New England Patriot back-up Quarterback Ryan Mallett has been the motivator of much chatter around the league, as teams that are interested in improving their QB situation look to at him with a trade in mind.

In the days leading up to this years NFL draft, Mallett was rumored to be heading to the Houston Texans in some sort of trade that might include draft picks. This line of thinking was supported the next day when the team drafted Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in the second round.

At the time Mallett told the Providence Journal that he was trying to stay focused on preparing for the upcoming season, just like he would any other offseason. He said since he was heading toward free agency in 2015, it made sense the Pats would call a Quarterback in this draft.

"I feel good," Mallett told the Journal. "I'm in pretty good shape. We're getting better every day and you know, it's all we can do right now."

Mallett has played behind Brady since the 2011 season. He said he hasn't changed anything as he heads into the final season on his contract and that his mentality has always been to be ready whenever his time came. And he knew it would come, eventually.

If Mallet isn't traded to the Texans, then there are plenty of other teams who would be interested. Coach Bill Belichick recently insisted that Mallett is not trade bait, he might of just been telling other teams to up the ante a little on any offer they intend to make.

The Dallas Morning News thinks that the Cowboys might be interested in adding Mallett to their roster. It makes sense, because you have to think that the Romo train has about run to the end of the line, if the Boys don't make some noise in the playoffs this year. Mallett is arguably the best back-up in the league behind Kirk Cousins in Washington, and behind Romo, the Cowboys are out of options.