Matt Cassel NFL Trade History

Minnesota acquired veteran linebacker Sam Cowart from the Jets on March 18, 2005, for a seventh-round pick, No. 230. Cowart started 14 of 15 games for the Vikings that season and provided immediate lineup stability. New York later moved the pick through subsequent transactions, and New England eventually used No. 230 on Matt Cassel. Minnesota's direct one-year return gives it the edge.

Tennessee sent defensive end Carlos Hall to Kansas City on April 6, 2005 and received the Chiefs' fifth-round pick, No. 150 overall. Tennessee used that selection on offensive lineman Daniel Loper. Hall gave Kansas City one season of rotational work, while Loper remained with the Titans for four seasons, giving Tennessee the more durable return.

Oakland sent Doug Jolley plus three 2005 selections to the Jets and received Nos. 26 and 230. The Raiders quickly recycled both picks: No. 26 became part of the move up for Fabian Washington, while No. 230 was later packaged to New England. The return was mostly flexibility rather than a lasting player, but Oakland escaped an expensive tight-end commitment and controlled valuable draft capital.

Oakland used No. 175 on Anttaj Hawthorne, but the selection produced little meaningful Raiders value. Hawthorne did not become a substantial long-term contributor, leaving Oakland with a weak realized return from the exchange. Against New England's later starting-quarterback payoff and additional offensive-line service, the Raiders' side falls well short and warrants a poor hindsight grade.

Kansas City acquired Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel from New England for the 34th pick in the 2009 draft. Cassel became a Pro Bowler while leading the 2010 Chiefs to an AFC West title, and Vrabel supplied two seasons of veteran leadership. New England used No. 34 on Patrick Chung, who became a long-term defensive starter and three-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots, giving New England the stronger lasting return.

Minnesota sent Matt Cassel and a 2015 sixth-round pick to Buffalo for a 2015 fifth and a 2016 seventh. The key was what the Vikings did next: they flipped the fifth-rounder, No. 137, to Atlanta for Nos. 146 and 185, selecting Stefon Diggs and Tyrus Thompson. Cassel barely figured into Buffalo's season, while the pick chain helped Minnesota land a franchise-changing receiver.

Buffalo traded quarterback Matt Cassel and a 2017 seventh-round pick to Dallas on September 22, 2015 for a 2017 fifth-round pick. The Bills eventually used No. 171 on Nathan Peterman, while Dallas later used No. 228 on Joey Ivie. Cassel provided short-term quarterback depth for the Cowboys, but neither team's draft outcome became a durable success. The realized value on both sides remained modest.