Matt Cassel's future in the NFL is uncertain. Cassel has ridden the highs and lows of the NFL, and now he may get cut in Buffalo, according to Sal Capaccio of WGR sports radio. The only reason this may shock fans is who the Bills have left standing at quarterback.
Without Cassel, the Bills are left with Tyrod Taylor, E.J. Manuel and Matt Simms. Taylor could prove to be a legitimate threat, and head coach Rex Ryan named him the starter this past week. Taylor never truly got a shot behind Flacco in Baltimore, but he will get his chance in Buffalo, and fans hope to see some magic from his Virginia Tech days.
E.J. Manuel is a former first round pick who will be entering his third season. Manuel's numbers are not promising, as he has thrown 16 touchdowns to 12 interceptions in 15 games. The question is why would the Bills cut Cassel with all these unproven players?
The answer is that Cassel is inconsistent. He has only had two winning seasons in seven years as a starter. Cassel hasn't even started all those seasons, but he still posted a losing record when in the game. Cassel's big break season came in New England when Tom Brady got injured, which launched Cassel's career and earned him a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Since then, he has had one good year going 10-5 in Kansas City, and had his best touchdown to interception ratio with 27 touchdowns to seven interceptions. The past two seasons for Cassel were prepping for the next man up, and in Minnesota, that was Teddy Bridgewater.
The Bills have already paid Cassel's roster bonus of $500,000, but if they chose to cut him, they would save $4.15 million by week one, according to NBC affiliate Mike Florio. The question for the Bills is how confident are they in Taylor and do they want to Keep Cassel around as a mentor. General manager Doug Whaley and head coach Rex Ryan will have some decisions to make, but Cassel may be on his way out of Buffalo.
