Mike Florio: Patriots may trade up for A.J. McCarron
With rumors swirling that he is firmly on the trading block, it seems clear the Patriots are ready to move on from Ryan Mallett. And according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, they may be looking to find his replacement (and potentially Tom Brady's down the road) in tonight's draft.
According to Florio, the primary target is A.J. McCarron, who of course spent his college career playing for well known Belichick buddy, Nick Saban. The report states that the Patriots may even be willing to trade up in the round, very un-Bill like, to have a shot at selecting McCarron:
McCarron's name has been tied to the team a number of times in the months leading up to the draft. First was in February when he likened himself to Tom Brady. Potential interest between the player and team became more realistic when McCarron worked out for the team around a month ago.
There has been steady buzz around the team taking a quarterback in this draft, generated largely by visits to Gillette by the big names (Manziel, Bortles, Bridgewater) who have since been selected. There were also reports the Pats were extremely high on Pittsburgh QB Tom Savage, who remains on the board along with other interesting prospects at the position such as Derek Carr, Jimmy Garropolo, and Zach Mettenberger.
Given the seemingly substantive rumors that the team is ready to ship Mallett out of town gives further validation to the thinking that the team is looking to select a quarterback. The well-documented Saban/Belichick connection makes McCarron the most intriguing name to keep an eye on tonight.
What do you guys think? If the Patriots pull the trigger on a QB, who would you most like to see them choose? Vote in the poll below and let us know on Twitter at @PatriotsLife or @LiamPCunningham.
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According to Florio, the primary target is A.J. McCarron, who of course spent his college career playing for well known Belichick buddy, Nick Saban. The report states that the Patriots may even be willing to trade up in the round, very un-Bill like, to have a shot at selecting McCarron:
The Texans, who regained control of the board after the Vikings leapfrogged them for Teddy Bridgewater, will presumably take a quarterback — unless they trade for Ryan Mallett or Kirk Cousins.
Other hot spots for McCarron will be the Raiders at 36, the Titans at 42, the Cardinals at 52, the Bengals at 55, and the Patriots at 62.
Speaking of the Patriots, rumors have begun to emerge that the franchise notorious for trading down may actually trade up in the round for a shot at McCarron. Such a move would virtually guarantee that Mallett, a third-round pick in 2011 who is entering the final year of his contract, would be traded elsewhere.
McCarron's name has been tied to the team a number of times in the months leading up to the draft. First was in February when he likened himself to Tom Brady. Potential interest between the player and team became more realistic when McCarron worked out for the team around a month ago.
There has been steady buzz around the team taking a quarterback in this draft, generated largely by visits to Gillette by the big names (Manziel, Bortles, Bridgewater) who have since been selected. There were also reports the Pats were extremely high on Pittsburgh QB Tom Savage, who remains on the board along with other interesting prospects at the position such as Derek Carr, Jimmy Garropolo, and Zach Mettenberger.
Given the seemingly substantive rumors that the team is ready to ship Mallett out of town gives further validation to the thinking that the team is looking to select a quarterback. The well-documented Saban/Belichick connection makes McCarron the most intriguing name to keep an eye on tonight.
What do you guys think? If the Patriots pull the trigger on a QB, who would you most like to see them choose? Vote in the poll below and let us know on Twitter at @PatriotsLife or @LiamPCunningham.
