HEADLINES

Nick Mangold

Dolphins Not Interested In Nick Mangold

May 21st, 2017 at 6:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Dolphins lack an experienced backup behind injury-risk center Mike Pouncey, Miami has no plans to sign free agent Nick Mangold “at this time,” reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald."<strong

Pouncey has dealt with nagging hip injuries in recent years, and while he doesn’t believe the issue to be career-threatening, he did miss 11 games during the 2016 campaign. As such, the Dolphins need a solid replacement plan in the event that Pouncey goes down. At present, Anthony Steen, Kraig Urbik, and Ted Larsen would compete for time at the pivot in the event of a Pouncey injury, while Isaac Asiata and Jake Brendel could also factor in on the interior.

Mangold, 33, has been linked to the Giants and Ravens since being released by the Jets earlier this year. Baltimore, specifically, is engaged in something of a “holding pattern” with Mangold at the moment.

Ravens, Nick Mangold In Holding Pattern

May 14th, 2017 at 1:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Ravens and free agent center Nick Mangold remain in a holding pattern, and it’s unclear if the two sides will ultimately agree on a deal, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Money is likely the issue holding up a potential contract, but Baltimore probably prefers to ink Mangold sooner rather than later, per Hensley.Nick Mangold (Vertical)

2016 starting Ravens center Jeremy Zuttah was traded to the 49ers earlier this year, so Baltimore’s top options on the interior are currently Ryan Jensen, John Urschel, and fourth-round rookie Nico Siragusa, the latter a natural guard who expressed confidence he could shift to center. Mangold, then, would given the Ravens a veteran presence at the pivot, and allow those younger lineman to compete with Alex Lewis for time at guard.

Mangold, 33, missed eight games last season with an ankle injury before being released by the Jets in February. He met with the Ravens in April, and general manager Ozzie Newsome & Co. are reportedly comfortable with Mangold’s medicals. Mangold has also drawn interest from the Giants since being cut.

East Rumors: Pats, Blount, Pugh, Mangold

May 9th, 2017 at 9:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots could offer a tender to free agent running back LeGarrette Blount in an attempt to retain him for the 2017 season, as Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap details (Twitter links). Unrestricted free agents that aren’t signed by May 9 are eligible to be tendered a one-year contract by the player’s original club for 110% of his prior year salary (for Blount, that would amount to roughly $1.1MM). Not only would such a maneuver allow New England to be in line for a 2018 compensatory pick if Blount signs elsewhere, but it would give the Patriots exclusive negotiating rights with the veteran back if he doesn’t land a contract by July 22. This option isn’t exclusive to New England — any team can do this with its unsigned UFAs — but Fitzgerald notes that such a move would be a typical Patriots strategy.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • After playing out his fifth-year option in 2017, Giants guard Justin Pugh will become a free agent next spring, and he’s aware of the rising price tags for interior offensive linemen. “The guard market has gone up,” said Pugh, according to Dan Duggan of NJ.com. “Do you even know who some of those guys are that were getting paid? I feel good about where I’m at.” New York is reportedly interested in signing Pugh to an extension, but the 26-year-old will likely have expensive demands after grading out as the No. 16 guard in the league last season, per Pro Football Focus. Kevin Zeitler reset the guard market this offseason after inking a deal with Cleveland that pays him $12MM annually.
  • Free agent center Nick Mangold confirmed previous reports that the Jets didn’t make a real effort to keep him on the roster at a lower price before releasing him outright (Twitter links via SiriusXM NFL Radio). Mangold, 33, was later asked about the possibility of joining the Patriots and quipped Bill Belichick isn’t overly fond of him after the pair’s “battles” in the AFC East. On Monday, Mangold indicated he is still working to get back to full health and didn’t rule out the possibility of retiring. Recently, PFR listed Mangold as a potential external option for the Saints if they need a fill-in for injured center Max Unger.
  • Giants linebacker Mark Herzlich is changing his jersey number from 94 to 44 so that can appear eligible on offensive plays, as Tom Rock of Newsday writes. While Herzlich didn’t identify which offensive position he’ll be playing, tight end and/or fullback would seem to make the most sense. Herzlich has played tight end on New York’s scout team, per Rock, but otherwise hasn’t seen time on offense since high school.

Extra Points: Eagles, Walker, Mangold, Vikes

May 8th, 2017 at 9:29pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Newly minted Eagles defensive tackle Charles Walker drew criticism for leaving Oklahoma’s football team last year before its season ended (head coach Bob Stoops essentially called him a quitter), but it turns out he had a good reason. Walker’s early exit came because of a battle with depression, which he explained in a letter to all 32 NFL teams prior to the draft, reports Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter links). Walker also notified clubs that taking medication has helped curb his depression. Despite that positive development and Walker’s high upside, nobody took a flier on him during the seven-round draft.

More from around the game:

  • Free agent center Nick Mangold, unemployed since the Jets released him in February, told Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday that he’s “trying to get ready” for 2017, but it doesn’t appear retirement is out of the question for the 33-year-old. When asked if he has ruled out walking away from football, Mangold said, “We’re still trying to see what the options are.” Although he has an outstanding track record, there has been scant interest in the seven-time Pro Bowler this offseason. It’s possible that’ll change shortly, however, as New Orleans may be on the lookout for help in the middle of its offensive line.
  • After a four-year stint as Nebraska’s quarterback, the undrafted Tommy Armstrong is going to have to change positions if he wants to make the Vikings. Armstrong, who’s currently unsigned, entered the Vikings’ rookie minicamp trying out at running back. Minnesota then shifted him to safety, and he intrigued the club enough to earn an invitation to organized team activities, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. Said Armstrong, whose college career included 90 touchdowns (67 passing, 23 rushing): “I met with (defensive backs coach Jerry) Gray after practice Sunday, and he said, ‘We’re going to fly you back up here (next) Sunday and we’ll give you a playbook. He said he’d call me in a few days. They also like the way I’ve been playing special teams.’’
  • Upward of 12 players in the Spring League have been invited to NFL minicamps. CEO Brian Woods says he’s happy with the way things have played out since the league’s inaugural season wrapped up. “We were pleased with the NFL turnout for sure,” Woods said (via Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com). “It was overwhelming and we were happy to have it. I was talking as it wrapped up with some of our coaches, and we feel like this league is in position to help quarterbacks as much as anything, and we all know that’s an ongoing priority for the NFL.” Generally, though, NFL execs have told Seifert that they wished the league was younger as a whole. Running back Ben Tate, 28, apparently turned in the best performance of any of the league’s players.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

10 Centers The Saints Could Pursue

May 8th, 2017 at 12:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Saints center Max Unger went under the knife to help fix an issue with his foot, and that surgery will cause him to miss the start of the season. With no exact timetable in place for his return, the Saints will likely consider out-of-house options to help fill the void.

With some help from PFR’s Dallas Robinson, here are centers that New Orleans could look into acquiring:

  • Nick Mangold (free agent): Mangold remains on the open market and he stands as the most obvious choice for the Saints to consider. The Saints would be hard-pressed to find anyone with a resume as impressive as Mangold’s and the seven-time Pro Bowler probably wouldn’t cost all that much at this stage of the offseason. At the same time, there’s a reason why he is still available here in May and word of clubs asking him to change positions isn’t exactly encouraging. "<strong
  • Jason Kelce (Eagles): Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com was quick to connect the dots on Monday morning after word of Unger’s injury broke. The Eagles reportedly have had Kelce on the trading block for some time now and the Saints would now be a logical landing spot for him. The Eagles beat writer suggests that a Kelce deal could see running back Mark Ingram going to Philly, but I personally have a hard time seeing that happen. If the Saints are unable to meet the Eagles’ asking price for Kelce, however, they might be able to swing a deal for another interesting option on their roster.
  • Stefen Wisniewski (Eagles): If the Eagles were to trade Kelce, Wisniewski or guard Isaac Seumalo would be the top candidates to step into the starting role. However, Wisniewski himself would make lots of sense as a stopgap for the Saints. Wisniewski was a starter for five straight years with the Raiders and Jaguars before landing with the Eagles as a reserve. In addition to that starting experience, he also offers experience at guard, so he could be used at multiple spots once Unger returns to action. Pro Football Focus ranked him 39th among 72 eligible guards last season with strong marks for his pass blocking skills.
  • Joe Hawley (Buccaneers): The Buccaneers are moving Ali Marpet to center and he could very well wind up as the starter. There’s also Evan Dietrich-Smith and guard/tackle Ken Pamphile to consider for the No. 1 job and that could make Hawley expendable. The 28-year-old (29 in October) has been the Bucs’ primary center for the last two years, but he could be on the outside looking in after camp concludes. This offseason, he re-signed with the team on a two-year, $5.5MM deal with just $1MM guaranteed. It’s an affordable deal that the Saints could easily wiggle out of next year, if need be. Alternatively, the Bucs may want to dangle Dietrich-Smith in New Orleans’ direction.
  • Tim Barnes (49ers): Barnes just showed up in San Francisco, but indications are that the Niners will use Jeremy Zuttah as their starting center in 2o17. Before getting cut this offseason, Barnes spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons as the Rams’ starter. Another Niner, Daniel Kilgore, could have appeal for the Saints.
  • Cameron Erving (Browns): The Browns are planning to move Erving to right tackle now that J.C. Tretter is in town, but perhaps the Saints would be interested in seeing what he can do in the middle. Then again, he was shifted to right tackle last year after performing poorly in 12 games at center.
  • Matt Slauson (Chargers): Slauson isn’t guaranteed to start this year thanks to the presence of Max Tuerk, Forrest Lamp, and Dan Feeney. All three players are rookies (Tuerk didn’t play in 2016 thanks to his knee injury) but the team is high on each of them. In theory, Slauson could be shifted over to guard with Tuerk starting in the middle, but it’s also possible that Feeney starts at right guard over him. Slauson would be a valuable swing reserve for Los Angeles, but the Bolts might also be willing to trade him thanks to their glut of O-Line options.
  • Joe Berger (Vikings): Vikings coach Mike Zimmer sees third round rookie Pat Elflein as a center, and that could potentially make Berger expendable. Berger, 35 later this month, has started 68 games over the course of his career. He graded out as the 12th best guard in the entire NFL last season, according to PFF. He earned an even stronger overall score in 2015 when he primarily played in the middle. Berger still has plenty in the tank, so it would be harder to pry him away than some of the other names on this list.

Ravens Rumors: Mangold, Draft, Mixon

April 6th, 2017 at 10:23am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens had a good meeting with center Nick Mangold and are comfortable with his medicals, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. There’s nothing imminent on that front, JLC reports, but a deal could emerge at some point.

Mangold, 33, could be the Ravens’ replacement for Jeremy Zuttah in the middle of the offensive line. Although he missed half of the 2016 season, the veteran has been largely healthy over the course of his NFL career. On Wednesday, GM Ozzie Newsome hinted that the team could be on the verge of adding a free agent soon and that free agent just might be the former Jets standout.

Here’s more out of Baltimore:

  • Ravens assistant GM Eric DeCosta believes Mike Williams and John Ross both have a grade that could put them in the mix for the No. 16 overall pick (via Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com). DeCosta said that Corey Davis and JuJu Smith-Schuster were also somewhere in that range. The Ravens used their 2015 first-round choice on a wide receiver (Breshad Perriman), but that wouldn’t necessarily preclude the team from going that route again in 2017.
  • DeCosta was diplomatic when asked about Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon as a player, but “you can be that Mixon’s name is nowhere to be found on the team’s draft board,” Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun writes. Naturally, the Ravens are not going to consider Mixon after going through the Ray Rice ordeal a few years ago. Speaking of Rice, he has found a new job.
  • More from Zrebiec, who gets the sense that the Ravens not content with having just seven picks in such a deep draft. Newsome has said that teams have asked about potentially moving up to the Ravens’ No. 16 pick if a certain player is available. Zrebiec notes that in five of the past 12 drafts, Newsome has either moved up, back, or out of the first round entirely.
  • On Thursday morning, we learned that the Ravens are on the verge of re-signing defensive back Lardarius Webb. Webb was a cap casualty earlier in the offseason but the fan favorite has agreed to return at a lower price. Before circling back to Baltimore, Webb also drew interest from the Vikings.

FA Rumors: Ravens, Mangold, Bills, Walden

April 5th, 2017 at 7:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Ravens may be close to bringing a free agent on board, as general manager Ozzie Newsome told reporters, including Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. “We’re working,” Newsome said. “And I can say there’s a high probability of that, yes.” That unidentified free agent could be interior offensive lineman Nick Mangold, who met with Baltimore today but left without a contract. Mangold would fit the Ravens’ need for a veteran center, and as Hensley notes, Baltimore lost a potential option when John Sullivan signed with Los Angeles earlier today. Newsome & Co. traded former starting pivot Jeremy Zuttah to San Francisco last month.

Here’s more from the free agent front:

  • Free agent defensive back Marcus Cromartie will work out for the Bills on Friday, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link), who indicates Buffalo would be willing to play Cromartie at either corner or safety. Cromartie, 26, hit the open market last month after San Francisco declined to offer him a restricted free agent tender. He’s appeared in 21 games during his three-year NFL tenure, mostly acting as a special teams player during that time. Cromartie has generated a good amount of interest since being cut lose, as the Jets, Seahawks, Eagles, and Lions are all keeping touch.
  • Linebacker Erik Walden has hired Michael and Jason Katz of CSE Talent as his new representation, tweets Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal. Walden, 31, fired agent Todd France at the tail end of last month. His only known visit came with the Titans after the Colts informed him he wouldn’t be retained. PFR ranks Walden as the sixth-best edge defender remaining on the board.
  • Two new players have hit the free agent market after being waived/released today: the Packers cut ties with defensive tackle Ego Ferguson after he failed a physical, and the Saints parted ways with veteran backup quarterback Luke McCown.

Ravens Meet With Nick Mangold

April 5th, 2017 at 8:00am CST by Zachary Links

Center Nick Mangold is visiting the Ravens, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley (Twitter link). The veteran arrived late Tuesday afternoon and will stay with the team through Wednesday. Nick Mangold (Vertical)

[RELATED: Ravens Trade Timmy Jernigan To Eagles]

The Ravens shook things up at center this offseason when they traded Jeremy Zuttah to the 49ers. As it stands, their only options are the unproven John Urschel and Ryan Jensen. Mangold, of course, would offer tons of experience and a resume that includes seven Pro Bowl nods.

The Jets cut the 33-year-old in February after he missed half of the 2016 season. Before that, however, he missed just four regular season Jets games over the previous nine seasons. Mangold was ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 25th best center last year, but he has posted several top ten and top five seasons over his career.

Even if he’s no longer an elite center, Mangold still stands as the best option available in free agency. If the Ravens pass on signing him, they could instead look to the draft and consider players like LSU’s Ethan Pocic, Ohio State’s Pat Elflein, and West Virginia’s Tyler Orlosky.

Giants Interested In Ex-Jets C Nick Mangold

March 27th, 2017 at 12:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have interest in former Jets center Nick Mangold, according to a source who spoke with Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. Mangold has been a free agent ever since being let go by Gang Green in late February. "<strong

The Jets saved more than $9MM by cutting Mangold and there has been no real talk of a reunion at a lower rate. I have Mangold rated as the best center remaining in free agency, but teams have reportedly asked him about moving to guard.

The Giants already have Weston Richburg at center with Justin Pugh at left guard and the newly re-signed John Jerry at right guard. The G-Men also added guard D.J. Fluker in free agency, giving the team additional depth. It’s not immediately clear where or how Mangold would factor into the Giants’ plans. In theory, he could be a tremendous reserve to fill in at all three interior spots – not unlike Stefan Wisniewski’s role last season with the Eagles – but Mangold might be holding out for a more prominent role. Alternatively, the Giants could offer him a chance to compete with Richburg for the starting job in training camp. After finishing near the bottom of the league in yards per game last year, the Giants might be open to some O-Line change.

late last month, allowing the team to clear upwards of $9MM of cap room for 2017. Contending clubs are expected to pursue the veteran and PFR’s Dallas Robinson speculated that the Buccaneers, Bengals, Lions, Vikings, Redskins, and Cardinals could be among the clubs to call on him.

If Mangold joins the Giants, he’ll join fellow ex-Jets Brandon Marshall and Geno Smith.

Top 2017 Free Agents By Position 3.0: Offense

March 17th, 2017 at 12:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The initial wave of NFL free agency is now complete, and while many of the league’s top available players are now off the board, there are still plenty of quality options still on the open market.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each offensive position. These rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts – or the amount of guaranteed money – that each player is expected to land in free agency. These are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account.

Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents, as well as players who received the franchise tag, aren’t listed here, since the roadblocks in place to hinder another team from actually acquiring most of those players prevent them from being true free agents.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some free agents than you are, so feel free to weigh in below in our comments section to let us know which players we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2017:

Quarterback:

  1. Jay Cutler
  2. Chase Daniel
  3. Ryan Fitzpatrick
  4. Colin Kaepernick
  5. Josh McCown
  6. Robert Griffin III
  7. Case Keenum
  8. Matt McGloin
  9. Mark Sanchez
  10. Christian Ponder
  11. Blaine Gabbert
  12. Ryan Nassib
  13. Shaun Hill
  14. Kellen Moore
  15. Austin Davis

Tony Romo is not a free agent…at least not yet. If the Cowboys do not find a suitable trade and release him, you’ll find him at the top of this list.

Laugh if you must, but Cutler is far and away the best quarterback available on the open market. While most of this year’s QB-needy teams are done with their free agent shopping, the Jets are still searching for their 2017 starter and no one would make more sense for them than Cutler. He’s not all that far removed from playing solid football and he’s a logical transitional option for the Jets until they can isolate a better, younger option for 2018. Jay Cutler (Vertical)

Kaepernick’s reps wisely told the press that he will be standing for the National Anthem this year. Still, Kaepernick is an outspoken guy who wants to use his platform to discuss hot button issues, so there’s no guarantee that the media circus around him will cease. Jets owner Woody Johnson loves seeing his team on the back pages of the New York tabloids, but even he has to have more sense than to entertain Kaepernick. McCown, who has been contact with the team, would be an okay choice if they can’t get something done with Cutler. Chase Daniel could be an option too, but there isn’t much game film on him.

Needless to say, the No. 3 ranked player on this list isn’t an option in New York.

Running back:

  1. Adrian Peterson
  2. LeGarrette Blount
  3. Jamaal Charles
  4. Rashad Jennings
  5. Tim Hightower
  6. DeAngelo Williams
  7. Chris Johnson
  8. Christine Michael
  9. Benny Cunningham
  10. Bobby Rainey
  11. Brandon Bolden
  12. Denard Robinson
  13. James Starks
  14. Matt Asiata
  15. Kenjon Barner

Honorable mention: DuJuan Harris, Antonio Andrews, Khiry Robinson

Adrian Peterson (vertical)The Vikings have moved on and Peterson will not be back in Minnesota. Where he goes from here is anyone’s guess. When Peterson’s option was declined by the Vikings earlier this month, there were tons of stories (likely sourced by Peterson’s camp) about interest from a litany of contenders. Since then, each team – through anonymous sources – has denied being in the mix for the veteran. It would be easy to doubt Peterson at this juncture, but he has come back from serious injuries multiple times in his career and he is only one year removed from his stellar 2015 campaign. He gets the top spot over the bruising Blount as well as Charles, who hasn’t been healthy in a long while.

Jennings was brought to New York with the idea that he would be the team’s workhorse. Unfortunately, two of his three seasons with the G-Men were marred by injury. Jennings is currently putting his agility to good use on Dancing With The Stars and it remains to be seen how committed he is to football. After that, we have a trio of vets (Hightower, Williams, CJ2K) who could still advance the ball in limited spurts.

In case you’re wondering – Mike Gillislee is not listed here because he is a restricted free agent.

Read more

Load More Posts