Still looking to solidify their offensive line, the Ravens want to get a closer look at veteran center Nick Mangold.
The Ravens will bring the seven-time Pro Bowl selection in for a free agent visit Wednesday, an industry source confirmed. There are no guarantees that they will sign him, but the Ravens are doing their due diligence on Mangold’s health after he missed eight games last season with an ankle injury.
The New York Jets released Mangold on Feb. 25 after he was a mainstay on their offensive line for nine seasons, starting 164 games during that time.
After trading veteran Jeremy Zuttah to the San Francisco 49ers last month, the Ravens lack an experienced center on their roster. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said last week that reserve roster holdovers John Urschel and Ryan Jensen could compete for the job; he also didn’t rule out moving projected starting left guard Alex Lewis to center.
However, a healthy Mangold could make the center question moot, while leaving right tackle as the only unsettled position along the Ravens’ offensive line.
Mangold, who is 6-foot-4 and 307 pounds, has a strong resume. A first-round pick out of Ohio State in 2006, he was selected to the Pro Bowl in seven of eight seasons from 2008 to 2015. A vocal leader for the Jets, he was long regarded as one of the top centers in the NFL.
However, there are questions about how much quality football he has remaining. He struggled at times last season and was hampered by the bad ankle.
Still, he hasn’t allowed a sack in 33 consecutive games and he’s been called for just five penalties over the past four seasons, according to Pro Football Focus.
The market for Mangold has been slow to develop, despite him being considered one of the top free agent centers available. ESPN reported last month that a few teams expressed interest in Mangold as a guard, but he had little interest in that arrangement.
ESPN first reported that Mangold, who arrived in Baltimore on Tuesday, was in town for a visit.