The Patriots didn’t waste any time regarding their decision whether or not to franchise quarterback Matt Cassel. On the first day the option become available, New England placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Cassel, who will make $14.65 million once he signs the tender offer.

In the event a trade market does not develop, the Patriots would be tying up $29.2 million of their approximately $123 million salary cap on two players. That runs counter to the philosophy that has helped the Patriots thrive this decade, spreading the wealth to more players, and could handcuff other moves, such as signing nose tackle Vince Wilfork to an extension.

The Patriots chose the less restrictive of the two franchise tags.

The exclusive franchise tag would have prohibited other teams from negotiating with Cassel. A non-exclusive franchise player is free to negotiate with other teams, but if he signs an offer sheet, the original team has a right to match.

If the original team does not match, it receives two first-round draft picks. Because of that steep price, franchise-tagged players are seldom signed to offer sheets.

This was a move that had to be done. Now the Patriots can see what the market (if any) is for Cassel and then they can plan their next step. If they trade Cassel, they’ll likely receive multiple draft picks in exchange and they won’t have to soak that much money into their quarterback position next year. If they can’t move him, then maybe they’ll contemplate trading Brady and working on a long-term deal for Cassel, who is six years younger and not coming off major knee surgery. The Pats could also hang onto Cassel in the event Brady has a set back in his recovery this offseason and use him as an expensive security blanket next season.

Regardless of what move they ultimately make, the first step was franchising Cassel and not letting him walk without getting anything in return.

Click here for six observations on Super Bowl XLIII.

Lucifer himself might as well have created the Monday after Super Bowl Sunday.

Is that extreme? No.

The Monday after the Super Bowl signals the end of another NFL season and that means there is no football on the horizon unless you’re one of the 10 people that watches the Pro Bowl. There are seven months between now and the start of preseason games, which makes me sick to think about. If I could freeze myself for the next seven months and thaw just in time for the 2009 season, I would.

Is that extreme? No.

But fear not my football friends because even though there isn’t any football this Sunday, it doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to get excited about while looking ahead. Below are 10 things to look forward to now that the Super Bowl is over. (And so that you don’t have to freeze yourself for the next seven months.)

Before you read on, realize that I’m not going to copout and write about how free agency and the draft are things to look forward to. Of course they are, but let’s get more specific here, people.

According to the Boston Globe, Tom Brady’s recovery from ACL and MCL surgery is on track for the 2009 season opener and he’s even started to throw passes.

While the Patriots obviously want Brady, the 2007 NFL MVP, back for the start of the 2009 season, the greater concern is how strong the knee will be when he returns, how long the knee will hold up, and how it will affect his play.

Brady, who turns 32 in August, and the Patriots likely will not have definitive answers to those questions until this summer, when the quarterback can test himself in game-like situations at training camp.

All the more reason for the Patriots to place the franchise tag on backup quarterback Matt Cassel, who proved a more than capable starter while filling in for Brady. The Patriots can’t franchise Cassel, preventing the QB from becoming an unrestricted free agent, until Feb. 5.

Still, the latest reports on Brady’s knee seem more encouraging than a month ago, when an NBCSports.com report said both the ACL and MCL were loose and a second reconstructive surgery would be required to repair the problem.

The report said the second surgery could cost Brady the 2009 season.

The Pats must franchise Cassel to protect themselves if Brady doesn’t recover. Sure, a lot of cap space will be eaten up at the quarterback position next year if they do tag Cassel, but it’s better to have him as a security blanket so if Brady goes down again, their entire season doesn’t go down the drain because they don’t have an experienced backup.

Tagging Cassel buys the Pats one year to figure out what they want to do long-term.

According to Tom Curran of NBC Sports, Tom Brady could start the 2009 NFL Season on the Pats’ PUP list.

But the timing just doesn’t work for the Patriots to allow Cassel to leave. Even though Brady went the aggressive route by having his reconstructive surgery relatively early (many doctors recommend waiting for the MCL to heal on its own before going in to repair the ACL), the infection that began near the repaired MCL required six weeks of antibiotics and irrigation. The significant scar tissue that built up during that period still had not been removed as of last week, leaving Brady with limited range of motion. Until the scar tissue comes out (and a two-to-three week period of recovery from that process is observed) and range of motion improves, a productive rehab can’t begin. With the start of training camp seven months away and the season opener nine months out, Brady may wind up beginning the 2009 season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Players placed on that list are eligible to begin playing in Week 6.

There’s really no decision to be made – the Patriots have to pony up and tag Cassel. If they don’t, they could wind up forcing Brady (or Tom could force himself) back onto the field too soon and then disaster could strike again. But if they tag and pay Cassel, the team can go into next season with more security at quarterback.

The Pats’ decision on what to do with Tom Brady won’t be made over the next few months. The decision will be made over the course of the next year. If Brady is placed on the PUP list, the team can watch Cassel play for another six weeks. If he progresses, then maybe it’s time to move into the Cassel era. If he digresses or is sub par, then Brady can step him – fully healthy – and resume his starting quarterback duties.

I think both quarterbacks will be on New England’s roster next season. And this is exactly why the Pats never spend big on free agents – so that they have the cap room when they need it (i.e. like right now).

The New England Patriots have quite the decision to make regarding quarterback Matt Cassel, who becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. They could allow the young signal caller to walk, franchise tag him and keep him, franchise tag him and trade him or re-sign him and ship multiple Super Bowl winner Tom Brady elsewhere. (The last option I discussed in more detail a couple weeks ago.)

NationalFootballPost.com writer Mike Lombardi recently provided some insight on which way the Pats are leaning:

NationalFootballPost.com writer Mike Lombardi, speaking on Inside the NFL, said the Patriots will place the franchise tag on Matt Cassel.

“The Patriots are way too smart, and I’ve talked to people in the organization,” Lombardi said. The former Raiders GM worked under Bill Belichick in Cleveland. While this may just be informed speculation, it’s the likely move. Cassel is a huge asset and the Patriots can either work out a short-term contract or trade him after using the tag.

I agree with Rotoworld.com – the Patriots will likely tag Cassel and then figure out what their next move is. Maybe the team will know more about Brady’s recovery and whether or not he’s going to be ready next season. If Brady continues to recover slowly (which seems to be the current notion), than maybe the Pats will eventually make Cassel their long-term answer and deal Brady in the offseason.

This will be one the best storylines this offseason.

The majority of people who read the title of this post probably uttered one of two things to themselves:

1) “What? Stop trying to stir the pot by throwing crap against the wall in efforts to see if it sticks. Moron…�

OR…

2) “You don’t part ways with a three-time Super Bowl champion just because Matt Cassel has had one decent season. Moron…�

For those of you that fit into one of the above categories, I don’t blame you for having those thoughts – or calling me a moron. But just take a moment and think about the situation for a second, because the idea isn’t that far-fetched.

There currently is no timetable set for Brady’s return after having season-ending knee surgery earlier this year. He might not even be ready to play at the start of next season, which leaves the Patriots in a tough predicament. Do they allow Cassel to leave via free agency next offseason and risk going into 2009 with hopes Brady is ready to play? Or do they allow Cassel to walk, sign a veteran who’ll play for the minimum and hold Brady’s spot until he’s ready to start again?

Or do they sign a much younger (and now experienced) Matt Cassel, trade Brady for multiple draft picks (which could be used to get younger on defense) and head into a new era with a new quarterback? Brady is 32 and while guys like Kurt Warner and Jeff Garcia have proven that quarterbacks can still be highly efficient past their 35th birthday, there’s no guarantee that Tom will ever be as effective as he was before the knee surgery.

Whether the Patriots or their fan base want to admit it, the team faces major questions this offseason. And while it might be ludicrous to think about parting ways with a Super Bowl MVP quarterback, Cassel has proven that he can step into Bill Belichick’s offensive system and succeed.

Comment fodder: You’re in charge of the Patriots next offseason. Do you allow Cassel to walk and remain loyal to the man that got you multiple titles this decade? Or in the wake of Brady’s season-ending injury, would you start preparing for the future with Cassel?