Unless you've been living under a rock, then you know Jay Cutler was traded to the Chicago Bears this offseason. The unfolding drama kept my eyes glued to the screen as we waited and waited for the Broncos "franchise quarterback" to be scooted out of town.
What started it all was a report linking Josh McDaniels to Matt Cassel. Per the report, the Broncos inquired about Cassel's services, then with the Patriots, and as the story goes he planned to ship Cutler out of town. Amidst the newscasts and blog postings, Cassel says he wasn't involved in any alleged talks.
"It was crazy, because I was watching ESPN like you were and saying ‘How the heck did my name get thrown in here?’" Cassel told reporters via teleconference today.
The story got some legs pretty quickly because of the strong link between McDaniels (mentor) and Cassel (pupil). The Patriots quarterbacks coach helped Cassel blossom into a player worthy of a second round pick and a top 15 NFL quarterback contract.
According to Cassel, none of those things would have come without McDaniels.
"He’s had a major influence on my career," Cassel said. "He really helped me grow up as a quarterback in this league. I give a lot of credit to me being in this position because of him."
McDaniels told reporters today that Cassel's experience will only help him as the year goes on, but the coach didn't get into many specifics other than to say he's a true leader and uses his mobility to the fullest.
"I can’t speak on last year to this year," the Broncos coach said. "He’s at a different team with a lot of changes around him. I think he’s doing a nice job with the team, and they’re continuing to get better."