As the start of the NFL season is approaching, teams are making roster moves to get ready for the season. On Sunday afternoon, the Texans acquired quarterback Ryan Mallett from the New England Patriots in exchange for a sixth round draft pick. Ryan Mallett was a third round pick in 2011. He made his debut in 2012.
The two teams have talked about a trade involving Mallett during the offseason. The Patriots were not quite ready to let him go. The 6' 6," 245 pound quarterback showed signs of potential. Although Brady was locked in as the starter, when Mallett had a chance, he showed signs of being a good quarterback. He could throw the football very far, and had decent accuracy.
One of the most biggest reasons that the Texans acquired Mallett was probably his relationship with head coach, Bill O'Brien. In 2009, O'Brien was named the quarterbacks coach for the New England Patriots. He helped Tom Brady improve and offered plenty of advice to Mallett during his rookie season in 2011. O'Brien left the Patriots in early 2012 to coach the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Although Ryan Ftizpatrick was already named the starting quarterback, expect Mallett to become the second-string. The Texans made a corresponding roster move after acquiring Mallett. Case Keenum has been released. With Keenum being released, Fitzpatrick, Mallett, and Tom Savage, are the three quarterbacks on the roster. Keenum did not impress in the preseason and the Texans felt the need to get another backup quarterback that did impress. It is always good to have a backup quarterback with experience, and someone that you can rely on. Tom Savage showed potential, but Mallett's experience and potential gives him the edge.
For the Patriots, rookie quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo impressed them enough to trade Mallett. They felt like he was a reliable backup quarterback, so they were willing to get rid of Mallet. Giving up Mallett for a sixth round draft pick seems a little risky, but the Patriots must feel comfortable with what their roster looks like. Waiver claims are always an option, but the Texans were desperate to acquire Mallett via trade before any other team got him. The Dallas Cowboys were rumored to have drawn interest in Mallett, but the Texans rose to the occasion and got a deal done.
Hopefully both teams will be satisfied with their backup quarterbacks. Both Garoppolo and Mallett have shown a lot of potential.