On Tuesday, the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles pulled off one of the more shocking trades that the football world has seen over the last decade. The LeSean McCoy-Kiko Alonso deal was not predicted by even the most ballsy analysts and left many in complete shock. As of now, it still appears to be a simple exchange of players that were believed to be better fits in their new respective systems, but many are wondering if there are underlying issues behind the move.
Less than 24 hours following the acquisition of McCoy and before the shock had even subsided, Rex Ryan and the Bills acquired another new player: Matt Cassel. It is unclear if they expect Cassel to become the starter or a veteran backup that will aid in the undefined development path of E.J. Manuel, but it’s certainly a noteworthy deal that could bear legitimate impact.
According to USA Today, it was “another major” deal. Considering the magnitude of the McCoy-Alonso trade, the “major” claim is laughable. Cassel has a career QB rating of 80.1, has made 10-plus starts in only three of his 10 NFL seasons and has eclipsed 2,000 yards passing on two occasions.
The soon-to-be 33-year-old is undoubtedly an adequate addition but dubbing the low-round draft pick-laden acquisition “another major trade” is too much to handle.
