Cassel knows position Jimmy G’s in
Matt Cassel knows a thing or two about replacing a legend.
The former Patriots quarterback, now with the Tennessee Titans, took over when Tom Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2008. Cassel guided the Patriots to an 11-5 record, and thinks Jimmy Garoppolo will be just fine in his four-game stint to start the 2016 season.
“I don’t know if I’d give him any advice, as much as I’d tell him to go and take advantage of an opportunity,” said Cassel yesterday before taking the Titans conditioning run. “He’s going into year three, so he’s been there. He knows the system. I’m sure they have a lot of confidence in him, otherwise he wouldn’t be there. And they have a great coaching staff who will have him well prepared. They’ll have a game plan ready for what he does well. I’m sure he’ll have a lot of confidence going into those games. He’s a talented kid. I’ve seen him play. I’m sure he’ll do a fantastic job.”
Unlike Garoppolo, who has a full training camp to prepare, Cassel was thrust into service after Brady tore up his left knee in the season opener. Cassel described the transition as a process, with the coaching staff gradually working him into the offense Brady manned with Randy Moss and Wes Welker.
There were subtle changes, and he expects they’ll do the same for Garoppolo.
“The offense definitely evolved as we went on, and the coaches started to have more confidence in my ability to manage and handle the offense. I was there for four years, but didn’t have a tremendous amount of playing time,” Cassel said. “It was one of those things they had to feel out those first few weeks with Tom being gone. And as we started to move forward, we got more comfortable opening up the entire offense. They thought I could handle more and I felt more confident as we moved forward. I think the coaches did a great job and it started to become the Patriots offense that we were used to seeing the entire time we were there.”
Cassel said Garoppolo needs to gain the trust of veterans like Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski.
“I had relationships with everybody, but at the same time, I still had to earn their trust, earn their respect,” he said. “You have to be out there competing, especially as a quarterback, you can understand the offense, you can call the plays in the huddle, you can get in and out of the huddle, and do all those little intangible things people don’t talk about. It’s not just playing the game, but it’s giving guys confidence as you break the huddle going to the line of scrimmage. I think that takes time. The only way you earn that, is going out there and performing.”
Remembering 2008, Cassel praised Bill Belichick and the staff, a great support system of veteran players and, naturally, Brady.
“Tom was an ear any time I needed it,” Cassel said. “He was a guy I could call at any moment, and he was the first guy to wish me luck before a game, and the first guy to call me after a game and give me encouragement. So all those things were huge for me.”
And Cassel doesn’t like that his friend Brady has to sit those four games over Deflategate.
“No, I’m not a big fan of (the punishment) at all. I think it’s a tough situation. I played with Tom. I have the utmost respect for him as a person and also I know Tommy really well. He’s a honest guy. He’s done everything right.
“Unfortunately, this situation came about, and it turned out to be what it is. But at the same time, I don’t necessarily agree with it.”