New England Patriots: Nick Mangold named a player to sign
By Nick Ziegler
The New England Patriots have made some great moves this offseason. However, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report named one player they should still acquire.
In 2016, the New England Patriots were able to win their fifth Super Bowl after a wild come-from-behind win against the Atlanta Falcons.
As the Super Bowl Champions, there wasn’t a lot of glaring issues for the Patriots. Usually, the key to beating the Patriots is to get pressure on Tom Brady. However, the Patriots’ offensive line was much better as a unit.
With great protection from his tackles Marcus Cannon and Nate Solder, Brady was able to have a comfortable pocket for most of the season. However, if the Patriots; offense line did have a weakness, it was when the pressure was coming up the middle.
Despite signing an extension this offseason, David Andrews was pretty average for the Patriots last season. According to Pro Football Focus, Andrews was ranked as the 27th center in the league in 2016 overall. As a run blocker, he was ranked 26th overall, and as a pass blocker, he was ranked 27th with a poor 61.3 grade.
With a mediocre season for Andrews, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report believes that the Patriots should pursue Nick Mangold to upgrade at the center position.
"Signing Nick Mangold would be the type of “surprise” veteran acquisition that isn’t all that surprising for the New England Patriots anymore.It would be a gut-punch for New York Jets fans to have to watch the 11-year veteran (and seven-time Pro Bowler) take the field for their most hated rivals. That’s gravy for Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who gets his evil powers by drinking the tears of his vanquished foes."
Seeing that Mangold is still a free agent is rather shocking. With the Jets, Mangold has been one of the best centers in the league. However, injuries and age might be starting to catch up with him.
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Considering that Andrews is just 25-years-old, the Patriots will likely want to continue to let him grow as their starting. However, if something happens to Andrews, Mangold would then certainly be a viable option.