Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald makes the case for the Patriots trading QB Ryan Mallett now, as opposed to waiting until later in the year or possibly even next season to field offers for him.
“Even though two sources indicated Tuesday the Patriots aren’t actively trying to trade Mallett, the possibility makes too much sense to ignore, especially this early in the offseason process,” writes Howe. “Plus, there is a minuscule difference between actively shopping and stumbling into a great offer.”
The Kansas City Chiefs reportedly agreed to send their 2013 second-round pick and a conditional 2014 third-rounder to San Francisco in return for Alex Smith, which has essentially established the cost for a starting quarterback in the trade market.
“The baseline for a Mallett deal would be a second-rounder, which the Patriots would obviously covet to improve their initial investment on the quarterback in 2011,” writes Howe. “The market dictates he might just be worth it.”
Howe goes on to mention that anyone of the Bills, Browns, Cardinals, Jaguars, Jets and Raiders could be interested in pursuing a trade for Mallett.
Some have mentioned that the Pats may have to wait until the preseason to trade Mallett, assuming of course that this is even something that they’d even consider. New England was reportedly pleased with Mallett’s recent development, but it’s unlikely that he’ll be given a shot now that Brady has agreed to a three-year extension.
We’ll have to see if anyone shows interest in Mallett over the next few months.
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