When the Patriots stopped quarterback Ryan Mallett’s draft-day free fall in 2011, it was assumed that coach Bill Belichick eventually would flip the former Arkansas Razorback for something more than the third-round pick used to get him.
With Mallett entering the final year of his contract, Belichick is running out of chances to trade Mallett. And with former Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien now the head coach of the Texans after a pair of years as head coach at Penn State, O’Brien could be the guy to make the deal.
Nick Underhill of MassLive.com reports that the Texans have expressed interest in acquiring Mallett. At this point, however, the level of interest hasn’t progressed beyond “talk.”
Mallett remains unproven, given that he has had limited regular-season reps. A fair package arguably would include a mid-round draft pick in 2014 and a conditional pick in 2015 that would hinge on the success of Mallett and/or the team this season.