Post by Guvmintcheeze on Oct 27, 2015 18:08:09 GMT
Nick Mangold's injury could expose flaw in Jets' roster
When asked Monday about the value of center Nick Mangold, whose status this week is uncertain because of a neck injury, Willie Colon replied with effusive praise of his linemate. He concluded: "I don't think anybody can replace him."
There's more truth to that statement than meets the eye.
A flaw in the New York Jets' roster construction could be exposed this week if Mangold is unable to play at the Oakland Raiders. Quite simply, they don't have a backup center on the 53-man roster. They have a former college tackle playing guard and moonlighting as a center -- Dakota Dozier.
Dozier replaced Mangold for the final three snaps in Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots, bringing his career total to four. He spelled Mangold for one snap in the season opener.
In training camp, the Jets had only two natural centers on the roster, Mangold and Dalton Freeman. Clearly not sold on Freeman, they rotated others at center, hoping to convert a guard into the role -- killing two backup spots with one stone, so to speak. Dozier, Wesley Johnson and even Brian Winters got looks, with head coach Todd Bowles eventually settling on Dozier. Johnson was retained on the practice squad and Freeman was sent packing. He had a cup of coffee with the Buffalo Bills. Currently, he's a free agent.
It was a calculated gamble, just as not adding a veteran backup quarterback during Geno Smith's jaw recovery was a calculated gamble. That decision worked out fine; this time, they will get burned if Mangold can't play. Bowles said it's "possible" Mangold will be ready for the Raiders (3-3). The man has missed only three games in nine-plus seasons, so I'm betting on him to play.
If not ... oh, boy. They could start Dozier or call up Johnson from the practice squad or sign a veteran center, which seems unlikely. This is reminiscent of 2011, when Mangold missed a couple of games with a high-ankle sprain. They didn't have an experienced backup, so they started a guy named Colin Baxter, an undrafted rookie whom they had picked up on waivers only three weeks earlier.
The coaches and scouts talked up Baxter, giddy with the belief they had discovered a diamond in the rough. They were wrong. He started the next two games -- both losses -- and he never started again in the NFL.
By the way, Baxter's first start was in Oakland -- a tough place for any center, let alone a neophyte. The crowd is loud and rowdy, making it harder for the center to keep his composure and communicate line calls. Mangold has seen everything in his career, so you know he won't be rattled under any conditions.
"Nick is our field general just as much as Fitz is," said Colon, referring to quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. "He's everything for us. He's pretty much a coach on the field. His value is huge."
Fitzpatrick concurred, saying, "He saves my butt a lot, too. If they’re getting in different types of looks, we’re able to communicate and sometimes I can lean on him and rely on him to get everything straight up front, especially in the hostile road environments."
Sunday will be hostile. The Jets need Mangold to be ready in the Nick of time.
When asked Monday about the value of center Nick Mangold, whose status this week is uncertain because of a neck injury, Willie Colon replied with effusive praise of his linemate. He concluded: "I don't think anybody can replace him."
There's more truth to that statement than meets the eye.
A flaw in the New York Jets' roster construction could be exposed this week if Mangold is unable to play at the Oakland Raiders. Quite simply, they don't have a backup center on the 53-man roster. They have a former college tackle playing guard and moonlighting as a center -- Dakota Dozier.
Dozier replaced Mangold for the final three snaps in Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots, bringing his career total to four. He spelled Mangold for one snap in the season opener.
In training camp, the Jets had only two natural centers on the roster, Mangold and Dalton Freeman. Clearly not sold on Freeman, they rotated others at center, hoping to convert a guard into the role -- killing two backup spots with one stone, so to speak. Dozier, Wesley Johnson and even Brian Winters got looks, with head coach Todd Bowles eventually settling on Dozier. Johnson was retained on the practice squad and Freeman was sent packing. He had a cup of coffee with the Buffalo Bills. Currently, he's a free agent.
It was a calculated gamble, just as not adding a veteran backup quarterback during Geno Smith's jaw recovery was a calculated gamble. That decision worked out fine; this time, they will get burned if Mangold can't play. Bowles said it's "possible" Mangold will be ready for the Raiders (3-3). The man has missed only three games in nine-plus seasons, so I'm betting on him to play.
If not ... oh, boy. They could start Dozier or call up Johnson from the practice squad or sign a veteran center, which seems unlikely. This is reminiscent of 2011, when Mangold missed a couple of games with a high-ankle sprain. They didn't have an experienced backup, so they started a guy named Colin Baxter, an undrafted rookie whom they had picked up on waivers only three weeks earlier.
The coaches and scouts talked up Baxter, giddy with the belief they had discovered a diamond in the rough. They were wrong. He started the next two games -- both losses -- and he never started again in the NFL.
By the way, Baxter's first start was in Oakland -- a tough place for any center, let alone a neophyte. The crowd is loud and rowdy, making it harder for the center to keep his composure and communicate line calls. Mangold has seen everything in his career, so you know he won't be rattled under any conditions.
"Nick is our field general just as much as Fitz is," said Colon, referring to quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. "He's everything for us. He's pretty much a coach on the field. His value is huge."
Fitzpatrick concurred, saying, "He saves my butt a lot, too. If they’re getting in different types of looks, we’re able to communicate and sometimes I can lean on him and rely on him to get everything straight up front, especially in the hostile road environments."
Sunday will be hostile. The Jets need Mangold to be ready in the Nick of time.