Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Well, it didn't take long for the Patriots newfound close relationship with the KC Chiefs to show itself.

A day after trading linebacker Mike Vrabel to Scott Pioli and Kansas City, the NFL Network is reporting the Pats have sent QB Matt Cassel to the Chiefs for a 2nd round draft pick in the 2009 Draft and a conditional draft pick next year.

A lot of folks might be disappointed that a 2nd rounder was the best New England could do for Cassel. There was a lot of speculations about a 1st rounder and maybe even another 3rd rounder or something else thrown in. To be honest, I think they were lucky to get what they got.

I mean, it was only last September when Pats fans were calling for Bill Belichick to cut the career backup after a horrid pre-season. And despite a very good season stepping in for the injured Brady, the salary cap cost of franchising Cassel to maintain his free agency rights gave the Patriots a lot less trade leverage than they normally would have had. If Belichick had held out for a 1st rounder, teams would have still balked at the price and New England would have been hamstrung by that $14+ million cap number. To get a high second round choice PLUS a conditional selection next year is about as good as could reasonable have been expected when you consider this was once thought to be a worthless asset.

The view from here shows a good move by New England. And I also see a sign of confidence in Tom Brady's physical recovery.

So, what do you think of the trade? Now that the Pats have some financial flexibility again, what do you think they should do in free agency? A lot of the big names have already signed, so who should they target? What should they do on draft day? How about the loss of Vrabel? Will his leadership be missed? Does Fred Taylor have anything left in the tank?

(UPDATE: It appears the Cassel trade is part of the Mike Vrabel trade. According to a statement released by the Pats, the trade is Vrabel and Cassel for a 2nd rounder)