Could the New England Patriots trade Ryan Mallett soon?
Ryan Mallett has proven that he’s better than New England Patriots’ second round draft pick Jimmy Garoppolo. But that doesn’t mean he’s safe on the Patriots roster. The Patriots are shopping Mallett for trades — and perhaps the St. Louis Rams are interested. Whichever team it is, there is enough interest that the Pats will hold Mallett out of the final preseason game.
#Patriots are expected to hold QB Ryan Mallett out of the final preseason game, source says, as opportunities around @NFL become available
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 25, 2014
Until this point, the Patriots had claimed they were not interested in trading Mallet. What’s changed? The St. Louis Rams lost their starting quarterback Sam Bradford to a season ending ACL injury, for example. Neither the Rams nor the Patriots have indicated openly that this trade in the works — or that there’s interest. But it makes a great deal of sense that the two parties might be interested in a trade.
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Mallett has backed up Tom Brady since the Patriots drafted him in the third round of the 2011 draft. His stock slipped due to character concerns, but with the Patriots, he has exhibited strong character. All the measureables that made him a desirable quarterback are still there. Mallett has an absolute rocket arm. Though he is 6-foot-6, 245 pounds, Mallett has proved he’s not the statue and can evade the rush — a quality he was criticized for at Arkansas.
Mallett has never started an NFL game. His time, however, may be coming soon. He could soon follow in the footsteps of former Brady backups Brian Hoyer and Matt Cassel.