The Chiefs Have a QB: Matt Cassel

If Patriots fans questioned the Mike Vrabel gift trade to Kansas City on Friday, I imagine the news that New England has traded Matt Cassel to the Chiefs will light up the WEEI phones this weekend. That's right: Scott Pioli has worked out another huge deal with his old team, yanking a new, expensive starting quarterback to replace Tyler Thigpen.

No word on the return package yet; Mike Florio guesses the Chiefs' top pick (No. 3 overall) is involved. (See bottom of post for update.) The focus will be, though, on the Pioli-Bill Belichick connection, and how the former has been able to quickly add two major pieces thanks to the perceived largess of the later.

This type of familial back-scratching isn't new nor exclusive to football: the Spurs and old employee Sam Presti of Oklahoma City have worked out a few mutually beneficial deals, at least one of which involved Presti passing up a better asset to help out his old employers. It's the opposite in this case, with the old employers apparently helping out the kid hanging his own shingle. So long as Tom Brady breathes, Cassel is more important to K.C. than New England.

Speaking of Brady ... I'm guessing the Patriots think he'll be perfectly healthy? Correct or not, the franchise tag placed on Cassel three weeks ago gave the impression Belichick wasn't sure about Brady's knee. Trading Cassel within the conference early in free agency, though, would imply the Dreamboat will sail at full throttle again.

UPDATE: Florio reports K.C. got Cassel and Vrabel for a second-round pick. I think we know who wears the pants in the Pioli-Belichick relationship.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.