So at this point, my feeling is that whatever the club could get in return (projected here as a late-round pick at best) pales in comparison to the value Mallett has on the roster as Tom Brady’s insurance policy. I think the best-case scenario for the team and Mallett at this point is that he lights it up in the preseason, creating some value for himself, and then he can sign elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent next offseason and the Patriots could potentially be rewarded with a high compensatory draft choice.