Following the Alex Smith trade to the Kansas City Chiefs, the handful of teams that are still looking for a viable quarterback had theirs lists shrink by one name, leaving players like Matt Cassel and Matt Flynn as the most viable options for the 2013 season.
There are a number of NFL teams looking for quarterbacks and since this year is not the most top heavy in the draft or free agency, trades may be the best option for some clubs looking for new passers. The Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars all could have new signal callers when the 2013 season begins and one of the best options for those teams could be Chiefs backup Matt Cassel.
The quarterback was looked at a possible long-term starter in Kansas City after signing a six-year extension after he was traded from the New England Patriots, but he has been a huge disappointment since coming to the team. Cassel led the Chiefs to the playoffs in his first season as starter, but since then the franchise has been one of the worst in the NFL and he was only 1-7 as a starter last season before being benched.
New head coach Andy Reid gave up a hefty sum for Alex Smith, trading this year's number 34 pick in the second round and a conditional pick for next season that could also be a second round pick, but he felt he had no better options, as the free agent and draft quarterback classes were not very attractive to him.
"I'd say it was somewhere between steep and outright theft," one AFC general manager said in response to the trade to Yahoo Sports, echoing the sentiments of many of his peers. "I would have had a hard time giving up two 2s. He was a free agent last year, and it's not like people were pounding down his door to sign him."
The Chiefs had the number one pick, so they had the option of using it on a rookie quarterback, but Reid likely felt that names like Geno Smith, EJ Manuel and Matt Barkley were not sure-things like Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin were last year. The free agent class was also weak after Michael Vick signed with the Eagles again, leaving eliminated options for the other teams still hoping for a new starter.
Although Cassel was awful last season, he did not have much of a team around him and could be successful with a chance of surroundings. Kansas City will likely cut Cassel, but for any team that wants to assure themselves of grabbing him, a trade could be worked out.
The best bets for Cassel are likely the Arizona Cardinals and the Buffalo Bills, two teams that were disappointed by the play of their quarterbacks last season. The Cardinals were one of the worst offensive teams in the NFL and got poor play from John Skelton, Kevin Kolb and Ryan Lindley at different times. The team suffered humiliating 7-6 and 58-0 losses during the year and clean break from their quarterbacks could be just what wideout Larry Fitzgerald needs.
The Bills could also be an intriguing option with new head coach Doug Marrone, as the team appears to not be as sold on quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick as they once were. Cassel has gone 29-33 since starting in 2008 and although he threw twice as many interceptions as touchdowns last season, there is a chance he could be successful in the right system.
Cassel has passed for 80 touchdowns since 2008 and he was excellent on the Patriots the year when he had to step in for Tom Brady when he was injured and lost for the season. The Chiefs could use Cassel to get back some draft picks or value they lost when trading for Smith and the move would be welcome for Cassel, who was booed by the fans multiple times last year and has had a rough go of it in Kansas City.
