Paging Matt Cassel: Patriots Find Themselves in Need of Backup QB

A week ago, the Patriots had four quarterbacks on their roster -- Tom Brady found himself backed by Kevin O'Connell, Andrew Walter and rookie Brian Hoyer.

But then the Patriots cut ties with O'Connell and did the same with Walter on Friday -- leaving just Brady and Hoyer on the current depth chart. One need look no further than the 2008 Patriots season to know that a reliable backup quarterback is needed in the NFL. And no offense to Hoyer, who was 18 for 25 in the Patriots' final preseason game while taking every snap, but it's doubtful New England would feel too confident turning to him should the unthinkable happen to Brady again.

So New England's got to figure out a move here soon -- had Matt Cassel not cost a $14 million franchise tag, he would've been brought back in the blink of an eye, but the salary cap made that impossible.

The rumor that seems to be gaining steam is one that would see Philadelphia trading QB A.J. Feeley to New England for either a draft pick or third-string tight end Alex Smith. This one makes sense for a few reasons, mainly that Feeley's a veteran who's made spot starts in the past, and the Eagles are overloaded at quarterback with Michael Vick around.

Beyond that, New England would be looking at finding a free agent or a castoff from this week's cuts. San Francisco will release Damon Huard on Saturday, so he's an option, as are Cleo Lemon and UFL signee J.P. Losman. There's also a random mix of vets on the free-agent market: Brian Griese, Gus Frerotte, Brad Johnson to name a few. The Patriots won't find any sensational pickups in that group, but any of them would be capable of guiding the team if Brady fell.

Of course, just because logic suggests that New England needs a third QB, that doesn't mean Bill Belichick will feel the same. He could gamble on Brady's health and Hoyer's readiness -- after all, no one could have envisioned Cassel stepping in and doing what he did in 2008, so it's not impossible that Hoyer could be adequate in a pinch.