The New England Patriots drafted Jimmy Garoppolo to be the future backup and starter for Tom Brady if all goes according to plan and that means a trade with Ryan Mallett could go down at some point this season, while Danny Amendola has also come up in trade rumors and teams like the Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings could be interested.
According to ESPN.com, the Patriots had chances to trade Mallett during the draft and did not pull the trigger and now they have a choice to make when it comes to Garoppolo this summer in training camp. Mallett likely will remain the backup, but his contract is up and he will be a free agent after this season and that means Garoppolo will have to learn fast to get behind Brady. Bill Belichick did not use a second round pick on Garoppolo for him to be a backup forever and while Brady looks like he has three or four more years left, it could be sooner if an injury or something else comes up and Garoppolo could end up under center.
The Houston Texans look like the best option for a Mallett trade even after they drafted Tom Savage, as he is not ready to start yet and Mallett could be a better option than Ryan Fitzpatrick. Mallett has not had the chance to play much, but he has worked behind the best QB in football in Brady for years and now Garoppolo will get the chance to do the same. Garoppolo is a mobile quarterback with a big arm and he put up over 4,000 yards and 50 touchdowns last season and could have a very good career ahead of him. Some were surprised that Belichick picked Garoppolo, but clearly he saw something in him that could translate into being an NFL starter.
While Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater were picked before him, Garoppolo ended up going way before more accomplished QBs like Aaron Murray and AJ McCarron and now he has the inside track of being the Patriots starter a few years down the line. Brady is making $7 million in 2015, $8 million in 2016, and $9 million in 2017 according to ESPN.com and he is looking to win a Super Bowl and heading into this season he is gearing up for another run.
Danny Amendola has come up in trade rumors and the Patriots could be one of the teams in the mix for Andre Johnson. That deal is unlikely, but if Amendola and Mallett were involved along with draft picks, it could be something both teams look into. Garoppolo remains unsigned right now and the deal should get done soon, according to ESPN.com. The Patriots come into the season after going 12-4 last season and winning the AFC East again and they ranked in the top 10 in both passing and rushing yards per game. The offense is healthy and with Garoppolo coming in to learn, the future could remain bright for the Pats.