O'HARA: Cassel adept at learning on the fly

The welcome mat has been out for a long time for Matt Cassel from teams looking for a tried and tested quarterback, and there was another one that brought him to Detroit.

The Lions are his seventh stop in what has been a rewarding tour of the NFL. It started in 2005 as a seventh-round draft pick by New England and moved on before this year with stops in Kansas City, Minnesota, Buffalo, Dallas and Tennessee.

The Lions signed him as a free agent on April 9, one month after he was released by the Titans.

Cassel’s experiences and ability to adjust to different offenses and coaching styles gives him value in his competition with Jake Rudock to be Matthew Stafford’s backup. Cassel’s familiarity with…