Ryan Mallett: Houston Texans QB a bargain or bust?

There are only a few experiences in life that are more exciting than going to a casino at night time to play the machines. The atmosphere is one of a kind. All around at any given moment a person can watch people suffer the agony of defeat, or the live vicariously through their joy of winning.

This year, the Houston Texans are attempting to win with their gamble. Before the NFL season kicked off, the Texans took a risk when they traded for the New England Patriots second string quarterback Ryan Mallett.

The Houston Texans are attempting to recreate gambling logic.

By only giving up a seventh round draft pick, they lose very little to obtain Mallett. In essence the Texans are attempting to get rich playing the penny slots. Just as many gamblers often ask themselves….

Is the risk worth the reward?

In this case, absolutely yes.

Since the Texans only lose a seventh round pick, they get a substantial upgrade from their recent quarterback woes. Mallett has incredible potential, and could have an awesome year playing with this talented roster (more on that later).

The best case scenario is that Mallett becomes a Pro Bowl signal caller and the franchise quarterback that the Texans have longed for.

At just 26 years old, Mallett is talented and young enough to play quarterback potentially for the next seven to nine years in Houston.

More importantly, Mallett has the arm strength to make throws on the field that some NFL quarterbacks never could. Mallett is similar to some of the other cannon arm quarterbacks in the NFL. His arm strength is the strongest part of his game and is one of the reasons why the Patriots drafted him in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Even with his third round draft status, it was a surprise to see him taken so late because watching the games from his collegiate days at Arkansas we could see flashes of greatness. In his last year playing for the Arkansas Razorbacks inside of the gauntlet known as the Southeastern Conference, Mallett threw for almost 4,000 yards and 32 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions.

A talent like this will reap the benefits of playing for the Texans. One of the main reasons why Mallett will succeed in Houston is because of the weapons on his team.

Weapons of Mass Destruction?

The Houston Texans roster has a lot of talent. Last season the Texans finished 2-14 because of an awful draw of luck. Their beloved quarterback Matt Schaub played terrible, the injury bug bit them and the team lost 14 straight games.

Hope was lost.

Before Ryan Mallett, the Houston Texans were already a team that boasts an established roster of great players on their roster.

Duane Brown, Andre Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins, Arian Foster, J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, Brian Cushing and D.J. Swearinger are just some of the talent that this roster holds.

Now with Mallett, there is an optimistic sense of prosperity that will emerge from the Texans franchise.

When Mallett drops back he will have one of the most legendary wide receivers that has ever played in the NFL in Johnson. Earlier this year Johnson wanted a trade, but now he will have joy playing with a quarterback who will look for him early and often.

On the other side of the field, Mallett will have Hopkins to throw to.

The second year wide receiver Hopkins is primed for a breakout year.

The 53 catches that Hopkins had in his rookie season will drastically improve with a quarterback under center who understands how to make the proper throws against each defensive scheme.

A big part of that is because of his coaching staff.

“Thank You Coach.”

One of the biggest reasons why this can work is because Mallett is entering into a system where the coaching staff believes in him.

This gamble will pay off because Texans head coach Bill O’Brien coached Mallett during his rookie year. Another reason Mallett found himself in Houston is because O’Brien wanted him there.

In an interview with ESPN’s Tania Ganguli Coach O’Brien said this in reference to the differences between Mallett then and now:

"“Three years older. I believe he’s a guy that’s worked hard. He understands the pro game better than he did obviously, when he was a rookie. I think he’s worked extremely hard. You can tell on things like being in the weight room, he’s worked on his accuracy and he’s definitely improved in his knowledge of our offense.”"

Coming from New England, Mallett has experience that cannot be taught. Sitting behind a Hall of Fame player for a few years can pay dividends for a career (just ask Aaron Rodgers).

Now the quarterback with the nickname “Big Tex” comes back to the home state where he played high school football. Now maybe finally someone can say they got rich from playing penny slots.