BREAKING: Ryan Mallett traded to Texans
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| USATSI |
Sixth-round pick (as @taniaganguli said) going back to New England not a bad price for Mallett. Texans could recoup it, in a '16 comp pick.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 31, 2014
It also looks as if the Texans weren't the only teams talking to the Pats about Mallet, as the Bill and Cowboys also looked to be involved.
The Patriots had trade discussions with the Texans, Cowboys and Bills, per source.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) August 31, 2014
This isn't a shocking move by any means. The Texans are thin at quarterback, and this could be the opportunity Mallet needs to show what he has. He had been in the shadows of Tom Brady for his entire career and very rarely saw the field.
Mallet's future with the Patriots truly seemed to come full circle earlier this week when Bill Belichick announced that he was going to start rookie QB Jimmy Garoppolo in Thursday night's pre-season finale against the New York Giants.
Drafted in the third round of the 2011 draft by New England, Mallet saw minimal action in four regular season games in 2012, going 1 for 4 for 17 yards. One would assume by virtue of those numbers, a few very up and down pre-seasons, Brady still being here and Garoppolo's strong showing, this was an easy choice for Belichick to make.
The return seems minimal, but need we remind you that Brady was a sixth round pick? Yeah, didn't think so.
Mallet had a decent collegiate career at Arkansas and was a well-known player when the Patriots drafted him, although back then it seemed like somewhat of a head-scratcher. The drafting of Garoppolo makes a good deal of sense now given Brady's age and Mallet's inability to show he has what it takes to take the reigns once Brady is gone.
Mallet is also 26, so the time for him to show what he can do is starting to run out. It remains to be seen whether or not Mallet will be the starter in Houston, but by all accounts, this trade would signify that that is a strong possibility.
One thing that does seem a bit strange about this trade, was what Belichick said yesterday about keeping three quarterbacks on the roster.
Per The Boston Globe:
“Was it a hard decision? No, I wouldn’t say so. Fortunately, we have three good players at that position, three players we have a lot of confidence in. I’m sure there are some teams in the league that don’t have that feeling about that position. They may not have one, I don’t know. I’ve been in that position before and it’s not a good place to be. We’re fortunate we have three good players there. It’s a good situation,” he said on a conference call with reporters.
We wish Mallet well with the Texans.
In another move, the Patriots also claimed DT Kelcy Quarles off waivers from the Giants.
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