The intrigue isn't over yet. Far from it.
An exciting Round 1 of the 2014 NFL Draft is in the books, but expect more fireworks as players come off the board in the second and third rounds tonight.
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The Around The League team studied the state of rosters after Thursday night and came up with three trade possibilities that could happen before Sunday.
We predict at least one of these prognostications comes true or your money back.
Ryan Mallett traded to Houston for a fourth-round pick
The Texans signaled their direction for the No. 1 overall pick when multiple reports surfaced on draft day that they were interested in a deal for Mallett, the backup to Tom Brady in New England the last three years. New Texans coach Bill O'Brien likes what he saw out of Mallett during the 2011 season that they spent together, apparently more than O'Brien likes the second tier of rookie quarterbacks available.
This feels more like the Texans punting on the position than truly coming up with a long-term solution. Mallett has shown little in his preseason appearances with New England. He's an option, and perhaps not a better one than current Houston starter Ryan Fitzpatrick. Texans fans should hope that Houston doesn't have to give up a third-rounder for Mallett, even a 2015 third-round pick. They are likely to be shopping for quarterbacks again next year no matter what they do this weekend.
-- Gregg Rosenthal
Not buying the Glennon love, Lovie
"You know how much I like Josh McCown as our starter here, but I love Mike Glennon," said coach Lovie Smith after the Bucs bypassed drafting a quarterback in Round 1.
Resident seer Chris Wesseling has multiple high-octane sandwiches hinging on Glennon being shopped by Sunday, and I'm certain he'll eat well deep into the summer.
I also agree with Rosenthal that Mallett winds up in Houston. From there, things will get weird all over again at Radio City, with Tampa moving up from No. 38 to Cleveland's slot at No. 35 in order to hopscotch the Raiders and pick Fresno State's Derek Carr.
Then the phone rings. Massachusetts area code. It's Belichick on Line 1 with eyes for the tall-as-an-oak Glennon. He'll be a Patriot by weekend's end. Eat up, Wess.
-- Marc Sessler
49ers trade up for Marqise Lee
The San Francisco 49ers have 77 picks left in the draft -- OK, 10 picks. They need a receiver after all the top targets were off the board by the time they took Jimmie Ward in the first round.
Trent Baalke has plenty of ammo to jump into the top of the second round and grab from the bevy of pass catchers who could go off the board quickly. Lee slipped out of round one. Allen Robinson and Cody Latimer are similar big, powerful catchers similar to what the 49ers boast.
With a need for speed, Lee is the man Baalke will target and jump early in the second round. If he slips to No. 4 we know Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie is willing to deal for picks.
The 49ers don't have enough positions available for all the picks they own. Bundling those to get a receiver like Lee -- a perfect complement to Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin -- makes too much sense for a top-shelf franchise.
UPDATE: The 49ers did make a move Friday for a wide receiver -- trading a mid-round pick in the 2015 draft to the Buffalo Bills for Stevie Johnson.
- -- Kevin Patra *
LaMichael James goes to Cleveland for a sixth-round pick
This is a trade that won't exactly shake the firmament of the league, but it makes a lot of sense for both sides. James wants out of San Francisco and the 49ers have a surplus of running backs. The Browns still need running back depth after Ben Tate, and James would add an intriguing big-play threat for offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan to use in an offense that suddenly looks dynamic.
- -- Gregg Rosenthal *
The latest "Around The League Podcast" provides instant reaction to all the wild happenings in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
