EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. Ron Jaworski Eagles Jersey . -- Matt Cassel has seen a lot in 10 years in the NFL, including by his count seven different offensive co-ordinators in his last six seasons in the league. So when Cassel re-signed with the Minnesota Vikings in the off-season and started to digest Norv Turners new system, he knew hed have to work harder and study longer than he ever had before to win the starting job. Mission accomplished. Cassel was named the starting quarterback over first-round draft pick Teddy Bridgewater on Monday for the regular season opener against the St. Louis Rams, an achievement that resonated with a player who has evolved from no-name rookie to backup sensation to embattled starter and then to a journeyman veteran scratching and clawing to get another shot. "Ive been through a lot in my career," Cassel said. "Ive been through the ups, Ive been through the downs. Ive been through the highs and the lows. At this point nothing really surprises me in my career. Because of those (experiences), it callouses you to a few different situations that as a younger player I might not have taken it as well." One of those situations happened last year in Minnesota, when Cassel outplayed Christian Ponder and Josh Freeman during the season, but wound up starting only six games during a miserable 5-10-1 season. The Vikings fired coach Leslie Frazier and the rest of the staff after the season, hired Mike Zimmer and Turner to turn things around and brought Cassel back to bring some stability to the position. Cassel has been sharp while starting all three preseason games. He has completed more than 66 per cent of his passes for 367 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. "Matt did not do anything to lose the job this preseason," Zimmer said. "I think hes played great. The team has a lot of confidence in him. They feel good about his veteran leadership and presence." The Vikings traded back into the first round on draft night to get Bridgewater with the 32nd pick and have pegged him as the long-term answer for the teams unsettled quarterback spot. After an understandably up-and-down preseason opener, Bridgewater has played well in the last two games. In all three games, Bridgewater is 26 of 40 for 266 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions while getting most of his action with the backups and has impressed with his unflappable demeanour and low-key presence. "I told Teddy this morning that Im so happy hes here with us," Zimmer said. "Im glad hes the guy we picked. Ive loved everything that hes done. It wasnt anything that Teddy did or didnt do. Teddy will be, still in my estimation, a great player for this franchise for years to come." Bridgewater took the news in stride, saying he was looking forward to learning from Cassel, continuing to refine his understanding of the offence while staying ready if hes needed at any point this season. "When camp first started, I just wanted to learn as much as I could and try to get better each and every day, try not to make the same mistakes twice," Bridgewater said. "So I take my hat off to Matt. Hes been playing great this preseason. Im just going to continue to learn under him." In his first season as a head coach, Zimmer was asked if Cassel was his starter for the entire season or if there was a chance for Bridgewater to see time at some point in his rookie year. "We will hold the quarterback position to the exact same expectations as we do every other position. If you perform, you play. If you dont perform, then the next guy will get an opportunity at some point. And when we decide to do that, we sit down and discuss it. "That position, just like the outside linebacker spot, we have an expectation of performance and as long as those guys perform, they play." Notes: The Vikings announced their first round of cuts on Monday. Safety Mistral Raymond was waived/injured with a leg injury after three seasons with the team. The other cuts were: CBs Derek Cox and Robert Steeples, WRs Andy Cruse, Kamar Jordan, Ty Walker and Erik Lora, tackles Pierce Burton and Kevin Murphy, DLs Kheeston Randall, Tyler Scott and Jake Snyder, TE Kory Sperry and S Brandan Bishop. ... TE Chase Ford was activated from the physically unable to perform list. Shareef Miller Youth Jersey . Paire broke Giraldo twice and lost his serve once in both sets to wrap up the win in 1 hour, 10 minutes. He will next face Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain, who advanced when Jurgen Zopp of Estonia retired with an injury at 5-5 in the first set. Nick Foles Jersey .Y. - Lou Williams scored 21 points and the Toronto Raptors beat New York 81-76 on Monday night in the Knicks preseason home opener. http://www.theeaglesshoponline.com/Youth-miles-sanders-eagles-jersey/ . Now, he might be their hottest pitcher. Lobstein earned up his first major league victory Sunday night, allowing one run in 5 2-3 innings in the Tigers 6-1 win over the San Francisco Giants. TORONTO -- LeBron James going home to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers led to speculation about whether a star NHL player might do the same in the near future. Naturally, Steven Stamkos was at the centre of that speculation. The Tampa Bay Lightning captain and Markham, Ont., native could be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2016, and the allure of playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs could be there. "Well see what happens. Its a couple years away," Stamkos said Wednesday. "Right now Im focused on what I have to do to win in Tampa, and I think weve really established ourselves as a team that can compete in upcoming years. "For me, thats the important thing is getting a chance to win. It looks like were going to have that chance for a couple years." At the age of 24, Stamkos is one of the most marketable stars in the NHL. He has topped 50 goals in a season twice already and only missed out on representing Canada at the Sochi Olympics because of a broken leg. Stamkos made a run with the Lightning to the Eastern Conference final in 2011, and Tampa Bay was swept by the Montreal Canadiens in this years playoffs. The Stanley Cup is his priority now, something he can legitimately think about with general manager Steve Yzerman piecing together one of the best young teams in the league. "We have a good thing going down in Tampa," Stamkos said at a Coca-Cola ball-hockey promotional event. "We have a great owner, we got a great GM in Steve Yzerman and we got a good young team. I want to win, and hopefully I can do it in Tampa." Stamkos said with the additions of centre Brian Boyle and defenceman Anton Stralman and the re-signing of winger Ryan Callahan, the Lightning are probably better on paper than they were at the end of last season. "We didnt have the finish we wanted to last year, but with the new faces coming in, the expectations are probably set a little higgher," he said. Jerome Brown Youth Jersey. Stamkos said chatter about joining the Leafs in two years was "absolutely not" a distraction for him in Tampa, where hell begin his first full season as captain this fall. "I try not to focus about that stuff," he said. "I think thats the great thing about playing in Tampa is hockey isnt the mecca that it is here in Toronto and you can kind of go about your life and kind of get away from the game when you need to." That said, Stamkos added that he loves playing in good hockey markets, including Toronto. "Im from around here and grew up cheering for the Leafs, so any time I get a chance to come back here I enjoy it, and any time I get a chance to play against the Leafs its fun," he said. "Its also fun beating them, too, because a lot of my friends are still Leaf fans." Stamkos is set to make US$13.5 million over the next two seasons. What could be in his not-too-distant future is a contract like the ones Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane signed with the Chicago Blackhawks: $84 million over eight years. "The business part of the game, its growing," Stamkos said. "Obviously the games in good shape, and when that happens the caps going to grow and players are going to get paid more money. Those guys deserve it: Theyre great players in this league, theyve won championships. "Thats the goal for me is to win a championship. You let your play take care of itself on the ice and when its time to re-sign or sign a contract, you back it up with your play." When James left the Miami Heat for the Cavaliers earlier this month, the chance to return to his native Ohio was cited as a prominent reason. James won two NBA titles during his time with the Heat. "He won his championships, he said he always wanted to come home and play, thats where it started," Stamkos said. "Good for him for making that decision." ' ' '