The Boston Globe's Ben Volin suspects the Patriots will net a middle-round pick in the potential Ryan Mallett-to-Houston trade.

Multiple reporters have since confirmed CSN New England's story, that the Pats and Texans are indeed discussing a Mallett deal. Volin believes a Mallett trade would not stop Houston from drafting an early-round signal caller, and it would also put New England in the market for a backup quarterback. There are whispers the Patriots are eyeing Mike Glennon in a trade with Tampa Bay.

CSN New England's Tom Curran reports the Texans are on the verge of acquiring Patriots QB Ryan Mallett.

Per Curan, a deal "may soon be done." If it seems out of nowhere, it shouldn't. New Texans coach Bill O'Brien was the Patriots' offensive coordinator when they made Mallett the No. 74 overall pick of the 2011 draft. Heading into the final year of his rookie contract, Mallett has attempted just four regular-season passes.

ESPNBoston's Mike Reiss believes the Patriots will add another quarterback either through free agency or the draft.

Reiss believes the Pats could select a quarterback as early as the third round. With Ryan Mallett likely on his way to bigger and better things after his rookie contract expires next offseason, it makes sense for the Patriots to address the backup quarterback position now. New England has met with at least ten draft eligible quarterbacks this offseason.

According to Draft Insider Tony Pauline, the "feeling league wide" is the Patriots will draft a quarterback in May because they "expect to lose" Ryan Mallett after the upcoming season.

Mallett is entering the last year of his rookie deal. The Pats have shown some interest in Virginia Tech QB Logan Thomas. New England has drafted six quarterbacks since stealing Tom Brady in the 2000 sixth round. They are Rohan Davey, Kliff Kingsbury, Matt Cassel, Kevin O'Connell, Zac Robinson, and Mallett.

The Houston Chronicle reports the Texans "won't be trading for" QB Ryan Mallett.

Beat writer John McClain is on top of everything Texans. While the dots connect between Mallett and Houston coach Bill O'Brien, Mallett still means a lot to the Patriots as Tom Brady's backup. The Texans have numerous holes to fill and aren't going to deal significant draft pick compensation for a quarterback who has attempted just four career passes and remains an unknown throughout the league. McClain thinks Cleveland's Brian Hoyer would make a better trade target. Like Mallett, Hoyer has history with O'Brien from their New England days.

Nick Underhill of MassLive.com reports the Texans have expressed interest in acquiring Ryan Mallett.

Underhill adds that the level of interest is just "talk" at this point, and it's not clear whether the Patriots would consider trading Mallett. Entering the final year on his rookie contract, Mallett will almost certainly test free agency after this season so New England could be inclined to get something of value for him now. Mallett has a history with Texans HC Bill O'Brien, who was the Patriots offensive coordinator in 2011. Trading for Mallett would allow the Texans to address a position other than quarterback with the first overall pick.

ESPN Vikings blogger mentions Ryan Mallett as an intriguing trade target for Minnesota.

Matt Cassel opted out of his contract, leaving Christian Ponder as the only quarterback on the Vikings roster. Minnesota also holds the No. 8 pick in the draft, which may be too low to draft any of the top quarterbacks. Free agency doesn't offer anything more than veteran stopgaps. Enter Mallett. Mallett and Adrian Peterson reportedly have a "friendly relationship," and GM Rick Spielman has done deals with the Patriots in the past. Spielman chose Ponder with the 12th pick in the 2011 draft. Mallett went to the Patriots at No. 74 overall.

Patriots QB Ryan Mallett's "head" injury suffered in Friday night's preseason opener was not a concussion.

Pats docs didn't even feel the need to give Mallett concussion tests. Mallett did not return after struggling, allowing Tim Tebow to perform cleanup duty in typical ugly fashion. Mallett should be fine for the next preseason game.

Ryan Mallett completed 9-of-18 passes for 97 yards in the Patriots' preseason opener against Philly.

Mallett's accuracy and decision making still look like a work in progress. He missed throws he should make, and came away with a 5.39 yards-per-attempt average versus a truly brutal-looking Eagles defense. If the Patriots are going to use Mallett as trade bait anytime soon, he'll have to pick up his play.

Ryan Mallett's arm continues to draw rave reviews at Patriots practices.

The 6'6/238 Mallett is stuck behind Tom Brady once again this season, but his name continues to pop up as a potential NFL starter down the line. He'll be a free agent following the 2014 season. "He's got arm strength like I've never seen. Ever. He uses that really well," Shane Vereen said.

Patriots QB Ryan Mallett has put together an impressive stretch of practices this summer.

The third-year quarterback, who has become a fixture in offseason trade speculation, is reportedly looking more comfortable than ever and continues to grow with each practice. ESPN Boston reports Mallett was throwing "fast balls" into tight windows and is consistently making "wow" throws at each practice. It was also noted that continued improvement with accuracy will be key for Mallett moving forward.

Citing a source, the Boston Herald reports the Browns have contacted the Patriots -- again -- regarding the trade availability of Ryan Mallett.

Per the Herald's Jeff Howe, the Pats are asking for "at least" a second-round pick, which Cleveland doesn't currently have but could acquire if it traded down in round one. The Browns aren't going to give New England the sixth overall pick. Browns GM Mike Lombardi has long been infatuated with Mallett's talent. His big arm would also be an excellent fit in Rob Chudzinski's vertical attack.

Sources tell the Boston Globe that the odds are slightly in favor of the Patriots trading QB Ryan Mallett.

NFL.com reports the Patriots won't trade Ryan Mallett for less than a first-round pick, or "maybe" a second.

The Pats are remarkably adept at pumping up their backup QBs' value through the media, but it does stand to reason they'd want more than the third-round pick they spent on Mallett in any potential deal. We'd guess the "maybe" on a second-rounder is more "probably," however. New England may have lost a potential trading partner in the Browns Wednesday after they signed Jason Campbell.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer says that "some still think" the Browns will make another pitch for Ryan Mallett.

Mallett is an ideal fit for the Browns transition to a vertical-based offense, and it's still not out of the question that he'll be pursued to compete with Brandon Weeden. GM Mike Lombardi told NFL Network earlier this month that if a trade happens, it won't be until April.

ESPN Cleveland believes a Ryan Mallett to Browns trade is still a possibility.

The Boston Herald considers a Ryan Mallett trade unlikely at this point.

The Browns and Bucs have reportedly expressed interest in trading for Tom Brady's strong-armed backup. But without the ability to sign Mallett to a long-term deal -- which isn't allowed based on the new CBA -- interest appears light. Perhaps that will change as more and more backup QBs fall off the market.

One league source told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he expects the Browns to pursue a trade for Ryan Mallett.

Another source, however, said Patriots coach Bill Belichick "won't part" with Tom Brady's backup. That could change if Matt Cassel becomes available -- he will -- and replaces Mallett behind Brady. Cleveland would have to fork over a second-day draft pick or perhaps two of them because last year's second-rounder was used on Josh Gordon in the Supplemental Draft. Mallett would be a solid fit for new Browns coach Rob Chudzinski's long ball-based vertical attack.

ESPN's Mike Reiss sees the Browns as the only possible trade partner for Ryan Mallett.

XTRA 910 Arizona's Mike Jurecki reports the Cardinals won't pursue Ryan Mallett.

Jurecki punctuated his tweet with a "confirmed" hashtag. The Cardinals hadn't been formally linked to Mallett, but will be mentioned in connection to every available QB until they secure an upgrade on their in-house Three Stooges. The Pats are believed to be more open to dealing Mallett after locking Tom Brady up through 2017.