Welcome back and keep the queries coming
Today’s comes from Tom Pluma:
Q: Do you think that Matt Cassel would be on a short leash if he were here in Denver? (It) looks like the Chiefs aren’t real happy with him right now.
A: If Cassel were in Denver and Kyle Orton was not, the scenario would have been the same in that Josh McDaniels would have almost certainly named Cassel as the team’s starting quarterback when offseason work started.
That’s what he did with Orton. He named Orton in June as the starter and stood steadfastly in his corner since.
In fact if the trade had been completed with the Patriots, McDaniels may have even named Cassel the man sooner than that, given he has such strong feelings for Cassel as a player — McDaniels has called him a “competitive player, a great person,” with “a great attitude and an incredible work ethic.”
So, it would have looked much different than the situation in Kansas City. Chiefs coach Todd Haley, who has built the early part of his tenure on the premise that there is competition everywhere as the team rebuilds, has essentially put Cassel on public notice he has to play better to keep the job.
Whether Haley really thinks Brodie Croyle might be better for the job or not is unknown, but he is at least willing to play it out in public.
Cassel was given a $60 million deal, with $28 million of it guaranteed by Chiefs GM Scott Pioli, so eventually the GM may force Haley’s hand if it gets too ugly. Eventually Pioli may use his personnel power and tell the coach to coach.
It’s a different deal here, where McDaniels has the final say on personnel, and he would be making the call on both the contract and the playing time.
But with everything that’s happened in the Broncos’ offseason, and with the Raiders sending an assistant coach to the emergency room with a fractured jaw after a fight with the head coach, to the Chiefs’ current QB controversy, it’s clear the AFC West is like the NFL’s own miniseries.
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
