Pro Football Talk: Patriots Showcase Backup QBs

[Patsfanin Philly]

What Mccolby said ... Mallet has more upside and Hoyer has yet to be exposed to game plans. His value may never be higher than it is right now. If it's a step up in value deal then it should be explored.

As others have said let's see what happens as the year progresses. It's a) only one game and b) Mallett is certainly not as game ready as Hoyer if there should be a repeat of 2008. That being said, many NFL quarterbacks have said that the pro game is that much faster than college and it "slows down" as they gain experience in the NFL. What Mallet showed the other night, compared to some of the other rookies is that it appeared to be slowing down for him compared to the typical rookie. There is a long, long way to go but he has a tremendous upside with talent, coaching and experience. It's the best of all worlds for both him and the Patriots and Hoyer.

Hoyer could get tendered as a RFA after this year and then traded where he gets a starting role and a big contract. Mallett, if he succeeds, gets the backup role in 2012 where he could potentially follow in the same role or POTENTIALLY be a starter here in a few years. If not, he follows Cassel, potentially Hoyer and goes on to fame and fortune elsewhere .

The Patriots get the peace of mind of competent backups that can be parlayed into draft picks.

And I don't see Brady going anywhere until he is ready. I envision him going out ala Elway with a Super Bowl victory or Troy Brown or Bruschi when he realizes that he either can't perform at the level he expects or the fire isn't there, he leaves on his own terms. Whether that is 2 years or 10, who knows?