Houston Texans interested in Ryan Mallett
New England Patriots quarterback Ryan Mallett (15) takes the field before a game against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
New England Patriots backup quarterback Ryan Mallett was the subject of trade rumors last offseason, as a few teams were reportedly interested in acquiring the former Arkansas star. The Patriots, however, are high on Mallett, and they rejected all offers. It was reported last offseason that it would take a second-round pick for the Pats to part ways with him, but word on the street is that the Patriots turned down two trade offers last season for Mallett that would have netted them a second-round pick.
The trade rumors regarding Mallett are back this offseason, and they will be just as interesting as the rumors last year. At this point in time, the 25-year-old is in a contract year, so the Patriots could be inclined to trade him before he leaves next year. The Patriots would have to find a new QB to groom, but they should be fine on that front (draft a QB if they like a developmental prospect in this year’s class, sign a veteran). Mallett has great tools and certainly benefited from learning from Tom Brady and the Patriots, and that makes him an appealing trade target. He’s caught in no man’s land, though, since Brady isn’t going to retire for several more years, so the Pats might have to trade him no matter how much they like him as a backup.
MassLive.com’s Nick Underhill reports that the Houston Texans have shown interest in trading for Mallett, but the league source that informed Underhill of the news also stated that the interest should be classified as “talk”.
Still, this “talk” is interesting, and the Bill O’Brien link is a strong one. If the Texans do decide to go after Mallett, then they would have to trade the 33rd overall pick in the draft. This would, of course, allow them to take Jadeveon Clowney (or even trade down) with the first overall pick.