Texans trade for QB Ryan Mallett

[Mike]

LINK: http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/11443840/ryan-mallett-traded-new-england-patriots-houston-texans

[LU17]

Good job Texans...let's see we got a journeyman QB and we just traded for the Pats 3rd string QB. We cut Keenum ( a back up) and we have Savage, who hasn't played in a couple of years. I can't wait for the playoffs...maybe I should get in line now for my Texan playoff tickets...haha

[eagle eye]

I don't think that Mallett was 3rd string. This is a deal that was rumored back in April before the draft. Evidently, Belichick wanted to see what the draft would bring and it brought Jimmy Garoppolo to New England. Garoppolo had a nice off season and he showed enough potential that Master Bill saw an opportunity to get something for Mallett much like he did with Matt Cassel. He got the 2nd pick in the second round of the next year's draft for Cassel and now he's got a conditional draft pick for Mallett. Mallett hasn't had a chance to earn any bones in the NFL the way Cassel did when he replaced Tom Brady in the first half of the first game of the 2008 season and took the Patriots to an 11-5 record. Texans head coach Bill O'Brien coached Mallett when he was the OC for the Patriots. It was speculated the Texans would seek a deal but it never materialized---until now.
Savage did miss two years of playing football in 2011 and 2012. This was after starting at Rutgers for about a year and a half and starting at Pittsburgh last season. His performance threw him into the discussion as one of the top QBs in this year's draft.
The way I see it We have a veteran starter, a quarterback for the immediate future meaning Mallett could step in right away if Fitz falters and they have a project QB that could either be the long term QB of the future or trade bait in the vein of his mentor Belichick. I think the Texans are in good shape QB-wise. Keenum is now is a better situation. He wasn't going to be in the Texans future based on his play last year and in preseason this year. He will play for a good and proven coach in St Louis who claimed Keenum today. Keenum wasn't a Bill O'Brien guy. He did draft Keenum, he inherited him. Mallett is, in every way you could list. Win, win, win for Houston, St Louis and Keenum. Savage is raw and needs time to develop and so he's in the perfect situation right now. So, win, win for Mallett and Savage. I see nothing but upside going forward.