The New England Patriots ended the free fall of quarterback Ryan Mallett, who was one of the most polarizing figures in this year's National Football League draft. Some of the experts thought that the big man from Arkansas was the best pure passer in the Draft this year, while others wouldn't touch him with a ten-foot pole due to alleged off-field problems.
Well, Mallett now finds himself in a place with a quarterback and a coach that are pretty well-established. That team is the New England Patriots.
Yep, the Patriots. . .the team that has a fellow named Tom Brady with three Super Bowl rings calling the signals, and Bill Belichick as the head coach. If there's a better situation for a quarterback that could potentially present off-field issues than the Patriots, it would be hard to name it. The Patriots have been well-known for their ability to take troubled players and make them conform to the "Patriot way."
If you don't believe me, you can ask Corey Dillon or Randy Moss. . .well, that last one was temporary, but at least it happened for a while.
Speaking of Moss, the pick that the Patriots used to select Mallett was the 74th overall selection, a pick that came in the third round.
Yes, that was the pick that the Vikings sent to the Patriots in October in the ill-fated deal for Moss.
Good thing the Vikings got their quarterback of the future well before that, isn't it?