The Jets released Nick Mangold earlier today, but it doesn’t sound as if the veteran center will be on the free agent market for long, as he’s expected to garner interest from contending clubs, according to to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
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Entering his age-33 season, Mangold clearly isn’t the same player he was just a few years ago, when he was a regular presence on All Pro and Pro Bowl rosters. In 2016, Pro Football Focus graded Mangold as the No. 25 center in the league — still starting caliber, but not performing at an elite level of play. Still, Mangold could theoretically offer a veteran presence to a team that needs a final piece along its front five.
Speculatively, clubs such as the Buccaneers, Bengals, Lions, Vikings, Redskins, and Cardinals are among the teams that could both use interior reinforcements and are near enough to a postseason berth to fit into Garafolo’s “contenders” label. The Browns, 49ers, and Rams could also show interest in Mangold, but he may not want to join a club that’s in rebuilding mode at this stage of his career.
The Jets did not approach Mangold about a paycut informing him of his release, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Although Cimini labels the breakup as an “amicable parting”, the fact that Gang Green didn’t even attempt to lower Mangold’s salary before parting ways indicates that a reunion — on a cheaper deal — is probably unlikely.
Is Mangold able to play guard? If so, it would open up his options to more teams and could even drive his price even further up.
What’s left in the tank……