Possible Landing Spots for Mallett

[ivanvamp]

I think what people are not quite getting with my Minnesota idea is this:

(1) Percy Harvin will not be back with the Vikings next year. That is almost a certainty.

(2) Therefore, Minnesota has a choice: cut him or try to trade him for something of value.

(3) The trade market for Harvin, because he's in the last year of his contract, and (a) teams won't want to give up much for a one-year rental, or (b) don't have the cap room to give him the kind of extension he probably would want, is thin. There aren't a lot of attractive trading partners for them.

(4) Minnesota has a glaring need at QB, and this is a very weak draft class for QBs. They will probably try to get one through free agency or a trade.

(5) The Patriots not only have a player that could possibly fit the most glaring need the Vikings have (QB), they also have the cap space to accommodate a trade for Harvin.

(6) This, therefore, makes the Patriots and Vikings suitable trading partners. Thus, a deal where the Vikings are able to get something in return for Harvin - something that they sorely need in a QB, *plus* a 3rd round draft pick - makes sense for them, and it makes sense for NE because they can easily just pick up Hoyer or Cassel to back up Brady.

Most trade ideas like this don't end up happening. But the idea does make sense for both teams, if you accept the premises above. If anyone here thinks it's a stupid idea worthy of only the practice squad, then explain which of these premises is incorrect. Do you think Harvin is going to stay with the Vikings? Do they not have a need at QB? Is this not a weak QB class? Wouldn't they prefer to get something of value for Harvin if he's not going to stay? Are there a ton of teams with lots of cap space that could fit Harvin in or not?

We have no idea if Belichick would want to do this deal or if Minnesota would (they might not think much of Mallett at all). But given that we don't know those things, from an outsider's perspective, a deal like this makes a lot of sense.

 

[ivanvamp]

Why trade him for a 3rd round pick? At that price, he is worth more on the Patriots.

Not if the Patriots have a player in the draft that they think will help them more than Mallett would.

 

[IllegalContact]

We went through the same thing with Hoyer. Many fans were confident the Pats could get a high pick for him in a trade simply because he performed ok in his limited game time and that he studied under BB/Brady. Teams weren't exactly tripping over each other a month later when the Pats cut him. IIRC Hoyer is the clipboard holder to the clipboard holder in Pitt(?)

Granted Mallet has a higher upside but most of that is simply because he is an unknown at the pro level.

I wasn't one of them........hoyer was flotsam......it's just the old notion that everything in the pats dumpster is made of gold

mallett has not gotten a chance in the NFL, but he proved as capable as cam newton in the SEC......

 

[ralmat55]

I'm surprised that nobody had mentioned the possibility of Cleveland the team with the most glaring need. (Insert Lombardi Conspiracy)

The dark horse team could be Tampa Bay..Schiano and BB were inseparable at the combine this week. Schiano has gone on record stating his annoyance with Josh Freeman.

Tampa Bay was my thought as well. One way to get proper value for him is to go the conditional pick route. Say you get a 4th rounder in this year's draft plus a pick in next year's draft which is conditional on how he performs in Tampa.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

what team is going to give a high pick for a guy that hasn't shown anything? I do not see Mallet as a better option than any starter in the league right now.

You're saying it's crazy to give up a chance to draft someone who hasn't shown anything at all in the NFL but that may have some decent college tape

in order to acquire someone else who looked at whole lot better in college tape against better competition just two years ago and has in the meantime improved his conditioning and stayed out of trouble (the biggest concern in drafting him in the first place?)

Why?

It's not like they have to dig up a VCR to see Mallett's game tape and compare it to the lousy game tape of (say) Matt Barkley.

Lombardi at least called him the #1 QB in that draft class. Probably a few others agreed. If one of them is a GM somewhere, the idea is not crazy in the least.

 

[Nunchucks]

You're saying it's crazy to give up a chance to draft someone who hasn't shown anything at all in the NFL but that may have some decent college tape

in order to acquire someone else who looked at whole lot better in college tape against better competition just two years ago and has in the meantime improved his conditioning and stayed out of trouble (the biggest concern in drafting him in the first place?)

Why?

It's not like they have to dig up a VCR to see Mallett's game tape and compare it to the lousy game tape of (say) Matt Barkley.

Lombardi at least called him the #1 QB in that draft class. Probably a few others agreed. If one of them is a GM somewhere, the idea is not crazy in the least.

You've seen him play in preseason for two years in a row, he played quite a bit last summer. Did you see round 1 or round 2 talent there? I didn't, I saw marginal backup QB with a big arm. Slow decision maker with accuracy issues, that is what I saw.

 

[IllegalContact]

some of you want it both ways.....mallett sucks, but maybe he's worth something........either he sucks and is worth nothing so don't worry about trading, or he doesn't suck and is a valuable backup who actually stands a chance of still getting this team to the playoffs.......forget hoyer....there's a reason BB kept mallett......forget cassel, he couldn't get an 18-1 team to the playoffs.....the difference of 5 wins would put the 2012 pats at 7-9 with that same cassel

maybe you can get something for mallett......whatever it is, is not going to change the team

 

[IllegalContact]

You've seen him play in preseason for two years in a row, he played quite a bit last summer. Did you see round 1 or round 2 talent there? I didn't, I saw marginal backup QB with a big arm. Slow decision maker with accuracy issues, that is what I saw.

it's not what I saw.......in limited opportunies, it's hard to tell, but if he's a marginal backup, then he would not still be here....the pats don't waste time with QB's who can't play.....kevin o'connell comes to mind

mallett's most recent throw was one that even brady couldn't make.......too bad it made shiancoe look stupid

 

[Nunchucks]

some of you want it both ways.....mallett sucks, but maybe he's worth something........either he sucks and is worth nothing so don't worry about trading, or he doesn't suck and is a valuable backup who actually stands a chance of still getting this team to the playoffs.......forget hoyer....there's a reason BB kept mallett......forget cassel, he couldn't get an 18-1 team to the playoffs.....the difference of 5 wins would put the 2012 pats at 7-9 with that same cassel

maybe you can get something for mallett......whatever it is, is not going to change the team

I think Mallet is worth more to the Patriots than he is to other teams. Patriots have trained him for 2 years in their system, going on a 3rd year. He could win 10 games here in NE, because of the team around him. Put him on a team with a crappy OL and a questionable coaching staff and he could struggle.

I'd rather see Mallet be a Patriot this year and not have to worry about the backup QB position than have a 3rd round pick which may or may not pan out, with the possibility of a Hoyer/Cassel backup.

Now, if we are talking about a 2nd round pick, that could be something different.

 

[VJCPatriot]

what team is going to give a high pick for a guy that hasn't shown anything? I do not see Mallet as a better option than any starter in the league right now.

Really? You must not be well acquainted with the 'starting' options in the league then.

Brandon Weeden, Ryan Tannehill, Mark Sanchez, Matt Cassell, Chade Henne, Matt Leinart, Brady Quinn, John Skelton, Ryan Lindley, all say hello.

Another Query: Did Brett Favre show anything in Atlanta before being traded to GB for a 1st round pick the next year?

 

[DaBruinz]

what team is going to give a high pick for a guy that hasn't shown anything? I do not see Mallet as a better option than any starter in the league right now.

Green Bay did and Favre showed less than Mallett has..

 

[DaBruinz]

I suggested that the Patriots give Mallet and a 3rd round pick to the Vikings in exchange for Harvin.

Please read a little more closely before attacking a post.

No offense, but your trade is BS. The Vikings are happy with Ponder. Why would they want Mallett?

 

[ralmat55]

Another thing which would enhance Mallett's value compared to a draft pick is a team which trades for him could start working with him immediately rather than having to wait for the draft. If you trade for him on March 12th, you'd have an additional month and a half to get him in your playbook and off-season program preparing him to be your starting QB this season. Plus, you'd have a degree of certainty which the draft doesn't offer. You may plan to use your 2nd round pick on a QB, but that doesn't mean one you like will be available when you pick.

 

[DaBruinz]

Mallett is not going anywhere

Keep telling yourself that. And keep telling yourself there is gold at the end of Rainbows...

 

[DaBruinz]

We went through the same thing with Hoyer. Many fans were confident the Pats could get a high pick for him in a trade simply because he performed ok in his limited game time and that he studied under BB/Brady. Teams weren't exactly tripping over each other a month later when the Pats cut him. IIRC Hoyer is the clipboard holder to the clipboard holder in Pitt(?)

Granted Mallet has a higher upside but most of that is simply because he is an unknown at the pro level.

You'd be wrong about Hoyer. Hoyer ended up starting in Arizona after he was released by Pittsburgh...

 

[ivanvamp]

No offense, but your trade is BS. The Vikings are happy with Ponder. Why would they want Mallett?

No offense taken. Like 99% of the trade ideas thrown around here, this almost certainly will not happen. I know that. You know that. All God's children know that.

And hey, if the Vikes love Christian Ponder, more power to them. He isn't good, and if it wasn't for the incredible season Adrian Peterson had they wouldn't have even sniffed playoff contention. But if Ponder is their guy then you're right - they probably wouldn't do this.

You may be forgetting that I'm throwing in a 3rd round pick as well. So it's not Mallett for Harvin straight up. But that's ok.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

Trading him for a third round pick seems like a strange move, since that's what they gave for him. It's a lateral move. I guess the argument is they got a couple of years of back up protection for what would essentially be a loan of the pick to another team. But, if that's what you were going for, you still need a back up. So why would you do it now?

You have to remember that pretty much every team in the league already had a couple of shots to take him and didn't. And if you take him now, while you get the shorter contract, you're taking him to play him and will pay more later. Teams will value 2 years under Belichick, I guess, but they also will look at the fact that he hasn't played competitive football for 2 years. He's really not worth much more than he was two years ago, and there is nothing to make the teams that passed on him say, "we were wrong."

My view? With the additional cap space, the Patriots will put together a good enough team that they could actually win some games in the regular season if Brady were to go down. If Brady has a season ender, we're not going to win the super bowl. But I feel comfortable with Mallet that if Brady were to be out for, say, 4 games, we still might have a shot at going 3-1 during that stretch or whatever, which could be the difference (say) for a bye, etc.

I think I understand the original post -- if he can be packaged for a solid cost controlled asset, that's a different story. But I just am skeptical.

 

[Nunchucks]

Green Bay did and Favre showed less than Mallett has..

So, you think Brett Favre graded equally to Mallet coming out in the draft?

 

[Bourne Again Christian]

I didnt want to create a seperate thread for this but maybe I can include it here.
What's the chance the Patriots tag Vollmer and then trade him almost immediately to regain the cap back.
Just thinking Vollmer alone could net Harvin more than likely a few middle round picks for sure.
Are picks that valuable this year or do we just lose the guy and get nothing in return.
It be risky but if anyone could pull a quick trade for Vollmer it be Bill.
Minnesota would instantly have a elite line for so to run behind and to protect Ponder we would gain a game changer and a offensive center piece.

Thoughts?

 

[ivanvamp]

Trading him for a third round pick seems like a strange move, since that's what they gave for him. It's a lateral move. I guess the argument is they got a couple of years of back up protection for what would essentially be a loan of the pick to another team. But, if that's what you were going for, you still need a back up. So why would you do it now?

You have to remember that pretty much every team in the league already had a couple of shots to take him and didn't. And if you take him now, while you get the shorter contract, you're taking him to play him and will pay more later. Teams will value 2 years under Belichick, I guess, but they also will look at the fact that he hasn't played competitive football for 2 years. He's really not worth much more than he was two years ago, and there is nothing to make the teams that passed on him say, "we were wrong."

My view? With the additional cap space, the Patriots will put together a good enough team that they could actually win some games in the regular season if Brady were to go down. If Brady has a season ender, we're not going to win the super bowl. But I feel comfortable with Mallet that if Brady were to be out for, say, 4 games, we still might have a shot at going 3-1 during that stretch or whatever, which could be the difference (say) for a bye, etc.

I think I understand the original post -- if he can be packaged for a solid cost controlled asset, that's a different story. But I just am skeptical.

Right. And the idea I proposed has a lot to do with the situation the Vikings are in with Percy Harvin. He's going to be gone, so they should try to get *something* for him. And the trade market is likely going to be thin for him.

Again, it probably won't happen. Odds are against it.