Cassel's situational stats
 

Interesting numbers:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/...X7zDUjvu_.uLYF


He's a much better QB on 3rd down than he is 1st down, which is unusual.

Sure, it could be a result of small sample size, or maybe he really does struggle under center (1st down) and is one of the best QBs in the league on 3rd down in the shotgun spread.

I watched quite a few New England games last season, and remember Cassel being very competent in play-action from under center. As always, the spread formation allows young QB's to see the field better, and be given more time. However, I truly believe Cassel can thrive in either with his athletic ability.

While I am not sold on the idea that he is a potential franchise QB, I think Cassel, like most young QBs getting his first season as a starter, had difficulty in adjusting to the speed of the NFL from under center, but like every other aspect of his game, he improved as the season progressed.

I think Cassel will be a pretty decent game manager.

Everybody wants to talk about how good Thigpen was for his first year starting. This was Cassel's first as well and he played alot better than Thigpen. I think it remains to be seen if either will make a superstar QB but my money is on Cassel before Thigpen. Cassel spread the ball around and Thigpen only looked for Gonzalez. It was almost sickening watching him almost throw a million picks throwing only to Gonzalez.

Well, that is good. Just think if he were here in our RRPP days (god that feels good to say), he would have destroyed the league!

Thigpen may never amount to more than a backup QB, but it is silly to compare the two.

How many years was each in the NFL? Were they in the same system those years?
What kind of coaching did each player receive?
What was the surrounding talent like?

I was merely pointing that out for those who feel we were better off with Thigpen.

someone actually felt that way?

Yeah there were people saying that Thigpen should be given a chance.

Oh noes!!! people actually want Thigpen to get a chance!!

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/7848/ohnoes2.jpg

Alot more than you'd think, actually.

What impresses me is he adjusted to the speed of the NFL eventhough his last starting assignment was in HS.

To be fair to Thigpen here there are very major differences. Cassell stepped into a very established offense and was in his 4th year in the NFL out of USC and learned behind Brady.

Thigpen came into an offense averaging 9 points per game with an Oline that had already lead to the demise of 2 previous QB's. He was also only in his 2nd season in the NFL out of Coastal Carolina and had to learn behind Croyle and Huard.

To me what Thigpen did was more impressive than what Cassell did.

Cassel rode the pine for the 4 years he was in the league, and another 4 years at USC.

Thigpen had an offense basically tailored around his strengths.

Or tailored around the strengths of Thigpens Oline which was playing like a bunch of cardboard pop ups until they did go to the spread ie basically the same thing that Cassell spent the majority of his time in.

I do like Cassell's prototypical size over Thigpen though and hopefully that will allow us to play more out of Center with him as the starter.

As for Thigpen he was in a program at Coastal Carolina that had literally just began the year before he entered. Cassell has had better coaching, better QB's to learn from and better surrounding casts everywhere he has been.