Ryan Mallett - Pro Football Rumors

Combine Pressers: Texans, Giants, Panthers

February 19th, 2015 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we recapped some noteworthy comments made by head coaches and general managers who spoke to the media this morning at the combine in Indianapolis. Those press conferences will continue through the afternoon until Falcons head coach Dan Quinn wraps things up with his appearance at 3:00pm central time. Here are some highlights from a few of the recent sessions, with all links going to the Twitter accounts of reporters in attendance:

Texans general manager Rick Smith and head coach Bill O’Brien:

Asked about how Larry Fitzgerald‘s new contract with the Cardinals might apply to Andre Johnson‘s situation in Houston, Smith said the club may have to address the veteran wideout’s cap number, but hopes to see him spend his entire career with the Texans.
Smith was very impressed with what he saw from quarterback Ryan Mallett in 2014, and said it was “apparent” he’d picked up leadership traits from Tom Brady during his time with the Pats. Both Smith and O’Brien said they’re hopeful Mallett, a free-agent-to-be, will be back in Houston. That’s not an uncommon sentiment at this time of year, but the enthusiasm coming from the Texans’ brass for Mallett seems genuine, and I’d be surprised if he ends up elsewhere.
Smith also expressed interest in re-signing cornerback Kareem Jackson.
While re-signing Mallett is a priority, the Texans intend to look at all the draft-eligible quarterbacks in this year’s class, though the top two likely won’t be available by the time the team picks in the first round.
O’Brien believes Arian Foster has plenty of football left in him, but wants to try to manage his workload going forward, and identified running back as a position where the team could look to add someone.
O’Brien called Case Keenum a “very viable” quarterback option for the Texans, though it’s not clear if the head coach meant as a starter, or simply as a piece on the 53-man roster.

Giants head coach Tom Coughlin:

The Giants’ goal is to keep Jason Pierre-Paul on their roster not just for 2015, but for many years beyond that, according to Coughlin, who wants to see JPP retire as a Giant. “How that works out remains to be seen,” he added.
Asked about his own contract situation, Coughlin said that it’s been set in motion and he hopes to be able to provide an update soon on that front. It sounds as if he may be in line for another one-year contract extension.
Coughlin had nothing but praise for safety Antrel Rolle, whom he wants to re-sign, but added that the team “obviously” has some financial limitations. The head coach wasn’t quite as enthusiastic when asked about bringing back defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, declining to comment on whether there’s still a place for Kiwanuka on the roster.

Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman:

While he thinks the Panthers’ salary cap situation is in a better place than it used to be, Gettleman cautioned that Carolina is “still not out of the hole,” adding that the team wants to make sure to do things right.
According to Gettleman, he walked into a situation in which the Panthers had a ton of money tied up in running backs, and is still working his way through it. The GM acknowledged that he has spoken to DeAngelo Williams since the season ended, but declined to say whether the veteran back will remain on the team’s roster for 2015.
Although he wasn’t talking specifically about Greg Hardy, Gettleman rhetorically asked, “Who wants a ticking time bomb?” when discussing the possibility of drafting or signing players with a history of domestic violence.
As for Hardy, Gettleman told reporters he has nothing to say about the free agent pass rusher as long as he’s still on Carolina’s exempt list.

AFC Notes: Revis, Clay, Rubin, King, Mallett

December 19th, 2014 at 2:58pm CST by Rob DiRe

Darrelle Revis will count for $25MM against the cap in 2015, and many fans and pundits expect him to move on to free agency after his lone season with the Patriots. Even Revis himself has not committed to staying a Patriot, according to Conor Orr of NFL.com. In advance of the matchup against his former teammates for the Jets, Revis was asked about his chances of playing with the Patriots or returning to the Jets this offseason. “I don’t know what my future holds, like I said,” Revis said. “We’ll see. The future will take care of itself.”

Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

Chargers‘ left tackle King Dunlap has been phenomenal in the final year of his contract, and that could lead to a big raise this offseason, writes Michael Gelhken of the U-T San Diego. “I’m just trying to focus on the now,” Dunlap said. “I know it’s coming. … Time’s not going to move any faster or any slower. Just focus on the now and let the rest take care of itself. … I’m still a work in progress. I’m not even close to being finished yet. I’m still working. “
Dolphins‘ tight end Charles Clay has been a reliable weapon for Ryan Tannehill this season, and as he approaches free agency is focused on staying with the team, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. “Just being here and knowing the guys, knowing the coaches, the city, this is definitely somewhere I want to spend the rest of my career,” Clay said. “I was saying that the second I got drafted. Yeah, I definitely want to [re-sign].”
Browns‘ nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin is set to hit unrestricted free agency this March, but doesn’t plan to explore free agency. He wants to be a Brown for life, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
Ryan Mallett of the Texans doesn’t have the long history with his franchise that Dunlap, Clay, and Rubin do, but he would also like to remain with his team, writes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). He did note that the season is still in progress and that it is early to discuss his future with the team.

AFC Notes: Broncos, Patriots, Mallett

November 24th, 2014 at 9:01pm CST by Ben Levine

As the Bills finish up their rout of the Jets in an impromptu Monday Night Football contest, let’s take a look at some assorted notes from the AFC…

The Broncos scoring 39 points on Sunday without the services of Julius Thomas doesn’t help the tight end’s contract leverage, opines Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Without Orange Julius, Manning looked to Demaryius Thomas – also a pending free agent – in the red zone.
Following the news that the Broncos auditioned a pair of kickers, John Fox clarified that it was business as usual (via ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold). “…We have tryouts every week, at a lot of different positions,” said Fox. “As far as my satisfaction with Brandon McManus, is kind of like our record, we’re 8-3, wish we were 11-0. But we are kind of where we are and we’re always looking to improve our team if we feel need be.” If the team ultimately decides to add a kicker, Legwold believe it would be wise for the Broncos to keep McManus as a kickoff specialist.
Ryan Mallett‘s season-ending injury means that he won’t hit the playing time triggers that would have increased the Patriots‘ draft pick compensation for him, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. New England will now receive Houston’s seventh-round choice for the quarterback.
Mallett’s season may be over, but that doesn’t mean his tenure with the Texans is finished. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the team wants the young quarterback to return next season, adding that the Texans will likely add a young player for competition.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Ryan Mallett Done For Season

November 24th, 2014 at 12:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett will be out for the rest of the season, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Mallett practiced and played with a right pectoral injury this past week.

There’s no questioning Mallett’s heart after he played through a torn pectoral muscle yesterday against the Bengals. Now, Ryan Fitzpatrick will take over under center for the remainder of the 5-6 Texans’ season. Had Mallett suffered the injury earlier in the season, he could have returned to the field, but that’s not possible now.

Fitzpatrick, who turns 32 today, will start for Houston this Sunday against the Titans. Tom Savage will be elevated to the No. 2 quarterback and if the Texans want to add a third QB, they’ll have to go out of house as there are no signal callers on the practice squad.

Injury Updates: Sunday

November 23rd, 2014 at 10:24pm CST by Rob DiRe

We don’t pass along news on every injury here at Pro Football Rumors, but we’ll keep tabs on those injuries that may be serious enough to warrant a player heading to IR, or his team making a roster move in order to make up for his absence.

This list will be updated as more information becomes available, as always, with news added to the top of the list as it trickles in.

Washington linebacker Adam Hayward will miss the rest of the season with a broken bone in his kneecap, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
Texans‘ quarterback Ryan Mallett practiced and played with a right pectoral injury this past week, and will likely miss several weeks, reports John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). He will undergo an MRI to confirm, but the team expects Ryan Fitzpatrick to start next week against the Titans.
Dolphins‘ cornerback Jamar Taylor suffered a shoulder injury that could end his season, reports Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel. If that is true, he will be the third Miami defensive back to have his season end this November.
NFL interception leader and Browns‘ safety Tashaun Gipson left the game with a knee injury that could sideline him for the remainder of the season, writes Tom Reed of Cleveland.com. He will undergo an MRI Monday to confirm the severeness of the injury.

Earlier Updates

Bengals’ offensive tackle Andre Smith exited today’s game against the Texans with a possible triceps injury. He will have an MRI on Monday to see the extent of the injury, reports Coley Harvey of ESPN (via Twitter). If Smith has a torn triceps, he will likely miss the remainder of the season.
Washington cornerback Tracy Porter joined a long list of defensive backs who were off the field when he exited with a right shoulder injury, reports Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (via Twitter). Porter was ruled out for the game, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter), and could leave the team thin at corner if he misses an extended period of time.
Titans‘ linebacker Kamerion Wimbley suffered a hamstring injury in the loss to the Eagles earlier today, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
Dolphins‘ first-round pick Ja’Wuan James started at left tackle, but was forced out of the game due to a stinger and failed to return, writes James Walker of ESPN (via Twitter). With Branden Albert already out for the season, the team could be very thin at that position.

Sunday Roundup: Peterson, Mallett, Newton

November 23rd, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Rory Parks

We heard earlier today that Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer expects embattled running back Adrian Peterson to return to the team in 2015. However, outside of the obvious public relations decisions that Minnesota will have to make in evaluating Peterson’s future with the club, Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune discusses the untenable financial ramifications of keeping Peterson in the fold. Vensel cites former NFL agent Joel Corry, who says:

“His contract doesn’t bear any relation to the rest of the running back market. I know Peterson had some unique value as the face of the franchise with the new stadium opening in 2016, but that doesn’t exist anymore. From a pure economic perspective, having a 30-year-old running back in 2015 with a $15.4 million cap number and $13 million salary wasn’t going to be the most efficient use of resources.”

As Vensel suggests, the Vikings could approach Peterson with offers for a contract restructure, but Peterson’s receptiveness to such overtures is doubtful at best. That is especially true given that the same ESPN article in which Zimmer expressed his confidence that Peterson would be back with the club also contained the revelation that Vikings general counsel Kevin Warren has been working with the NFL to make sure Peterson does not return this season. That led Peterson to remark recently, “Maybe it’s best for me to get a fresh start somewhere else.”

Let’s look at a few more links as Sunday’s games get underway:

Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle details Ryan Mallett‘s journey to becoming the Texans‘ starter and Mallet’s desire to be more than a one-game wonder as he attempts to lead Houston to a playoff berth.
Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer writes that Panthers quarterback Cam Newton wants to lead a winner in Carolina and Carolina’s front office wants him to stay. His future with club could ultimately depend on if the Panthers can climb atop the weak NFC South in 2014.
Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com answers a number of questions from readers inquiring into the Jaguars‘ strategy this offseason, including draft and free agent targets and the club’s biggest needs.
Marshawn Lynch may be on his way out of Seattle in 2015, but regardless of how he his viewed by the public at large, he is beloved in the Seahawks‘ locker room and his teammates will hate to see him go, writes Jayson Jenks of the Seattle Times.

AFC South Notes: Washington, Ball, Savage

November 8th, 2014 at 2:55pm CST by Rob DiRe

Titans‘ wide receiver Nate Washington was rumored to be available at the trading deadline, and he knows that he could be playing in the last eight games with the team, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. “To be quite honest, I love Tennessee. I love the city, and I love the people. Would I love to retire here? Of course I would,” Washington said. “My family is here and we’ve kind of made this our home. But I can’t lie – some of those things run through your mind.” Washington is in the last year of a six year deal he signed with the Titans in 2009.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC South:

Cornerback Alan Ball has been the Jaguars best defensive back this season, but with his contract up at the end of the year, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com does not see him coming back to the team next year.
While Ball may be leaving the Jaguars, DiRocco sees the team using the draft and free agency to address other parts of the defense. DiRocco believes the team will look to add a defensive lineman, a free safety, and a pair of linebackers this offseason.
The Texans will be starting Ryan Mallett when they come back from the bye week, but rookie quarterback Tom Savage could still see some game action this season. Tania Ganguli of ESPN addresses the chance that Savage takes over at some point, noting that if at some point the Texans decide Mallett is not the long-term answer, the logical move would be to see what they have in Savage this season.

South Links: Panthers, Antone Smith, Texans

November 6th, 2014 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

Unlike Adrian Peterson, whose legal case has concluded, Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy has no clear-cut path back to the field now that his trial has been postponed until after the season. Still, if there were a way for the veteran pass rusher to be reinstated in 2014, his teammates would welcome him back, as David Newton of ESPN.com details.

“Selfishly, as a player, would we want him as a player on our team? Of course. He makes us better,” said tight end Greg Olsen. “We also have to understand there’s a bigger picture. There’s bigger things at play, socially, just the environment we’re in. You have to respect that. I’m glad I’m not the one making the decisions. I trust that the people that have that power – mostly on the league side – will do what’s in the best interest of everyone.”

Here’s more from around the league’s two South divisions:

While Cam Newton has faced increased scrutiny during the Panthers’ recent slide, the former first overall pick remains the team’s best short-term and long-term option at quarterback, writes Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer.
As he approaches free agency, Falcons running back Antone Smith has hired Atlanta-based agent Todd France of Five Star Athlete Management, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. France assumed full ownership of the agency after new Bills owner Terry Pegula divested his interest in the firm.
Ryan Mallett will get a chance down the stretch this season to prove that he’s capable of being the Texans‘ quarterback of the future, but John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) doesn’t envision Mallett back with the team next season. In McClain’s view, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tom Savage will return, along with a third, new signal-caller.

AFC South Notes: Mallett, Jaguars, Brazill

November 5th, 2014 at 6:49pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Texans are going to give former Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett his first career start when the team comes back from their bye week on Sunday, November 16th. If Mallett can hold on to the job for the rest of the season, the draft pick the Texans will have to give the Patriots figures to increase from a seventh-rounder to a sixth-rounder, reports Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. Mallett needs to play only 40% of the snaps in order to meet this threshold, meaning he needs only 350 snaps (just under 52 snaps a game).

Here are some other notes from around the AFC South:

The Jaguars are playing out the season conservatively, focused on not sacrificing long-term health to pad their win total in 2014, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. By protecting their better players and refusing to push them during this losing season, the team could struggle to find many more wins down the stretch, and end up with a very high draft pick.
While the Colts are pushing for the top overall seed in the AFC, and the Texans looking to make the playoffs, the AFC South has not one but two teams in contention for the number one overall pick. Alex Marvez of Fox Sports One wrote a reverse Power Rankings, trying to figure out which teams would have the best shot of landing that top selection. Both the Jaguars and the Titans are both projected by Marvez to pick in the top five based on their play thus far and their schedule over the rest of the season.
Former Colts receiver LaVon Brazill was released from the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).

Bucs, Texans Name New Starting QBs

November 5th, 2014 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

The Buccaneers and Texans have tabbed new starting quarterbacks heading into Week 10, according to multiple reports. Bucs signal-caller Mike Glennon announced yesterday that he has been informed Josh McCown will re-assume the starting job in Tampa Bay (Twitter link), while Houston head coach Bill O’Brien announced today that Ryan Mallett will replace Ryan Fitzpatrick as the Texans’ starter.

While PFR typically doesn’t focus too heavily on lineup changes, these two moves could have long-lasting roster implications, depending on how the new starters fare on the field. In Tampa Bay, new head coach Lovie Smith referred to Glennon earlier this year as the team’s quarterback of the future, despite the fact that the club signed McCown this past offseason expecting the ex-Bear to start. When McCown struggled early on, and then went down with a hand injury, it looked as if Glennon might take the reins for the rest of the season, in what has become a rebuilding year for the Bucs. Now it appears that won’t be the case.

As for the Texans, while Fitzpatrick was tabbed the starter coming into the season, the team also acquired Mallett via trade prior earlier this year, and selected Tom Savage in the draft. Mallett was viewed as a candidate to get a shot at some point, and if he has a strong second half, it could have a huge impact on his future earnings — the former Patriot is eligible for free agency at season’s end, so it’s possible he parlays a strong finish into a more lucrative contract than he would have otherwise received. Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, signed a two-year pact with Houston, but the Texans could get out of that deal next season with just $625K on their 2015 cap, rather than committing to a $3.25MM base salary.

While it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Glennon get another shot for the Bucs before the end of the season, the Texans seem committed to seeing what Mallett can do down the stretch, once the club returns from its Week 10 bye.