A look at what may be in store for the quarterbacks.
New England Patriots quarterback Ryan Mallett (15) throws as he is pressured by Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Trent Cole (58) during the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game in Foxborough, Mass., Monday, Aug. 20, 2012.(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Quarterbacks
Signed: Tom Brady, Ryan Mallett, Mike Kafka
Free agents: None
Offseason outlook: The Patriots can stand pat here and be fine moving forward. Brady remains one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and there’s no reason to expect that to change over the next year or two.
That situation raises an intriguing possibility with Mallett. The backup quarterback has drawn some attention from talent evaluators around the league and could possibly be flipped for a high draft pick.
Like Brady, he’s signed through the 2014 season. The team may have held hopes for Mallett to emerge as the quarterback of the future, but it doesn’t look like he will supplant Brady anytime soon and will likely want to pursue an opportunity where he can be a starter when his contract expires.
The Patriots may have missed out on the opportunity to get a return on previous backup Brian Hoyer by holding onto him for too long. With Brady not going anywhere, the best move may be to cash in on Mallett while his value is high.
One team to watch in this saga is the Cleveland Browns. Recently hired vice president Michael Lombardi has repeatedly expressed his admiration for Mallett. Considering that he’s long been a Belichick confidant and that his son is on the New England coaching staff, Lombardi’s opinion on Mallett is likely well formed.
Final thought: There’s been some talk about Brady showing signs of fading this season. That talk seems overblown. The quarterback completed 63 percent of his passes for 4,827 yards with 34 touchdowns and eight interceptions. If there was a dip in production it wasn’t easily noticeable.