To the surprise of no one the New England Patriots placed the franchise tag on quarterback Matt Cassel as an insurance policy to the returning Tom Brady for the 2009 season. The possibility still exists that Cassel could be traded or signed by another team but they would have to fork over two first round draft picks in return.

Should Cassel remain a Patriot, he’ll earn $14.65 million next season, which is the average of the five highest paid quarterbacks in the league. It’s a risky move to a degree, but one that New England needs to make.