NFL Rumors: Patriots want a first rounder for Ryan Mallett

The hype machine was working overtime during the opening week of training camp in New England as Patriots quarterback Ryan Mallett was reportedly having a standout camp that legitimized the though that he could be a starting quarterback in the NFL.

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Mallett is scheduled to hit free agency at the end of this season and the Patriots spend a second round pick on former Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in the 2014 NFL Draft with the expectation that he would be the backup to Tom Brady and perhaps even his successor when he retires.

With Mallett scheduled to hit free agency and his future cloudy at best in New England, he has been the subject of trade rumors dating back to the offseason when there were whispers the Houston Texans were interested in the former Arkansas signal-caller.

However, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston who was on Sports Talk with Bo Mattingly on Friday afternoon, the Patriots have no intentions of trading Mallet, unless they can get a first round pick.

Reiss: The Pats figure after this year, Mallett will want to go elsewhere. If a team came up w/a 1st-rd pick for him, they’d trade him.
— Bo Mattingly (@SportandStoryBo) August 8, 2014

That is an awful high price to pay for a quarterback with next to little regular season experience, but it shows you that lack of willingness the Patriots have in dealing him this season.

Should Brady suffer an injury, Mallett would be a serviceable caretaker for a Super Bowl-made roster much more than Garoppolo so his insurance policy is worth more than any mid-round pick they may be able to acquire.

Plus, if Mallett signs elsewhere this offseason, the Patriots will receive a compensatory pick anyway, so they won’t be losing him for nothing.

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Ryan Mallett rumors: Patriots want a first round pick for QB

By Patrick Schmidt | Aug 8, 2014