Mallett considers early entry into the NFL
It looks like Mallett may be one-and-done playing for the Razorbacks too. He's requested a review of his prospects by the NFL Collegiate Advisory Committee. I'm betting he'd be picked late first or early second round.
"I've sent the paperwork in," Mallett said, "but just to see the grade. That's it."
Any idea where he ranks?
"No idea," Mallett replied.
Is there a number that would tempt him to declare for the draft or one that him decide to return to Arkansas?
"I'm not even worried about that right now," Mallett said. "That was just a preliminary thing that a lot of juniors do. So I did it just to see what they have to say. Right now we're focused on East Carolina and the practices this week have been very good. I think we're going to be very prepared for this team."
Petrino injected extra urgency in Mallett's preparation. The coach gave backup second-year freshman quarterback Tyler Wilson the bulk of the first-team time in practices last Thursday and Friday after Mallett was late for a meeting.
Source: http://www.baxterbulletin.com/article/20091223/SPORTS/912230332/1006/SP…
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:29 PM ^
This would be a big mistake. Stay another year and be drafted top 10.
December 24th, 2009 at 12:46 AM ^
After all, he didn't get where he is now by honoring committments.
December 24th, 2009 at 7:33 AM ^
Dos pointos para tu!
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:33 PM ^
I want him to declare for the draft and have a mediocre NFL career.
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:34 PM ^
Yea i agree, he could be an elite NFL QB in my opinion if he stays in college another year or two
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:53 PM ^
Staying in NCAA and getting drafted higher would help him financially, but I don't see how it would make him a better player - wouldn't he learn faster by playing in the NFL as opposed to NCAA?
December 24th, 2009 at 12:06 AM ^
The NFL is a win now environment. Teaching is secondary, because you'll only be teaching for the next coach to reap the benefits. Will he get more NFL style schooling? Sure. But if he needs to make a big leap (not saying he does or doesn't), college is the way to go, because they're used to the turnover and grooming. They won't wait for him.
December 24th, 2009 at 10:24 AM ^
How many games has Mallet started in college? 15? He'll be a "project" in the NFL, and will have to sit on the bench for at least 3 years. Unless he really needs money now, it seems like he's better off waiting a year.
December 24th, 2009 at 11:49 AM ^
he started 16 games in college went #5 overall and started as a rookie.
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:37 PM ^
Everything on this blog about Mallet has painted him as an immature selfish athlete. I fully expect him to enter the draft and have a similar career to Ryan Leaf
December 24th, 2009 at 12:16 AM ^
In Mallet's defense, those things were written about him while he was an 18 year freshman. Not alot of people are mature at that age. I haven't heard any negativity about him since he's been at Arkansas. I read an interview and he was very mature about his comments concerning Michigan. Didn't take any cheap shots and just stated that RR and himself were going in two separate directions.
December 24th, 2009 at 12:53 AM ^
He did get arrested for public intoxication back in March. Here's the link:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/sec/2009-03-01-arkansas-ryan-mallett_N.htm
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:38 PM ^
I pray to the draft day GODS... That Jimmy Clausens NFL stock takes the same nose dive as Brady Quinn and that Ryan Mallet is drafted ahead of him.
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:15 PM ^
Bashing Jimmah! isn't as fun as used to be.
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:42 PM ^
Is everyone still bitter he left? Mallett is a great talent, and was one of the best QBs in the country this year. I'm sure he'll get a high grade but he could definitely benefit from another year. Yes the kid is a dick, just ask anyone who went to skeeps on a Tuesday night in the fall of '07. But be realistic, he'll probably be one of the better QBs to get drafted when he does decide to go and could do really well in the league.
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:18 PM ^
Mallett should go and get paid. He can mature with cash in the bank. No brainer here.
December 24th, 2009 at 6:17 AM ^
Michigan fans if they're bitter is kind of a rhetorical question, don't you think?
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:56 PM ^
I think if Mallett stayed then we could have run an offense similar to what Texas Tech runs. Manningham and Arrington might have stayed and Ryan could have had like a 4000-5000 yd season. The vengeful part of me wants him to leave so that Arkansas only gets one year of him but the other would like to see him develop one more year and be a top 10 pick next year.
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:02 PM ^
Mario was for sure gone anyway and Adrian was more or less gone at the point too. mallet leaving didn't affect those guys. Though I agree, that offense would've been incredible.
December 24th, 2009 at 9:36 AM ^
Mallett or no, even with Arrington, last year's offense would have been mediocre at best. We just didn't have a good offensive line or a good healthy RB. Throwing raw QBs into that situation was disastrous, but Mallett wouldn't have been much better. He isn't a shifty guy who can buy time with his feet, his accuracy was really bad, and he was a fumbler. A bad OL exacerbates all those things. If the guy had stayed we would be (unfairly) saying Ryan regressed badly his soph year.
With an extra year of practice Ryan's accuracy is now ok (no telling how good it was in 2008, when we would have started him), and behind a decent OL that can give him time I think he's pretty good (though he'd be better if Arkansas could actually run the ball too).
December 24th, 2009 at 11:02 AM ^
I don't think the offensive line gets enough credit for how well a QB does. Very rarely does a good QB make an Oline better (Tom Brady is on a very short list - the Pats Oline somehow became much better when he started QBing there). I know it isn't nearly the same situation, but Terrelle Pryor's line this year was worse than last year and, surprise surprise, his numbers weren't as good. Maybe it is because he somehow digressed in his second year, but I think a lot of that has to do with poor offensive line play.
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:58 PM ^
and sits behind a vet for a couple years, a team in the late 1st rd, I was thinkin the Cards. Its pretty clear Leinart is not the QB of the future for them. But if Warner plays for two more years and Mallet can step in that might work. Imagine him throwing to Fitz,Stevie B, and Bolden if he's still there. It sucks he transferred because I believe he could have had success in this offense, but the kid is a hellva QB. If he goes to the right team and the right situation who knows.
Although if he stays his stock would probably improve then he gets drafted by a worse team and might be expected to play right away and that might not work out so well. (see Lions and Stafford).
December 24th, 2009 at 12:28 PM ^
Yes but what if he sits behind say Eli Manning for 5 years then he might never get a chance.
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:59 PM ^
I heard that Ryan Mallett was a total pot head.
December 24th, 2009 at 7:25 PM ^
that's not noteworthy, there's more players that smoke than players that don't.
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:08 PM ^
Why leave us before
Tiny slot receivers could
Make you look taller.
But had you stayed on
You would be slow like Coner
Threet and Sheridan.
Taller than Navarre
Throwing hard you are always
Malletsaurus Rex.
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:11 PM ^
The "Threet Era" already seems like such a long time ago....
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:19 PM ^
Tall under center
He of the powerful arm
Snap fumbled again
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:09 PM ^
mallet didnt want to stay and play. whatevs. shit happens.
but i saw an arkansas game against lsu, i believe, where he absolutely rifled the ball - i havent seen a college qb throw a harder ball ever. i knew right there that nfl GMs would definitely mess themselves over an arm like that.
im sure he's going to be a high draft pick. he has the intangibles. whether or not he's going to be a good nfl qb, thats a different story...
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:15 PM ^
I think if he goes pro scouts will fall in love on the spot at the combine, lineman size with the strongest arm in the nfl from day one. I know alot more goes into being a good nfl qb, but from a physical standpoint its all there.
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:27 PM ^
until he got hurt and Tom Brady gave a jaw dropping performance with his wily veteran reads/progressions, not his arm strength, all in his first start.
I still remember Jaws commenting the next week that he couldn't believe a first time starter could diagnose the defense in a way that would put himself in the Top 5 on day one.
December 24th, 2009 at 10:18 AM ^
It's not just the intangibles, Brady has a rifle too. Brady might be a little skinny, but he has the prototypical NFL tool set. The scouts just missed it when he was coming out.
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:20 PM ^
The only thing he really needs to work on is his accuracy - he hit like 57% of his passes this year. But there is no doubt he's an excellent talent and will project well at the next level. If Mallett receives a good grade, I'd say go for it.
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:29 PM ^
Ryan Mallett is a god to me for leaving Michigan.
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:32 PM ^
There is more to this....,,petrino is tired of his prima Donna attitude, he has been late for some meetings and bowl game practices as well. They are ready for him to moooove along,
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:48 PM ^
Mallett has a ridiculous amount of talent and a canon for an arm and don't envision any scenario where he falls out of the first round.
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:53 PM ^
This could have to do with the rookie salary limits starting with the 2011 draft. If there's a chance he could he could make more money this year without the limits, it's not a bad business move. Academics obviously don't appear to be his top goal (just my perception at least). He definitely has talent, but whether or not he's ready to play every Sunday, that I'm not sure about.
December 24th, 2009 at 7:31 AM ^
What are the proposed changes? (Or are have they already been made and are set to occur with the 2011 draft?)
December 24th, 2009 at 11:54 AM ^
but it isn't coming until 2012 at the earliest according to C. Mortensen.
December 24th, 2009 at 11:55 AM ^
I don't know the specifics, but next year the NFL is supposedly going to implement some sort of rookie pay scale that will cap and significantly reduce rookie salaries
December 24th, 2009 at 12:13 AM ^
Thanks for the memories.
December 24th, 2009 at 2:04 AM ^
Even though they weren't so great
December 24th, 2009 at 2:06 AM ^
Mallett is the Nuke LaLoosh of football.
December 24th, 2009 at 4:44 AM ^
He's like Navarre without religion.
December 24th, 2009 at 6:38 AM ^
After what happened to Sam Bradford, and with the new rookie pay structure in the works, I think it would be a no-brainer for Mallett to head to the NFL.
Every year you wait risks injury. It is also another year you don't get paid. Mallett was the sixth ranked QB in the country and the top QB in the SEC. He would benefit greatly if taken by a team that would give him a year to hold a board and learn.
http://espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=232007
December 24th, 2009 at 6:48 AM ^
The next Jeff Gorge... For anyone who complains about RR running this kid off, F off. This just proves how immature he really is. If he gets a high enough grade he is gone.
December 24th, 2009 at 8:34 AM ^
surprised if Mallett is the top QB drafted. Scouts will be drooling over his size and his arm.
December 24th, 2009 at 10:51 AM ^
I think you people underestimate Al Davis. Davis has pretty much finally given up on Jamarcus Russell, meaning that the Raiders are going to spend ANOTHER top 10 pick on an overrated offensive weapon. Jimmy Clausen comes to mind, but he doesn't have a strong enough arm for Ol' Al. Here's my guess, and I'd say it's fairly accurate. The ONLY way Davis makes a smart pick is if Mallett doesn't declare and his other love affair (a safety with speed) Taylor Mays has been drafted by then. Then he'll go with somewhere where he needs help, like the O-Line. And if Mallett declares, the ONLY team that takes him high is Oakland.
December 24th, 2009 at 11:20 AM ^
This is not surprising given the planned rookie salary cap and the fact that Mallet has looked good this year. I have only seen him once but the reports have been generally positive.
Actually the best thing for a guy like Mallet would be taken somewhere low on the first round - because he goes to a better team. He will get more money high but could end up like David Carr after a few years in Houston - shell shocked and playing backup for the Giants. Minnesota would be an interesting scenario for someone like Mallet, especially if they can keep Favre there for one more year. Or possibly Arizona in the last years of Warner's career. He will get more in Oakland to start but it could get ugly and the second, bigger contract may not happen.
December 24th, 2009 at 11:46 AM ^
As previous posters have alluded to in separate posts be it the possibility of injury, the possible rookie salary cap restructuring, to possessing the intangibles the scouts covet one could say that a perfect storm of positive circumstances has arisen for Mallet given a yet to be determined favorable grade by the NFL powers if you will. I for one agree that another year of college ball would prove beneficial for his development, but not more so than getting drafted late 1st round and sitting behind a proven veteran for a few years as did Brady and A. Rodgers in their development. Another year of college will help him hone his skill set a bit more, but making the jump to the league now would prove even more beneficial in his development both physically and maybe more importantly mentally. Yes for every Brady there’s a Roethlisberger, and for every Roethlisberger there’s a Stafford, but the key is as “bleedzblue” alluded to earlier that if he stays and improves his stock, he’s more than likely headed to a team in 2011 that needs him on the field from day 1 which usually equates to poor teams with weak organizational support for continued development.