The New England Patriots have looked at a trade for Ryan Mallett and teams like the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns could be interested, but even if they hang onto the backup, rookie Jimmy Garoppolo is the future starter for Tom Brady and now the Pats are looking at a potential Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers Green Bay Packers situation, where Rodgers was groomed under Favre to take over when he retired.
Obviously things with the Packers did not go great with Favre and Rodgers and their relationship, but the results speak for themselves and now the Patriots have the chance to develop a young quarterback with talent under arguably the best quarterback in NFL history. The Patriots picked Garoppolo in the second round and that is meaningful for a number of reasons, as Bill Belichick does not use his draft picks lightly and with some big needs, including at tight end with C.J. Fiedorowicz available, the team opted to go for Garoppolo.
The Patriots likely see Garoppolo as a potential successor to Brady and even more important, they see him as a solid backup quarterback that can take over for Ryan Mallett. There is a chance that the Pats trade Mallett, but even if they don't they needed to figure out their next move at QB, as Mallett is coming into the last year of his rookie deal and chances are the Pats will let him go. Mallett has been a good soldier and a solid backup since being drafted out of Arkansas and while rumors had the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans interested in him, the Pats never pulled off a deal.
There is a chance that the Patriots could trade Mallett this offseason or even during the season, but if they don't, expect the Pats to carry three QBs for the first time in a few years and maybe during the deadline someone has an injury and gives up a pick for Mallett. The Patriots love making moves like this and clearly Belichick saw something in Garoppolo that he felt he could not pass up and with Brady getting older, it's never too early to start thinking about a succession plan.
The team previously had Brian Hoyer as a backup when they got Mallett in the third round and now he could get played into the same situation after the Garoppolo pick. Brady is already signed through 2017 and is playing at a high level, but at his age and with the chance of injury always around the corner, the Pats felt it was best to take Garoppolo rather than a need player at that pick. Garoppolo had over 5,000 yards and 53 touchdowns at Eastern Illinois last season and while they are not a power house school, it is where Tony Romo went and that always is a good pedigree to look back on.
Belichick said that the pick of Garoppolo doesn't mean Mallett will be traded and he said that Mallett is in the mix for the backup job even with Garoppolo coming in. Belichick said that the team will put the best players on the roster and that they will do what is best for the team and for the position. Garoppolo has a future in NE and it could end up being a genius move by Belichick years down the line looking back.
