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.