The New York Jets were rumored to be a possible destination for quarterback Alex Smith, but now that his deal to the Chiefs has been confirmed, the Jets will have to move on to other players unless they decide Mark Sanchez or Tim Tebow is their star for the future.
The trade of Smith to Kansas City may have given the Jets a new option at quarterback, as they are likely to release former starter Matt Cassel in the near future after making the deal. Cassel went just 1-7 last year and has been a disappointment since being traded to the Patriots and signing a six-year, $63 million deal in 2009.
Cassel had his most productive season in 2010 when he stepped in for injured quarterback Tom Brady and he nearly led the team to the playoffs. The way Cassel played was the main reason why the Chiefs traded for him in the first place and the deal appeared to pay off after he led the team to the playoffs in his first season, but the past few years have been a big disappointment.
The one year he had a chance to start he played in 15 games and passed for 3,116 yards and 27 touchdowns with seven interceptions while completing just under 60 percent of his passed. His biggest game that year was a 469-yard passing day in a loss against the Denver Broncos that saw him throw for four touchdowns.
Kansas City went just 2-14 last season and Cassel was unproductive and was injured and eventually benched in favor of Brady Quinn, someone else the Jets have expressed some interest in. Cassel was traded for a second round pick originally, but he will likely get released and not traded again.
The Jets are facing the same issues as the Chiefs, as it is a weak free agent and quarterback class, meaning a trade or a player release is their best chance to bring in someone new for next season. Cassel would be a slight upgrade over Mark Sanchez, who regressed in his fourth season as the starter and was eventually replaced by Greg McElroy before retaking the starting job.
Over the past four seasons Cassel has gone 29-33 while passing for over 13,000 yards and 80 touchdowns with 55 interceptions. Cassel hasn't been the most accurate quarterback over his career and he is completing 58.9 percent of his passes since 2008, but he could handle the new direction the Jets are going, as it is similar to what Kansas City ran over the past two seasons.
Last season Cassel was a massive disappointment after going just 1-7 with 1,796 yards and six touchdowns with twice as many interceptions, but the Jets would be a chance for him to start fresh.
At 30-years-old he would not be a long-term option for the team, but he could provide a stop gap at an affordable price until the Jets figure out what to do with Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow. Cassel could come at a cheaper price than Matt Flynn would in a trade and it would also enable the Jets to concentrate on other positions in the draft than quarterback.
A solid fit for Tebow could be the Arizona Cardinals, as the team was one of the worst passing offenses last year with Kevin Kolb, John Skelton and Ryan Lindley all getting work at some point. The team could have a new offense built around Tebow and he could pair with wideout Larry Fitzgerald to put up some numbers if the team uses him the right way.
