ChrisPozz wrote:Ray_Dogg wrote:Ravens are releasing Jeremy Zuttah. Just went to Pro Bowl and PFF graded him 14th among Centers with high run blocking.
I'm as interested to see what they do for the center spot as just about any position on the offense. If one can use Shanahan's recent history as a guide for what he's going to do with the play calls, more of it will fall on the center and not on the quarterback (thank God if they go young QB in THIS draft), so it's going to be very important to see what they think of the center spot this year.
One of my favorite attributes about Kilgore coming in was that he had the mentality and temperament I look for at the center spot but he was a developmental project from a technical and recognition standpoint so I'm not sure he'll be a fast pick up for the Shanahan offense, assuming it's similar at that spot to what he's favored in his recent past.
Not 100% convinced Zuttah is in the perfect mold for a Shanahan center but at least coming into the NFL, and the small bits I've seen so far, I could see, though I don't know for sure, Zuttah being a faster pick up on the Shanahan offense and being a better link initially for the others around him on that line right away than I would expect Kilgore to be.
Nick Mangold would be an interesting short term option. It might not be the easiest transition for him into a Shanahan offense after the career he's had but he's another guy whose temperament and mentality I like and I could see him being able to squeeze out and hold his own relatively OK if they do deem the center spot to be critical in this offense and need a stabilizing force until they can figure out what to do long-term. I'd especially be interested in this if they did go young at QB this year. A couple teams have asked Mangold to play guard already so it's possible he could be attracted to a situation where he wouldn't have to me, though playing for a definite contender at guard or center might trump any of that for him. I don't know.
Outside of that, I don't see a ton there in FA at C, in my opinion. A lot of older names and guys who are still developing and have struggled elsewhere.
RAVENS TRADE JEREMY ZUTTAH TO SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Ravens-Trade-Jeremy-Zuttah-To-San-Francisco-49ers/251028ac-8560-4a03-972a-15b0c76fe6ac
