Nick Mangold

Checking In On Top FAs Still Available

May 28th, 2017 at 9:58am CST by Rory Parks

Last week, we checked in on the top cornerbacks still available and discussed the latest news as to each of those players. Today, we’ll check in on three more big-name free agents who are still without a 2017 employer (Darrelle Revis would be included in this post, but in addition to last week’s cornerback article, we also discussed Revis’ market in two separate posts this past week).

We start with Perry Riley, who quietly put together a very nice season with the Raiders in 2016, ranking as the 15th-best linebacker in the league according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. In 11 games for Oakland — he did not sign with the club until October — he posted 48 total tackles, two forced fumbles, and one pass deflection. Riley spent the first six years of his career with the Redskins, and he was a solid starter for much of that time. Now 29, it is a bit surprising that we have not heard more reports on Riley, as only the Raiders have expressed any public interest in his services. We heard prior to free agency that the Raiders were trying to get a new deal done with Riley, and just last week we learned that negotiations between the two sides progressed reasonably well. However, Riley and the Raiders could not come to terms, and while the team is still in the market for a middle linebacker, it sounds as if it is prepared to move on. The guess here, though, is that Riley will ultimately return to the Raiders, as the club’s middle linebacker position is arguably its weakest. The Raiders signed Jelani Jenkins this offseason, and they also drafted Wake Forest’s Marquel Lee in the fifth round of this year’s draft, but they can hardly expect either of them to be difference-makers (Jenkins, in fact, graded out as the worst full-time linebacker in the league last season per PFF and will likely only appear in sub-packages). As such, a reunion with Riley just makes too much sense.

Outside of Riley, Ryan Clady is the only member of our 2017 list of top 50 free agents to remain unsigned, and like Riley, Clady has not generated a great deal of interest on the open market. The Seahawks are the only team to have publicly reached out to Clady, and while the 30-year-old tackle (31 in September) visited Seattle in March, he left town without a contract. At his peak, Clady was one of the premier left tackles in the game, but injuries have derailed the career of the four-time Pro Bowler, as he has appeared in just 27 of a possible 64 regular-season games since 2013. He spent the first seven years of his career with the Broncos before signing with the Jets last season, but he played in only nine games (eight starts) for Gang Green before suffering a season-ending rotator cuff injury, and the club ultimately decided not to exercise his 2017 option. While no one can rely on him to serve as a starting-caliber left tackle for a full season at this point, it’s hard to imagine his not getting a chance to crack another tackle rotation this summer. Outside of the Seahawks, the Ravens may be a potential landing spot, as Baltimore lost starting right tackle Ricky Wagner this offseason and may prefer to keep guards Alex Lewis and Marshal Yanda on the interior of the line.

Speaking of the Ravens, Baltimore has been connected to another former Jet, Nick Mangold, this offseason. In addition to a potential right tackle vacancy, the Ravens also have a hole at center, and Mangold could represent a quality stopgap solution in that regard. The two sides met early last month, and the Ravens — unlike some other teams, who believe Mangold’s health makes him better-suited to a guard spot at this stage of his career — are comfortable with Mangold’s medicals, but compensation appears to be the obstacle at this point. Assuming Mangold is healthy, he would be a perfect fit in Baltimore. The team is apparently comfortable playing Lewis at right tackle, but signing Mangold would allow John Urschel, Ryan Jensen, and rookie Nico Siragusa to compete for the starting left guard spot and create solid depth throughout the rest of the rotation. Should the Ravens fail to sign a right tackle and/or a center, three of their starting offensive linemen would be mid-round draft choices with little to no track record at the professional level. Mangold has also drawn interest from the Giants, but with Weston Richburg entrenched at center, and with Justin Pugh and John Jerry on either side of him, it’s unclear how Mangold would fit in with Big Blue.

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.

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.

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.

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.
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.

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.

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.

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