your 3rd rd picks... would you do it? I think I would.
If we had Cutler we could match Brady drive for drive. Then, do what San Diego did with Brees. Let Henne develop 2 more years, and trade Cutler for the same picks we gave up, and the 2011 Superbowl we now have in our back pocket. :)
Posted by: Alienman | March 01, 2009 at 12:18 AM
Alienman , You're right. You're off base. The Cuban Menace is luiggi , monkey ,cardova and every other idiotic post name he can think of. Now he thinks i'm you. Ignore him , he's nothing more than a f'n social parasite.
Posted by: Marc | March 01, 2009 at 12:18 AM
alienmam.....who are you to decide what name any body use?
2,who are you to decide who to be on the blog or not.
3.just go back to eastern europe if you don't like after all we not in romania .
Posted by: rodregez jose gas and oil man | March 01, 2009 at 12:26 AM