Every Saturday in the offseason, one question from Twitter will be selected and expounded upon based on a hot topic surrounding the New England Patriots:
How's @nickmangold looking health-wise? Could he add some veteran depth? Seems like it would be a classic BB move to bring him in
— Stan T (@StanSportsNE) July 20, 2017
Stan, here is my sense on Mangold's circumstance: He is probably not looking for a situation where he represents depth. The ideal situation for him would be as a first-unit center and, ideally, being paid accordingly.
While that type of opportunity doesn't seem to currently exist, all it takes is one injury in training camp and the picture can look a lot different.
So it makes sense to me that Mangold, who as of about a month ago was still getting physical therapy on his foot/ankle, is taking a patient approach at this time. He's a seasoned veteran who knows how to get himself ready for a season, and the idea of preserving himself by not going through a grind of a training camp might be enticing to him.
So in my opinion the Patriots and Mangold could be a match in the future -- which is true for a lot of teams -- but the timing probably isn't right for him right now.
Meanwhile, as for the Patriots, this is how the second-unit offensive line could look when training camp opens July 27:
LT: LaAdrian Waddle
LG: Jamil Douglas
RG: Ted Karras
RT: Cameron Fleming
If the Patriots want to work Karras at center, they would probably slide a rookie free agent such as Cole Croston (Iowa) or Jason King (Purdue) into the mix at one of the guard spots.
