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Matt Cassel trade: Dallas Cowboys get QB from Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills have traded Matt Cassel to the Dallas Cowboys. EJ Manuel just got a promotion.

Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Matt Warren is Associate Director of NFL coverage for SB Nation and previously covered the Bills for Buffalo Rumblings for more than a decade.

Tony Romo was injured in Week 2, and the Dallas Cowboys have moved quickly to shore up their quarterback position by trading for Buffalo Bills backup quarterback Matt Cassel. This cements Tyrod Taylor as the Bills' unquestioned starter and gives former first-round pick EJ Manuel a promotion.

Reports vary for the compensation; the most-frequently reported compensation is Dallas sending fifth- and seventh-round picks in 2017 for Cassel and a 2017 seventh-rounder. The Bills clear some cap space, so that's a plus, but lost the veteran backup they could very well need coming down the stretch of a playoff run.

After releasing and re-signing Cassel prior to Week 1, he was the nominal starter on opening day, when he took the first snap of the season at quarterback and promptly returned to the bench. He showed irritation during the preseason for a lack of playing time, but still beat out Manuel for the backup quarterback job.

The Bills' quarterback depth chart now has only two names on it, so it's likely they will add someone to the 53-man roster (Matt Simms is on Atlanta's practice squad, for the record), or to the practice squad.