Report: Ryan Mallett Staying in HOU, One Less QB Option for Browns
The quarterbacks available to the Cleveland Browns this off-season are extremely limited. In some order Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, Jake Locker, Josh McCown and Mark Sanchez lead the free agent list. Almost universally Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota sit atop the NFL Draft QB list, but few see them as Day 1 starters in the NFL.
The Browns currently only have Connor Shaw available to start a game today. Hoyer is a free agent and Johnny Manziel is in rehab.
Today comes news that one less QB is on the market as Ryan Mallett has reportedly agreed to re-sign with the Houston Texans:
The Texans are expected to re-sign Ryan Mallett before free agency and make him their starter in 2015, according to http://t.co/UeWPtcXFgv.
— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) February 17, 2015
Mallett was my number one free agent QB, based on a very limited film and some upside. Now the Browns are left to either try to convince Brian Hoyer to return to a team that didn’t exactly show full support of him last year, or recruit a free agent QB other teams were willing to let go.
In today’s NFL quarterbacks rarely reach free agency unless they have a big issue. Even Peyton Manning and Drew Brees had HUGE medical concerns when they were free agents, Manning’s neck and Brees’ shoulder. Players who don’t have huge injury histories are generally mediocre at best. That is the case with this year’s group.
The Browns could still be hoping that Manziel plays out well for them but at this point they can’t be planning as much. His off the field issues are concerns as well as his preparation and play on the field. It could take some time for him to get his personal life together and then the team hopes he can get his professional life together.
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Winston and Mariota have risks involved with them as well. Winston’s off the field issues almost certainly have crossed him off the Browns board, and he is very unlikely to fall to them anyways. Mariota on the other hand has no off the field issues but will be transitioning from a spread system in college. He isn’t likely to fall, but more so than Winston, and would likely cost the Browns picks to move up.
That leaves the Browns back to the free agent market and/or a developmental QB in the NFL Draft. Mallett is off the board it seems like Hoyer’s leverage continues to go up. A trade for Mike Glennon or Nick Foles, if the Eagles somehow get Mariota, also could be possibilities.
Any QB signing elsewhere is bad news for the Browns as the already thin pool becomes even thinner.
What do you think about Ryan Mallett? Upset he is reportedly off the board?