Tag: alex mack

PFF predicts Falcons will lose Keanu Neal, Alex Mack in free agency

The NFL’s 2021 free agency period kicks off in just under a month but the Falcons won’t have the cap room to make any major moves.

The NFL’s 2021 free agency period kicks off in just under a month, but the Falcons won’t have the cap room to make any major moves. Atlanta is still roughly $20 million over this year’s projected cap number, which will make re-signing the team’s own free agents a challenge.

Strong safety Keanu Neal and center Alex Mack are likely to hit the open market unless the Falcons designate one of them for the franchise tag. If the team hopes to re-sign either player, though, some roster tweaking and potential contract restructuring would first have to take place.

Both players could end up signing elsewhere, which is what Pro Football Focus predicts in its free agency preview feature. Neal is listed as the No. 72 free agent and PFF has him signing with the Houston Texans.

“Neal is set to hit free agency coming off his $6.466 million fifth-year option in 2020, and he’s fortunate Atlanta stuck by it. He was able to play a full season and provide quality snaps down in the box as well as in the slot, and a versatile safety who lurks near the line of scrimmage could be just what a few teams need this offseason.

Prediction: Texans sign Neal for two years, $10 million ($5M APY): $6 million total guaranteed, $3.5 million fully guaranteed at signing.”

Mack is the No. 81 rated free agent on the list and PFF predicts he will land in Los Angeles blocking for Matthew Stafford and Cam Akers.

“2021 would be Mack’s age 36 season, and Father Time appears to be catching up to the longtime great center. With Atlanta set to bring in a new general manager and head coach as the team turns toward the future, Mack may have to move on.

Prediction: Rams sign Mack for one year, $6 million fully guaranteed at signing.”

PFF also predicts Atlanta will sign free-agent defensive lineman Brent Urban to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million.

“A plus run defender who has been remarkably consistent as a below average pass-rusher along the defensive line, Brent Urban has a role as an early-down rotational body for some team in the NFL. He has just 55 total pressures from over 800 pass-rushing snaps over his career.

Contract Analysis: Urban signed a veteran minimum contract to stay with the Chicago Bears in 2020 after they signed him following a release from the Tennessee Titans during the 2019 season. While he may be a bit one-dimensional, he was excellent against the run in 2020, and a reunion with former Titans DC Dean Pees in Atlanta could help provide a solid interior presence for a team that needs it.”

Urban wouldn’t fix Atlanta’s pass rush, but he could provide some depth on the interior of the defensive line. The team still desperately needs an edge rusher and could add one early in the upcoming NFL draft.

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49ers an enticing destination according to free agent C Alex Mack

Kyle Shanahan and free agent center Alex Mack know each other well, and the 49ers need a center.

Veteran center Alex Mack is very familiar with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. Mack is a soon-to-be free agent. Shanahan and the 49ers could be in the market for a center. A reunion would make a lot of sense, and Mack wasn’t shy about praising Shanahan in an interview with NBC Sports.

Mack, 35, has played 12 seasons in the NFL, including two in Shanahan’s offense.

“Kyle is an incredible coach,” Mack said via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. “He’s an incredible coach, great person, strong motivator and runs an offense that is something that I’d know really well and that I performed very well in.

“Yeah, that said, (the 49ers) are a very enticing thing.”

Shanahan coached Mack initially with the Browns in 2014 – the center’s sixth season in the league. During the 2016 offseason he signed a five-year, $47.5 million contract to join Shanahan in Atlanta where he helped the Falcons get to the Super Bowl.

The 49ers find themselves with a sizable hole at center going into the offseason. Weston Richburg’s health is a significant question mark after he missed all of last season due to complications from a knee injury he sustained late in 2019, and his replacement, Ben Garland, is a free agent.

There doesn’t appear to be a reliable option on the roster, which is why a Mack-Shanahan reunion makes sense. On the other hand, Mack could get priced out of San Francisco’s range given their potential salary cap restraints. They could opt to fill the center role through the draft while spending their available cap space on other needs.

Mack didn’t rule out San Francisco entirely though, and left a reunion with Shanahan on the table. He’ll be a name to keep a close eye on come free agency.

Alex Mack put on COVID list, may have played final game in Atlanta

Falcons Pro Bowl center Alex Mack may have played his last game in Atlanta after landing on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday.

Falcons Pro Bowl center Alex Mack may have played his last game in Atlanta after landing on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday.

Mack is more than likely out for the team’s season finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, which is technically the final game of the five-year contract he signed with the Falcons in 2016.

Mack has been quietly consistent for much of his five seasons in Atlanta, and his signing remains of the best moves made by former GM Thomas Dimitroff.

As much as the Falcons would love to have him back, though, it’s unlikely they can afford him unless he takes a team-friendly contract just to stay.

If this is indeed Mack’s last game in Atlanta, fans will remember his time here fondly as his presence in the middle of the offensive line helped the team reach the Super Bowl in 2016.

Here’s a mic’d up segment Mack was featured in earlier this season.

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WATCH: Falcons OL Alex Mack was mic’d up in Week 14

There hasn’t been much for Atlanta Falcons fans to cheer about in 2020. An 0-5 start killed any realistic playoff chances the team had, and it’s hard to get excited about draft positioning in December. 

There hasn’t been much for Atlanta Falcons fans to cheer about in 2020. An 0-5 start killed any realistic playoff chances the team had, and it’s hard to get excited about draft positioning in December.

Win or lose, the game is always exciting for center Alex Mack. Now playing in the fifth year of a five-year contract he signed with the Falcons in 2016, the 12-year veteran may be enjoying his final season in Atlanta.

Still, Mack brings the energy of a 22-year-old to each and every game, which you can see in his mic’d up segment from Sunday’s loss to the Chargers below.

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ESPN analyst proposes Bears trade that makes sense

The NFL trade deadline is quickly approaching (Nov. 3) and with it comes the opportunity for teams like the Chicago Bears to make last-minute bold moves to enhance their odds of making a legitimate playoff run. One area of Chicago’s roster that …

The NFL trade deadline is quickly approaching (Nov. 3) and with it comes the opportunity for teams like the Chicago Bears to make last-minute bold moves to enhance their odds of making a legitimate playoff run.

One area of Chicago’s roster that needs a lot of work is the offensive line, and according to ESPN’s Matt Bowen, there’s a logical fix that requires sending a few late-round picks to the Falcons.

“Falcons center Alex Mack to the Bears for a 2021 fifth-rounder and 2022 sixth-rounder,” Bowen wrote. “Adding Mack would allow the Bears to bump center Cody Whitehair to guard, boosting the interior of the offensive line that has struggled to gain traction this season in the running game.”

There’s a lot to like about this proposal. First, Mack is a quality center and, at worst, is a lateral move from Whitehair. At best, he’s an upgrade. Whitehair has been a target of criticism from former Bears players like Olin Kreutz, who knows a thing or two about playing center. It may be time for a change at the pivot.

Second, and as Bowen pointed out, Mack would give the Bears a chance to reshuffle the interior of their offensive line and elevate the level of play they’ve been receiving from Rashaad Coward and Germain Ifedi.

Coward is the Bears’ lowest-graded player on offense, per Pro Football Focus, and needs to find his way to the bench. The problem is Chicago doesn’t have a viable replacement for him. Hence, a trade!

There’s no other way for the Bears to fix their offensive line. They have to make a trade, and they have to make an aggressive trade for a player like Mack. Swapping a fifth-round pick in 2021 and a sixth-rounder in 2022 is well worth the returns they’ll receive from Mack over the second half of the 2020 season.

The Falcons should be willing to part with Mack, too, who’s scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

Dan Quinn says Falcons DE Dante Fowler has sprained ankle

There was some concern among Falcons fans after Fowler was seen wearing a knee brace while sitting out of Monday’s practice.

The Atlanta Falcons are counting on free-agent defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. to be a difference maker on defense this season, and the early returns from camp have been overwhelmingly positive.

However, there was some concern among Falcons fans after Fowler was seen wearing a knee brace while sitting out of Monday’s practice. According to head coach Dan Quinn, though, Fowler has a sprained ankle, per team reporter Kelsey Conway.

Quinn said Atlanta will be without RB Todd Gurley (rest), OL Alex Mack (rest) and rookie DL Marlon Davidson (knee strain) on Tuesday. Davidson sounds like he’s still a few weeks away from being able to contribute, as tweeted by ESPN’s Vaughn McClure.

Lastly, the Falcons’ other starting defensive end, Takk McKinley, will be limited today as he recovers from shoulder surgery.

Check back for more updates after the team’s Tuesday training camp practice.

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Alex Mack named one of TD Wire’s top 11 centers

The Falcons’ offensive line was far from a strength last season, despite investing considerable offseason resources into rebuilding it. One area that hasn’t been an issue, though, is the center position.

The Falcons’ offensive line was far from a strength last season, despite investing considerable offseason resources into rebuilding it. One area that hasn’t been an issue, though, is the center position.

Alex Mack signed with the Falcons in 2016, prior to the team’s Super Bowl run, and has been a model of stability ever since. He may not have many years left in the NFL, but Mack continues to play at an elite level.

The 34-year-old is entering the last year of his five-year contract in 2020. According to the writers over at Touchdown Wire, Mack is still among the best in the NFL at his position.

In Doug Farrar’s 11 best centers feature, Mack came in at No. 5. Here’s what he had to say about Atlanta’s Pro-Bowl lineman.

Mack will turn 35 in November, making him the oldest player on this list, but there’s nothing about his game that suggests he’s ready to pack it in anytime soon. In 2019, he had the most regular-season pass-blocking reps of any center in the NFL with 805, and he allowed two sacks, eight quarterback hits, and 19 quarterback hurries in all those snaps.

And as a run-blocker… well, last season, per NFL Next Gen Stats, Atlanta running back Devonta Freeman was the league’s worst when it came to Rushing Yards Over Expectation, while the Falcons finished fourth overall. 

The Falcons drafted guard/center Matt Hennessy out of Temple in the the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Hennessy may eventually replace Mack at center but this season, he will compete for the left guard job.

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The NFL’s 11 best centers

Centers are the underrated captains of any NFL offense. Here are the 11 best in the game today.

A good center is the unheralded captain of an offense. While we all talk about skill position players, and maybe throw in the names of a few marquee offensive tackles if we’re feeling particularly smart, interior offensive linemen are crucial to the implementation of any offensive design.

And centers are just as important as anybody. Not that it’s a pleasant job at times. Imagine you’re an NFL center. You have to have all the plays in your head as much as (or more than) your quarterback does. Most often, you’re in charge of the adjustment calls that tell other blockers how to switch their blocking patterns to merge with defensive line changes. You have to know all your single-blocks, all your combo blocks, and you have to be ruthlessly accurate when hitting the second and third levels of a defense to block linebackers and defensive backs on certain plays — sweeps, screens, and more.

Oh, and there’s also the matter of getting the ball to the quarterback, whether he’s under center, in the pistol formation, or in straight shotgun, with at least one gigantic defensive tackle aligned to one of your shoulders or head-to-head. You have mere milliseconds to snap the ball before those one or more gigantic defensive tackles come down on you with the hammer of the gods.

Few jobs in sports test one’s mental acumen and physical endurance on every play more than this one. Centers never get the attention they deserve, but at Touchdown Wire, we’re out to change that. Here, after poring over advanced metrics and watching a lot of tape, are the top 11 centers heading into the 2020 NFL season.

Honorable Mentions

(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

Rodney Hudson was Kansas City’s center from 2011-2014, Mitch Morse replaced Hudson in that role in 2015 and held it through 2018, so we should definitely keep an eye on Austin Reiter, who helped the Chiefs win their first Super Bowl in 50 years as Morse’s replacement. Both Hudson and Morse are on this list, and Reiter could certainly find himself there soon — he allowed just 11 total pressures on a league-leading 835 pass-blocking snaps in the 2019 season, and if he’s able to improve his run-blocking, the sky’s the limit. The Jets signed former Broncos center Connor McGovern  (not to be confused with current Cowboys guard Connor McGovern) to a three-year, $27 million deal this offseason, and McGovern should be a great addition to a line in desperate need of help just about everywhere. For all their quarterback issues, the Bears have two linemen — James Daniels and Cody Whitehair — who have been excellent centers through their times in the Windy City. Washington’s Chase Roullier, a sixth-round pick out of Wyoming in the 2017 draft, is another young center to watch. Tampa Bay’s Ryan Jensen was a particularly tough omission, as he pass-blocked very well in an unpredictable deep-passing offense, and should be even more efficient in the switch from Jameis Winston to Tom Brady.

Now, on to the top 11.

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Video: Alex Mack on the secret to career longevity

The Falcons have used a considerable amount of draft capital on rebuilding their offensive line over the past two offseasons, but the team’s best lineman was acquired in free agency.

The Falcons have committed a considerable amount of draft capital to rebuilding their offensive line over the past two years, but the team’s best lineman was acquired in free agency.

Alex Mack, a former first-round pick by the Browns in 2009, has solidified the middle of Atlanta’s offensive line since signing with the team in 2016. The Falcons reached the Super Bowl during Mack’s first season.

At 34 years old, the All-Pro center could be the poster boy for NFL longevity.

During a guest appearance on The Jim Rome Show, Mack talked about the potential challenges of playing without fans in the stadiums, and explained how he’s remained one of the league’s best offensive linemen for over a decade.

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Alex Mack says rookie OL Matt Hennessy ‘seems like a great kid’

Falcons center Alex Mack doesn’t know how much longer he’ll play, and therefore understands the team’s decision to draft Temple’s Matt Hennessy in the third round.

The Falcons may have found a long-term replacement for All-Pro center Alex Mack but the 34-year-old leader of the team’s offensive line continues to perform at an elite level.

Still, Mack doesn’t know how much longer he’ll play, and therefore understands the team’s decision to draft Temple’s Matt Hennessy in the third round. Talking to the media over a video chat, Mack praised the rookie.

“He seems like a great kid,” said Mack. “Excited to have him on board and teach him everything I can.”

Asked about Hennessy’s role, Mack said he thinks the rookie could start at guard, or be the backup center in 2020. Here’s a clip of Mack discussing Atlanta’s selection of Hennessy, as shared by ESPN’s Vaughn McClure:

Mack also talked about the unique situation the players are in to possibly be playing games this season without fans. Here he is on why that might not be an ideal situation for a center:

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