May 9 is a significant date in the NFL because it’s then that teams can sign any remaining unrestricted free agents without such a signing affecting a team’s compensatory pick equation. And that’s why the names of Anquan Boldin and LeGarrette Blount have been linked often to the Ravens. The Ravens cherish their comp picks while both Boldin and Blount fill needs.
It remains to be seen whether or not Boldin has a homecoming in Baltimore. He’s made it clear that he’d prefer to stay closer to his Florida home and he’s also stated that he’s likely to sit out until training camp or later. Boldin is a workout warrior so conditioning is never an issue and given his experiences with many offensive coordinators, adapting to a new scheme won’t be much of a challenge.
As for Blount, the bruising back may have been a fit in Baltimore. But the Ravens have known for a while about Kenneth Dixon’s suspension and they determined that Danny Woodhead would be a better fit. That said if the interest was there, it has more than likely vanished after the Patriots pulled off a cold-hearted, callous move by extending a May 9 tender to Blount.
The rarely used tender means that if Blount remains unsigned past July 22, he can only play for the Patriots this coming season. If another team signs him before July 22, Blount would factor in to the 2018 compensatory pick formula. The tender essentially makes Blount less attractive to other teams. For his trouble, Blount would receive a 10% raise over his 2016 base salary if he stays in New England.
Making the move even more heartless is the fact that the Patriots also have running backs Mike Gillislee (who played in Buffalo last season and signed a restricted free agent deal that the Bills opted not to match), Dion Lewis, James White, Rex Burkhead (free agent from Cincinnati), D.J. Foster and Brandon Bolden on their roster.
Fool’s ManGOLD
In 2016 Nick Mangold was the 25th-ranked center according to Pro Football Focus. It’s quite possible that his substandard season can be attributed in large part to an ankle injury, one that apparently hasn’t gone away. Comparatively speaking, Jeremy Zuttah was the 13th-ranked center last season.
.@nickmangold on recovery from injury: We’ve been making the right progress, but it’s been a slow grind…Taken a lot longer than I’d like.
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) May 9, 2017
Making a Mangold signing even more challenging for the Ravens, or any team for that matter, is the price tag he’s floated out there. Word is the former Jet is seeking an annual salary that would place him among the top 7 centers in the league. The average annual salary for a center is $1.833M according to Spotrac.
So now you know why the Ravens are in no hurry to acquire fool’s Mangold.
