This is probably a ridiculous position, and I don’t really think I believe in it, but as I was watching Matt Cassel look like a superstar as he tore Arizona to pieces, I couldn’t help but think that maybe New England’s QB situation isn’t as straigh forward as it seems. Maybe they should do the unthinkable and trade away Tom Brady. As a Michigan fan, I can’t believe that I am even thinking that. Still, here are five reasons why this ridiculous suggestion could make some sense:

Questions about Brady’s knee – Name a player who was better coming back from major knee surgery. I didn’t think so – I couldn’t name one either. There is no guarantee that Brady will be the same Brady we know and love when he comes back. Cassel is younger and he’s healthy.

Cassel is way cheaper – He’s going to get rich with a big contract next year, but he’ll still be cheaper than Brady, and the Pats could lock him up longer, too.

Change would lower expectations – The Pats aren’t a young team right now, especially on defense. They could be in for some rough times. The change in quarterbacks would allow the team to operate under lower expectations for a year or two if they have to rebuild and recharge.

Good trade value – Brady would have good trade value. If Cassel goes they will get nothing for him. They are going to lose a solid QB one way or the other, so they might want to maximize value as they do it.

Ability to control where a good player goes – If they trade away Brady they can send him somewhere where he can come back to haunt them as little as possible. Cassel will just go to the highest bidder. Theyhave the opportunity to limit their headaches down the road.