Quarterback Tom Brady is officially locked in with the Patriots through the 2017 season, after just signing a brand new contract with the team. Now with Brady a guarantee, trade rumors are beginning to swirl around his backup, Ryan Mallett. A standout quarterback at the University of Arkansas, Mallett has done everything that has been asked of him as a backup to Brady. However, with zero chance he will take the starting quarterback spot in New England, Mallett is now possible trade bait to another team.
Mallett is currently signed through the 2014 season. There is no chance he will be in contention for the starting quarterback spot in New England until he is at least 30 years old. Greg Bedard of the Boston Globe is reporting the Patriots are likely to attempt to trade Mallett while his is still on his rookie contract. With this year's NFL Draft lacking in the quarterback department, the Patriots could get a lot of interest for him.
The team used a third-round draft pick on Mallett in the 2011 draft. They would want at least a second-round pick in return, or a first-round pick if they can get it. At 24, Mallett has only appeared briefly in four regular season games where he threw exactly four complete passes. In eight preseason games, Mallett has completed 53 percent of his passes, while averaging 5.05 yards per attempt. Those are not exactly results that lead to a high draft pick in a trade.
The upside to Mallett is that he would offer the same experience most quarterbacks coming out of the draft have, but he is under contract with only two years left on his rookie deal. A team could try him out for two years and then move on when there is a better situation that comes up and Mallett's contract is up. Mallett has size and arm strength that will have NFL teams interested and there have been no off-the-field issues following him around.
Teams like Arizona, Buffalo and Kansas City that miss out on other quarterback opportunities could come calling to the Patriots. Mallett is relatively unproven in the NFL so the Patriots would have to be creative in working a deal out. Asking for a high draft pick in return while also involving smaller players might be New England's best negotiating option. The new league year begins March 12 so the Patriots could deal Mallett anytime after that in order to set themselves up for the upcoming NFL Draft.
