Matt Cassel reportedly has accepted the New England Patriots' non-exclusive franchise tender, guaranteeing the quarterback at least $14.65 million next season, ESPN reported Saturday.
Cassel effectively will not be a free agent come Feb. 27 and will not be permitted to shop himself to other teams. The Patriots could still trade Cassel.
After Tom Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Patriots opener, Cassel had a breakout season in 2008, starting 15 games after starting none the seven previous seasons.
Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
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