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Nick Underhill of MassLive.com heard from a source that the Browns “really want” Mallett, but that conventional wisdom was contradicted by a second report from Cabot that stated quite strongly that the Browns “have not and will not” show interest in Mallett. Now, CSNNE’s Tom E. Curran reports that the Patriots have not had any talks with other teams regarding Mallett today.

This could all change later on, because it was Greg Bedard of the Boston Globe who reported that the New England Patriots received offers for Mallett from “multiple teams”. The three sources close to Bedard also stated that there is a slightly greater chance of Mallett leaving New England than staying with the Pats, and this seems to indicate that a few teams have significant interest in Mallett. The Patriots are high on Mallett and thus have a high asking price for Tom Brady‘s backup. If a team doesn’t offer at least a second-rounder for the Arkansas product, the then the Patriots are fully expected to hang up.

There is still a decent chance of Mallett getting dealt today, and the Patriots could be better off for it. They are very picky with their asking price, so they aren’t going to get ripped off or anything. There has been no shortage of rumors and new updates regarding Ryan Mallett, and the latest report from Curran is the next layer.

Curran’s report that the Patriots have not talked trade for Mallett backs ups Cabot’s most recent report and refutes Howe. I have a feeling the Browns think the Patriots asking price is too high, especially since the ideal trade for Mallett is a second-rounder. The Browns don’t have a second-round pick. I’m sure Michael Lombardi really wants Mallett, and Rob Chudzinski would have a nice fit for his vertical offense with Mallett. But it’s all about the asking price, and it sounds like the Browns aren’t too keen on it. The Browns were once the favorites to land Mallett, but now it seems like the Patriots will have to look at what other teams are willing to offer.

Although the Pats haven’t talked trade yet today, I’m sure teams will start calling in and trade talk will heat up during the draft. Man, it is such a stressful time for an NFL front office, and we’ll be sure to look out for the most recent updates regarding Mallett from reports such as Howe, Bedard, Cabot, Curran, and Underhill.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

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This report comes in contrast to earlier reports from the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and even the Plain Dealer. A source told Cabot earlier that there were rumblings of the Browns offering the Patriots a deal for Mallett, and the Boston Herald then reported that the Browns had indeed asked the Patriots about Ryan Mallett. To add to that, a source told Nick Underhill that the Cleveland Browns “really want” Ryan Mallett. Ultra-reliable beat guy Greg Bedard heard word from three sources that multiple teams asked the New England Patriots about Mallett, and those three sources also informed Bedard that there is a slightly greater chance of Mallett leaving New England than staying.

The Patriots want at least a second-round draft choice for Ryan Mallett, because they are still clearly high on Mallett’s ability for the future. If they were to trade Mallett, then Mike Kafka would be the primary backup to Tom Brady, and the Patriots, as Bedard reported, would be expected to draft a QB this year.

Cabot’s source directly refutes two strong reports from Boston-based beat writers, but Cabot is Cleveland-based and has the value of having the most recent report. But the Browns have always been mentioned as the team most likely to land Mallett, and Michael Lombardi does love Mallett (he and Bill Belichick are also good friends, if that means anything). Mallett also fits Rob Chudzinski’s new vertical offense in Cleveland, but maybe the Browns-Mallett talk has been overhyped. Who knows? Maybe the Browns feel like the Patriots asking price is too high, or they don’t want to do what it takes do give the Pats a second-round pick.

There could be a variety of reasons, and it’s interesting to hear this source say the Browns “have not and will not” call up the Patriots regarding Mallett. However, Bedard’s report still hold steady, because he reported multiple teams- not just one, like the Browns- have interest in Mallett. The Patriots could still trade the promising backup QB, even if this report holds true and the Browns aren’t involved in trying to acquire Mallett. And yes, Cabot is very reliable and this report has a solid chance of being the final say in this.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

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Given how high the Patriots are on Mallett, that seems to make me believe that the Patriots are going to get exactly what they want for Mallett, which is a large sum of assets in the draft. Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported earlier that the Browns could send another trade offer for Mallett, and then Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald later reported that the Browns have indeed inquired the Patriots about a potential Mallett deal.

Now, another reliable beat writer in MassLive.com’s Nick Underhill is reporting that the Cleveland Browns do indeed “really want” Ryan Mallett. The Browns have long been regarded as the favorites for Mallett, because new GM Michael Lombardi loves him and new head coach Rob Chudzinski’s vertical offense seems to fit Mallett well. The source told Underhill, “The Browns really want him. But we’ll see.”

The Patriots aren’t going to trade Ryan Mallett for less than a second-rounder, and that’s a draft pick the Browns currently lack. They could try to package other picks, trade down and give up a second-rounder, or even put all the chips on the table and trade a first-rounder next year for Mallett. There is plenty of interest from the Cleveland Browns here, but we’ll see if the Patriots are able to get what they want from the Browns. If Mallett was traded, then Mike Kafka would be the primary backup to Tom Brady, and I would also expect the New England Patriots to take a quarterback in the 2013 NFL Draft.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.