Matt Cassel is no lock to make the Bills’ roster

When the Bills acquired Matt Cassel in a trade with the Vikings this offseason, the idea was that Cassel could be a starter, at least as a stopgap until Buffalo found a long-term answer at quarterback.
But it may not work out that way.
Cassel was so bad at minicamp that Mike Rodak of ESPN writes that there’s a real chance Cassel won’t even make the regular-season roster. At the moment EJ Manuel appears to have a leg up on Cassel, and Tyrod Taylor is being given every chance to win the starting job as well. Cassel could be the odd man out.
A report last month said that Manuel is no lock to make the roster, either, which indicates that things are wide open in Buffalo’s quarterback competition. But there’s an important difference between Manuel and Cassel: Manuel’s contract is guaranteed, meaning the Bills are on the hook to pay him $2.8 million the next two years whether he’s on the team or not. Cassel’s $4.15 million base salary is not guaranteed, meaning the Bills save that money if they cut him before the season starts.
All of which means that if Cassel doesn’t separate himself as the clear top quarterback on the roster, he may not be on the roster at all. And so far, Cassel is not distinguishing himself.

Source: PFT.com
Author: Michael David Smith
Hannah Foslien, Getty Images

Bills acquire Matt Cassel in trade with Vikings

Buffalo needed to add a veteran quarterback this offseason, and now the Bills have their man: Matt Cassel.
The Bills and Vikings announced today that they have agreed to a trade that will send Cassel to Buffalo. Technically the trade can’t be completed until the league year starts on Tuesday, but both teams have agreed to it.
The Vikings will get draft pick compensation for Cassel. According to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports, the Bills will trade the Buccaneers’ 2015 fifth-round pick (which the Bills acquired in a previous trade) for the Vikings’ 2015 sixth-round pick, and Buffalo will also give Minnesota a 2016 seventh-round pick.
Cassel opened last season as the Vikings’ starter but suffered a season-ending injury in Week Three, and with the emergence of Teddy Bridgewater last year, there was little reason for the Vikings to bring Cassel back.
In Buffalo, Cassel will compete with EJ Manuel to be the starter. The winner of that competition will hand off to LeSean McCoy, whom the Bills traded for on Tuesday. The Bills are off to an active start this offseason, even before the opening of free agency.

Source: PFT
Author: Michael David Smith
Photo: Hannah Foslien, Getty Images