First Round Plays to Patriots Advantage to Deal Mallett

The New England Patriots were linked to the Houston Texans regarding a potential trade for back-up quarterback Ryan Mallett. The trade was more of a contingency plan for the Texans, should the draft now play out accordingly, and it seems (in my view) to have worked out in the Patriots favor.

The Texans were hesitant to pull the trigger on any trade prior to the draft because they wanted to see how the field would play out. There was plenty of speculation that quarterbacks like Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater, and Johnny Manziel could be available in the second round. For a while, it seems more than just possible.

Bortles went third overall to the Jaguars, but then there was a fallout in quarterback-needy teams. The Browns missed out on wide receiver Brandin Cooks and opted to move for Johnny Manziel, setting up the dominoes a second time. When the Patriots didn't trade down to a team who wanted Bridgewater, it seemed as if the Texans would be his landing spot and there would be no trade for Mallett.

However, the Minnesota Vikings pulled some strings with their annual trading partner in the Seattle Seahawks and -managed to grab Bridgewater with the last pick of the first round.

So where do the Texans stand? They could feel comfortable taking Derek Carr, but it's just as likely that Carr is viewed in the second tier of prospects. If that's the case, then it seems as if the potential for a Patriots-Texans trade is now not just back on the table, but a likely option that we'll see happen tomorrow.