Two things seem to have been definitively reported at this point:

The Broncos offered the number 12 pick in the draft for Matt Cassel.  

The Bucs offered to send the number 19 pick as well as their own third round selection to the Broncos, with Cassel going to Denver, and Jay Cutler coming to the Buccaneers.  

The cockamamie excuse being used right now as to the reason why the Pats didn’t accept that offer as opposed to the Chiefs offer of the 34th selection in the draft is a weak one.   There saying that the negotiations between the Pats and Chiefs were too far along.  

Let me get this straight, a negotiation had progressed to far (mind you, it was not finished or faxed into the league) that you would turn down another offer that was significantly better.  I don’t buy it.  

I’m certainly no rumor monger, not really my style of writing on this site, but it would seem to me to either be an issue with Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichek, or just an outright heterosexual love affair between Bill Belichek and Scott Pioli.   I see no other reasoning as to why you could turn down an offer that a chimpanzee would know was better.  

There is much more to this story, that I’m sure of.

I know Bucs fans are going to get all riled up and start bashing the Kellen Winslow trade because of what the Chiefs were able to net with their 2nd round pick, but I think it is important to keep a few things in mind here before going apeshit.  The Chiefs pick is 16 picks higher than our pick in the 2nd round which can be a huge difference in player ability.  The real thing to keep in mind here is the fact that under no circumstances, would the Pats have made that move with any other team.  Yes, they needed to clear Cassel’s 14.5 mil off the books in order to resign their own impending 2010 FA’s (some good ones), but they could have still afforded to keep both players this season.  The main reason behind the move was the friendship that Scott Pioli and Belichek forged as partners in building a dynasty.  You can also tell the respect that Bill has for Cassel and while everyone might think this not possible from a man with no heart, but Bill wanted to see Cassel get a chance to shine.  

“It is very easy to root for guys like Matt Cassel, who do everything the right way and flourish as a result,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said in a statement. “As much as we would have loved to continue working with Matt, we wish him nothing but the best as he takes this next step forward in his career.”

Should be a lessen to the Eric Manginas of the world.  If your not a total doucher, maybe things have a way of working themselves out for the best.