There are two Ryan Malletts floating around out there. The first is the one most people think he is. The second is the one the Patriots think he is.
The real Ryan Mallett is expected to stand up at some point over the next couple of seasons when the Patriots need him to fill in for Tom Brady(notes). Who will it be?
Some scouts will tell you it will be a strong armed passer who can’t move. A player whose lack of athleticism is underscored by poor footwork. A cocky guy who likes to party and has a history of immaturity. A player who either admitted to using drugs or was addicted to them. A country bumpkin type. A hoodie wearing, football version of Eminem. The last kind of guy you would expect Bill Belichick to want leading his football team.
The Patriots scouts don’t know what you those people were looking at. Their reports on Mallett, whom they chose in the third round of the draft, paint a completely different picture.
Mallett’s character actually enhanced his stock with the Patriots. They don’t think drugs or other substances are an issue. All that is on his record is one arrest for public intoxication outside a nightclub near the Arkansas campus. They don’t blame him for transferring to Arkansas from Michigan after Rich Rodriguez came in, changed systems and all but showed him the door.
They see him as a player who was respected and liked by teammates at every stop. They point to the fact that he was voted team captain at Arkansas twice by teammates, including once when it wasn’t even certain he would be the starter.
Want more? They believe he is a student of the game. They like the fact that his father is a coach, and Mallett has been around football his whole life. In their interviews and chalk talks with him, it became apparent he knew a lot more than just what he had been told to do. That comes from film study, extensive film study, and a capacity to absorb.
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