Ryan Mallett?

[Laserman]

Rather trade for Cousins than Mallett.

I'd take either one. We should have drafted Mallet when we had the chance. He's had three years behind Brady, hopefully he has learned something

[Purple bruise]

Yeah we should have drafted Wilson or Kaepernik too. Only difference is that they are great and Mallett is not.

[frosted]

Yeah we should have drafted Wilson or Kaepernik too. Only difference is that they are great and Mallett is not.

You're certainly firm on where you stand here. That's your opinion and I respect it, but I think Mallet is a talented passer and believe he will show that when he gets the chance to take over a team.

[Raptorman]

Stats and what I've read. He was called "one of the biggest disappointments in Patriots training camp" in 2012. By all accounts he did improve but barely beat out Brian Hoyer to be Brady's backup. One of his last preseason games he was 9-18 for 97 yards (5.39 ypa) against an awful Eagles team. He's got a cannon, though, that's for sure.

I'm just not sold on him.

If he sucked real bad, he wouldn't still be on the Patriots. Just saying.

[mondry]

If we hadn't seen Ponder play at all outside of the backup role in preseason would we think he's worth a 3rd round pick + more too?

[Purple bruise]

If he sucked real bad, he wouldn't still be on the Patriots. Just saying.

Well according to most everyone else you could say the same about Ponder or Cassell. Oh wait a minute Cassell would have been a backup behind Smith but he sucked and the Chiefs let him go. So I do not buy the logic. Most back up QBs are not that good or they would not be backups

[frosted]

If we hadn't seen Ponder play at all outside of the backup role in preseason would we think he's worth a 3rd round pick + more too?

I don't think so. I'm going off the eyeball test here, and the eyeball test tells me that Mallett > Ponder

[Purpnation]

Oh yea, because backing up a HOF QB like Tom Brady means he's "Not that good".

Aaron Rodgers was a back up for 3 years, to say being a backup means your not that good is extremely foolish.

[Purple bruise]

Oh yea, because backing up a HOF QB like Tom Brady means he's "Not that good".

Aaron Rodgers was a back up for 3 years, to say being a backup means your not that good is extremely foolish.

Yeah right let's compare Mallett to Rodgers Name some other "good" NFL backups currently.......thought so

[DanAS]

Mallett has the type of talent that could lead a franchise to new heights. And in Norv Turner's Air Coryell offense Mallett is a perfect fit because he can chuck the ball 70 yards off his back foot, accurately i might add. He's got the arm to make any throw you ask him and he's a fairly smart mind as well. 3 years behind Brady should have done plenty to fix his attitude problem.

What would you think of this?

Round 1: LB Khalil Mack
Round 2: CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste
Round 3: LB Shayne Skov
Round 3: Traded for Ryan Mallett
Round 4: S Craig Loston
Round 5: DT Daniel McCullers
Round 6: OG Michael Schofield
Round 7: DE Ben Gardner

Send a 3rd from this year and a conditional 4th next year for Mallett. That way we can focus entirely on defense in the draft and free agency, screw Matt Cassel and taking a shot on a rookie.

Ben Gardner is a beast for a 7th rounder. Skov has a great motor, but he doesn't have the speed to match his great spirit. Anyway, I've been watching those two for years and are big fans of both.

[DanAS]

As mentioned, Mallet has accuracy and decision making issues. However, I'd love if he was on the Vikings so they can give him a shot. Although, they'd have to give up a good amount to get him. Bill doesn't just fork over players. He's usually really crafty about winning in trades, so I'd rather they just stay away.

Regardless...If they get a QB on a current roster right now, they still need to draft a QB in my opinion. The only thing that changes up is where they may draft him.

I'd rather have a guy with mediocre arm strength and who is accurate and smart, than the guy with the cannon. The Jeff Georges and Jay Schroeder types are fools gold. They tend to be overrated. I don't know enough about Mallett to put him in that category, but if his best feature is his arm strength, I suspect he's overrated.

[DanAS]

I don't think so. I'm going off the eyeball test here, and the eyeball test tells me that Mallett > Ponder

That can't possibly be the standard. Other than running the ball, Ponder is lousy in all aspects of the game.

[PurpleHalo]

I would do it, the chance to see something new rather than see Ponder play wins out. Ponder is the only guy under contract, so the best strategy would be to trade for a young QB like Mallot or Barkley, and draft a guy on day 2. Because there is no way Manziel or Teddy are going to fall, and I don't see what the hype is about Bortles.

[saint33]

Oh yea, because backing up a HOF QB like Tom Brady means he's "Not that good".

Aaron Rodgers was a back up for 3 years, to say being a backup means your not that good is extremely foolish.

I don't think anyone's basing their beliefs on Mallet on the fact that he's a backup. Everyone in this thread are basing their opinions on what they remember about him from college and the little they've seen in pre season. Some think highly, some not so much. He hasn't had the NFL experience to make a strong argument either way.

It is a bit concerning to me that he is a backup though. Not that he's hasn't beat out Brady, but the fact that in 2011, when teams were so desperate to take QBs early, not one team felt that Mallett was worth investing a high pick and making him their franchise QB. And on top of that it's rare that a backup goes on to be successful with other teams though. Look at the history of teams trading high picks or offering huge contracts to guys who have backed up great QBs (and in most cases even shown some potential in a few games).

Matt Cassel
Kevin Kolb
Matt Flynn
Charlie Whitehurst
AJ Feeley
Matt Schaub

That's a pretty ugly list if you ask me. Schaub is the only guy who's found sustained success in the team that signed him.


So ya, guys like Rodgers and Steve Young come around from time to time. But when they do, the team holds onto them and in both cases, actually pushed the all time great veteran QB out the door. If Belichick is willing to part ways with Mallett, I would seriously question how good he really is.

Oh and I don't understand this love for Kirk Cousins. Dude has been average at best in relief of RG3. Look at what he did this year....

52% completion percentage, 4 TDs 7 INTs 3 Fumbles and a whopping QB rating of 58.4

[Purpnation]

Yeah right let's compare Mallett to Rodgers Name some other "good" NFL backups currently.......thought so

No one thought Rodgers was going to turn out to be anything, did anybody think Brady was going to do what he has done when he was backing up Drew Bledsoe? Im not saying we should get Mallett, but I an saying that claiming that a back up QB must not be that good simply because he is a back up (When there is a HOF QB in front of him, I might add.) is EXTREMELY idiotic. Nick Foles was a back up, is he not that good? Thought so.

Mallett could be the best QB ever to live, who knows? We won't see until he is on the field, but to claim that there is no chance of a player being good, simply because he is backing up another QB (Who, once again, is a HOFer.) take a level of sheer stupidity that I simply cannot comprehend.