The Facts: Citing a league source, MassLive.com's Nick Underhill reports the Texans have "real" interest in acquiring Ryan Mallett from the New England Patriots. Underhill reports there is "nothing definite" yet, as it's still in the "just talking" phase. But Houston's interest is there.

Diehards Line: The Texans have an obvious connection to Mallett. New HC Bill O'Brien was the Patriots offensive coordinator in 2011, when Mallett threw up a 108.2 passer rating on 19 attempts in his first preseason game. Sitting behind Tom Brady for three seasons, Mallett has a rifle for an arm but no notable NFL experience in games that count. Acquiring Mallett would presumably cost the Texans their early-second draft pick. That price tag might not make sense for other teams, but as NFL.com's Chris Wesseling notes, the leap of faith isn't as wide for O'Brien due to his first-hand knowledge of the player. ... More if/when developments warrant.