Gil Brandt: Rumor - Mallet to Houston for their 2nd round pick.

[RayClay]

Yep.

Brandt saying "I could see Texans trying to trade w Patriots for Mallett"

turns into a made up line of "According to NFL insider Gil Brandt, the Texans are reportedly trying to pull off a trade with the Patriots"

which turns into a headline of "Blockbuster Deal Between Houston Texans, New England Patriots Could Happen"

which ends up on the patsfans.com message board as "Fresh Rumor - Mallet to Houston for their 2nd round pick."

A little assumption, or misunderstanding, or journalistic "excitement" at each step takes us from Brandt "being able to see it" to a "Fresh Rumor".

That's pretty much what a rumor is in NFL journalism. In fact, because it's a prediction by a veteran writer, it's probably more valid than most "rumors." Most are made up out of nothing by the columnists to get page hits.

 

[Fencer]

Brady only has 2 or 3 seasons left max.

Interesting theory.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

For the simple reason that if Bill Belichick honestly was going to consider trading him, fielding offers, etc--he likely would have brought in someone to start learning the playbook and system this year.

Yes, I realize that we won't get anything (possibly a comp pick) when he leaves in 2015, but it leaves us with a glaring hole at a very important position. It's an enormous gamble---unless, Belichick plans on bringing back one of Cassel or Hoyer.

Considering the fact that Hoyer had CLE in first place after 6 games this season until he became injured, one would assume that they'll be drafting another QB AND keeping him around too, but we'll have to see.

Again, it's possible that Belichick takes that risk, but common sense would have pointed to him at least using a developmental practice squad position on a QB. The whole reason Hoyer was expendable in the first place is because Mallett was into his 2nd year here, and had a full season of learning under his belt. It's going to be virtually impossible to bring in a backup QB this spring and expect him to be the full-time backup by the summer/fall, but maybe Belichick takes that gamble. Time will tell. One aspect to consider is Mallett's importance as our QB in scout team/practice. Belichick doesn't just take a risk in hoping that Brady doesn't become injured, he also gives us the knowledge of the system that Mallett has in running the scout team too. That is something to certainly keep in mind, as Mallett has shown some value there.

I just believe that he'd have been planning for it a bit more, especially when you look at his record of backup QBs who are expected to be full-time. I believe our system is complex enough where he gives them a full season+ these days.

The scout team QB runs the upcoming opponents offense, not the Patriots. Outside of training camp, Brady (or any starting QB) gets the overwhelming majority of practice snaps.

 

[mgteich]

I read this as "Gil Brandt - Humor". It made more sense than the actual headline.

 

[Sciz]

With George Godsey now all but confirmed to be going to Houston, I've seen two main rumors, either that he'll be the OC and QB coach or that he'll be the QB coach and de facto OC (without the title). O'Brien is going to call plays, so having no OC makes a lot of sense.

If Godsey is in fact the QB coach, that would mean that Houston's QB coach would have seen a considerable amount of Mallett's practice reps over the past two seasons when O'Brien himself didn't.

Edit: Reiss has confirmed that Godsey will be the QB coach and agrees that it looks like there won't be a titular OC.

 

[mgteich]

So Godsey knows what Mallett is capable of. There goes the 2nd.

With George Godsey now all but confirmed to be going to Houston, I've seen two main rumors, either that he'll be the OC and QB coach or that he'll be the QB coach and de facto OC (without the title). O'Brien is going to call plays, so having no OC makes a lot of sense.

If Godsey is in fact the QB coach, that would mean that Houston's QB coach would have seen a considerable amount of Mallett's practice reps over the past two seasons when O'Brien himself didn't.

Edit: Reiss has confirmed that Godsey will be the QB coach and agrees that it looks like there won't be a titular OC.

 

[supafly]

The scout team QB runs the upcoming opponents offense, not the Patriots. Outside of training camp, Brady (or any starting QB) gets the overwhelming majority of practice snaps.

Yes, that is exactly my point.

Mallett obviously provides value there for us too, and it's no given that an outside is going to immediately step in and do that. It's one more aspect to consider.

The biggest obstacle would be a team parting with a high draft pick AND then signing Mallett to a new longterm contract. Good luck attempting to come up with that pact. The bottom line is that I think there are many obstacles to a move like that being made, but that's just my opinion. I think Belichick would have better prepared himself this year by bringing in another prospect somewhere, if he really was going to attempt to trade him.

EDIT: I see that my wording was confusing there, so I can respect your point when re-reading it. The point was to throw in one more aspect of Mallett's importance to the team that may not be recognized in an every day manner. Obviously, I recognize the fact that our players' jobs on the scout teams in to mimic the opposition. I started a thread last week on the subject. The wording was confusing, so apologies there.

 

[supafly]

I don't think that the deal is likely at all but I do think there is a big difference between the Kolb and Whitehurst situation. O'Brien was involved in the drafting of Mallett and he coached Mallett everyday. Mallett is an enigma to most if not all of us, we know very little about his performance other than what we see in preseason but he is not an enigma for O'Brien at all so if he felt he was worthy of a 2nd round draft choice I would actually be inclined to believe Mallett actually is.

O'Brien was someone I really thought did a great job in his time here and the offensive players drafted and UDFAs signed during his tenure have all developed into very good players for the most part.

Gronkowski
Edelman
Solder
Vollmer
Ridley
Vereen
Bolden
Cannon
Wendell
Hernandez
Woodhead
Price
Mallett

Price and Hernandez were workout because Price had ADHD issue and Hernandez liked to kill people but other than that those players all contributed in some capacity.

I don't know the type of input O'Brien had he very well may of just correlated with the players coming here but he also may have been a part of it.

I mean...yeah, one can assume that he had some input with some of these players, but who really knows how much?

Nick Caserio and Bill Belichick likely made the majority of the calls, and I'm sure they highly take into account what the scouts suggest and see since it's their job, but I don't know that I'd give Bill O'Brien credit for all of these players like he's some kind of scouting genius with that much input.

He was a nice fill in while McDaniels left for DEN though.

 

[Ivan]

Reading between the lines today Belichick sounded like a guy who is looking to make a good deal for Mallett. That is, however, if you believe that he would take a high pick for him. Holley asked him about the "go for it, damn the cap" question for "Brady's window" and Belichick talked like Brady was just another piece on the team and if he went Down Mallett is fully prepared to take over and he expected him to perform at the level they want. Maybe I am reading too much into it but if his goal is to trade him then he sounds like he wants something substantial in return and it will be really interesting to see if he goes that route this offseason. The Houston speculation makes all the sense in the world because those coaches are as familiar with Mallett as it can get and they know whether or not trading for him makes more sense than going for a rookie. If they believe in Mallett they get a young QB with 3 years experience in the offensive system they want to run, and that puts them way ahead of where they would be taking a chance on Manziel, Bridgewater, or the rest. They get Clowney and their QB with their first 2 picks, and that's about as good as it gets in that situation.

I don't know who here heard that interview but i would be interested to know if they came away with the same sense i got from those comments, which really sounded like he was fully confident Mallett could take over tomorrow and get the job done?

 

[AzorianPats]

I'd be ecstatic if we got a second for Mallet, but why would a team go that high on a player that has almost next to no game film to study him off of? Only way we get a second is if we add Mallet and another pick or player. Not to mention Houston already went with a backup before in Schaub and look where that got them.

I can see us trading Mallet for a 2014 mid round pick, and a performance based pick in 2015, that can start off as a 4th rounder, but can go as high as a second or first if they reach a certain round of the playoffs.

 

[AzorianPats]

Reading between the lines today Belichick sounded like a guy who is looking to make a good deal for Mallett. That is, however, if you believe that he would take a high pick for him. Holley asked him about the "go for it, damn the cap" question for "Brady's window" and Belichick talked like Brady was just another piece on the team and if he went Down Mallett is fully prepared to take over and he expected him to perform at the level they want. Maybe I am reading too much into it but if his goal is to trade him then he sounds like he wants something substantial in return and it will be really interesting to see if he goes that route this offseason. The Houston speculation makes all the sense in the world because those coaches are as familiar with Mallett as it can get and they know whether or not trading for him makes more sense than going for a rookie. If they believe in Mallett they get a young QB with 3 years experience in the offensive system they want to run, and that puts them way ahead of where they would be taking a chance on Manziel, Bridgewater, or the rest. They get Clowney and their QB with their first 2 picks, and that's about as good as it gets in that situation.

I don't know who here heard that interview but i would be interested to know if they came away with the same sense i got from those comments, which really sounded like he was fully confident Mallett could take over tomorrow and get the job done?

I didn't hear the interview, but count me in as one of those that DOESN'T want to see us go all in loading up a team for a year or 2. I like the Patriot way of building a team. Despite what the local idiot writers think, It works.

 

[Hercules Rockefeller]

Not to mention Houston already went with a backup before in Schaub and look where that got them.

Matt Schaub started for the Texans for 6 plus seasons, made two Pro Bowls, led the league in passing yards in 2009, and had 5 straight seasons with a QB rating above 90. He wasn't a world beater, but until he fell apart this year he was an above average quarterback.

If you can get Matt Schaub's production with a much stronger arm for the price of a 2nd round choice, you make that trade. I'm not saying that Houston will do the deal or that Mallett is worthy of that return, I'm saying that Matt Schaub is not a good reason to NOT make the deal. The Schaub trade worked out pretty well for the Texans.

 

[mayoclinic]

Matt Schaub started for the Texans for 6 plus seasons, made two Pro Bowls, led the league in passing yards in 2009, and had 5 straight seasons with a QB rating above 90. He wasn't a world beater, but until he fell apart this year he was an above average quarterback.

If you can get Matt Schaub's production with a much stronger arm for the price of a 2nd round choice, you make that trade. I'm not saying that Houston will do the deal or that Mallett is worthy of that return, I'm saying that Matt Schaub is not a good reason to NOT make the deal. The Schaub trade worked out pretty well for the Texans.

A second round pick (even a high one) is nothing to pay for the chance to land a long-term QB. Teams try and try again until they find one. Failing will generally keep you mired in mediocrity, or worse.

Cleveland used the #22 pick on Brandon Weedon 2 years ago. Now they're looking at using a top 10 pick on a QB.

Oakland hasn't had a consistent QB since Rich Gannon retired. They thought Andrew Walter was the answer and passed on a chance to trade for Aaron Rodgers when he was in Mallett's position (an unproven backup). The spent the #1 pick on Jamarcus Russell, who didn't have the intelligence or work ethic to succeed. They made a desperate trade for Carson Palmer, overpaying ridiculously. They've been through a bunch of FAs and draftees since then, and have never had a season better than 8-8.

There isn't much available after the top 4 QBs are off the board. What are you going to do? Spend your high 2nd on unproven Jimmy Garoppolo from an FCS school? I've seen him mocked to the Texans at 33. Spent it on Zack Mettenberger, who is somewhat similar to Mallett but completely raw coming out of college and coming off an ACL tear? What are your options in FA? 33 year old Michael Vick is not a long-term answer to build on. Anyone think Josh Freeman is a better bet than Mallett? Matt Flynn has had 2 chances to win a starting job and failed both times.

Trading a pick in the 33-40 range for Ryan Mallett doesn't seem any less desperate to me than drafting 28 year old Brandon Weedon at #22. In fact, it makes much more sense, especially if some of your coaching staff has had time to watch him develop and has an appreciation for what he can do.

Reiss had this tidbit today:

As part of his answer on the urgency to possibly put more weapons around Brady, Belichick veered off course slightly in mentioning that the quarterback position is like others in that depth is important. "We all know that we're one play away, at any position, from having to replace that player. In Mallett's case, Ryan has improved significantly in the three years that he's been here. I thought he made another strong jump this year and if at some point he ends up having to play, whenever that is, I think he is certainly on the road to being ready to play. I think that's what you, as an organization, try to provide for your football team -- an opportunity to be competitive and to have a chance. That's what we're going to try to do at every position. There isn't anything we can ignore. We have to do what's best for the team. That's what we'll try to do. It's not about one position or one guy -- they're all important."

Leftovers from Bill Belichick interview - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

Mallett always had the physical tools of a 1st round player. It sounds like he has matured and developed considerably. We won't know for sure until he gets on the field, but BB seems to think so, unless he's fishing for trade options. Three years of experience in an NFL system gives him an edge over Bridgwater, Bortles and Manziel in terms of understanding, and decreases the risk that he will be a total flop.

 

[1960Pats]

This has been an entertaining thread. Thanks.

I happen to think that Gil Brandt is one of the sharpest knives in the drawer, and if he thinks Mallet to Houston is possible, so do I.

 

[AzorianPats]

Matt Schaub started for the Texans for 6 plus easons, made two Pro Bowls, led the league in passing yards in 2009, and had 5 straight seasons with a QB rating above 90. He wasn't a world beater, but until he fell apart this year he was an above average quarterback.

If you can get Matt Schaub's production with a much stronger arm for the price of a 2nd round choice, you make that trade. I'm not saying that Houston will do the deal or that Mallett is worthy of that return, I'm saying that Matt Schaub is not a good reason to NOT make the deal. The Schaub trade worked out pretty well for the Texans.

Schaub was ran out of town. He was ok in Houston, but in this league having an ok qb is not enough.

Mallet for a second esp the #33 pic would be outstanding. Virtually giving us another first rounder, but I dunno if Houston could sell that too their fan base.

 

[PP2]

Reiss had this tidbit today:

Leftovers from Bill Belichick interview - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

I thought he made another strong jump this year and if at some point he ends up having to play, whenever that is, I think he is certainly on the road to being ready to play.

Mallett always had the physical tools of a 1st round player. It sounds like he has matured and developed considerably.

That doesn't sound like someone who is thinking about trading Mallett.

As unthinkable as it may be at this point, we know BB isn't afraid to pull the trigger on replacing a franchise quarterback. After all, he's already done it twice.

What the organization choses to do with Mallett's contract after it expires is going to be a big reveal on what their intentions are for the future.

 

[patfanken]

I read all ten pages of this thread. Excellent job, Excellent discussion. Some comments on the comments.

1. Making the assumption that BOB and Godsey believe that Mallett has what it takes to be a starting NFL QB, trading him to the Pats for the #33 pick would be an absolute steal for his franchise. He has a team with the talent to win NOW. The top 3 draft picks are riddled with question marks. And even if he was lucky enough to pick the right guy, he'd still be at LEAST a year away from maximizing his potential.

2. Its ridiculous for any of us to predict the value of Ryan Mallett. We simply don't know, And nothing we've seen in the pre-season gives us enough insight into his abilities. HOWEVER O'Brian and Godsey, do know. They've seen enough of him during the thousands of snaps he's taken in practices. They know his work ethic. They know if he can read defenses, take coaching, and improve his game year over year. So IF a trade does happen, then you can be sure that BOB knows better than any so called "expert" or any of us, what he is getting.

3. Personally, coming from a position of extreme ignorance, Mallett is a much surer bet for BOB than any of the potential top QB draftees Based on what we've seen in the past, only one of those 3 kids is likely to be a 5 year starter as an NFL QB.

4. Clowney is one of those "once in a generation" talents that is hard to pass up on. This is a kid who could be this generation's Lawrence Taylor. And while there are certainly questions that have arisen over his spotty final season at South Carolina, he's a much surer bet than any of the QB's.

5. I think that #33 pick is a fair trade. It would likely allow the Pats to get their DT, and then get a top 3 TE prospect with that pick. If they then picked the top G/C prospect with their other 2nd round pick, the Pats would have filled their top 3 needs before the 3rd round..

Remember this is the 2nd youngest team in the league. If there were ever a year where the term "quality over quantity" made sense its this one. We don't need 8 rookies added to the myriad of young guys we already have littering the roster. If I could get a quality DT, TE, and OLman, I'd be thrilled and would happily trade the rest of my picks out into future drafts, or for trading up to add a big CB or SS if he were out there. We need to focus more on developing the young talent we have, rather than add more to it. JMHO

6. There was another trade scenario that was mentioned just recently that COULD be the perfect solution for both sides. That was AZpats suggestion of a mid round pick THIS year, with the chance of a first round pick in 2015 if Mallett turns out to be everything BOB hopes.

For example the Pats get their 4th round pick this year, and based on a sliding scale anything from a 3rd to a first in 2015, with a 2nd being the most likely, but the possibility of a first not unrealistic. ie, if the Texans get to the playoffs, or Mallettt starts all 16 games, or throws for 3500 yds. Something that indicates that Mallett truly did become Houston's long term QB solution.

Remember that if Mallett is even somewhat successful, with all that talent, its likely that that first round pick would be somewhere in the teens to 20's so it would be certainly less painful for the Texans.

 

[VJCPatriot]

NFL Trade Rumors 2014: Blockbuster Deal Between Houston Texans, New England Patriots Could Happen : Sports : Latino Post



I am available to drive Mallet to the airport.

Here is another article....
Ryan Mallet Should be the Next Quarterback for the Houston Texans

Wow. Hopefully it's true cos I'm sick of hearing all the Mallet rumors, LOL.

And consider this guys -- we could have had Kaepernick or Torey Smith instead of Ras I Dowling!!

2011 NFL Draft Results: Round 2

Also consider that Dowling is now a Jet. What a fricking WASTE of a draft pick!!

Jets sign cornerback Ras-I Dowling | ProFootballTalk

PS As far as the Texans go does drafting Clowney/Mallet make more sense than drafting Johnny Manziel and ?? in Round 2.

Another team who might make sense as a trade partner is the Cleveland Browns. Their pick might not be high enough to land a top QB so they could get their guy with an early 2nd rounder for Mallett. They have a bunch of extra picks as well so losing the 2nd doesn't hurt them as much. Just thinking out loud.

 

[BelichickFan]

Breer has been tweeting the obvious today that the non QB in this draft are safer than the QB, not too dissimilar to 2011. Remember when Jake Locker went 8th, Gabbert 10th, Ponder 12th. Meanwhile JJ Watt went 11th, Robert Quinn went 14th and Nate Solder went 17th.

This year there's no Andrew Luck, mostly a bunch of interesting upsides with huge risk. If all these teams hope to be the one the strikes gold, great, but they're better off taking the better (non QB) prospect and trading lower picks for a guy like Mallett who has all the attributes of a #1 pick other than mobility.

 

[Ivan]

I didn't hear the interview, but count me in as one of those that DOESN'T want to see us go all in loading up a team for a year or 2. I like the Patriot way of building a team. Despite what the local idiot writers think, It works.

I think there's a middle ground, i don't think they have to go all in for the next 1-2 seasons, but i do think they could be more aggressive each offseason to put them over the top. The cap is going to have to go up in coming seasons and they can be creative, add key pieces, and still stay viable long term. As i said in another thread the only real piece i want on offense in free agency is for them to re-sign Edelman, then they can go TE/WR with their first 2 picks in the draft. I would love Blount back but only at the right price for the team. I wouldn't pay big money for Talib but would add a quality CB in free agency to replace him and focus their free agency spending on defense. restructure Wilfork and try to sign Arthur jones and a pass rusher to rotate into their front 7.Chris Jones and Siliga were really good finds so they can release Kelly if they wish, and Adrian Wilson is done and should be released imo. They can smart, aggressive, and creative in their approach and put all the pieces in place to get them another ring or two before this era ends.