(From holder to hero...)

Although they can't officially make the move until February 5th, the Pats have made no secret of the fact that they're planning on franchising 2008 season savior Matt Cassel. Apparently making the move all the more important is the fact (if you take NBC Sports' Tom Curran's word as fact) that Brady may be behind in his recovery from knee surgery. Regardless of Brady's situation, the Pats are very unlikely to let Cassel walk without attempting to get something in return if and when he leaves.

From the Patriots perspective, there's really no harm here. Cassel continues to be one of the best (and most handsomely rewarded) insurance policies in the league, and if Brady isn't ready to start the season, he can certainly fill in admirably and up his stock until an eventual Brady return. If Brady can go right away, they can spin Cassel for some picks or in an attempt to address a need position, or keep him around for a bit to try to drive the market up. It's a win-win, even though the price tag looks to be in the neighborhood of $14 million. Just don't expect him to remain in New England by the midway point of October next season.