Tag: center

Broncos met with OL Cesar Ruiz at NFL combine

Michigan guard/center Cesar Ruiz had an interview with the Broncos at the NFL combine last week.

The Denver Broncos interviewed Michigan offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz at the NFL combine last week, according to Tom Downey of Chat Sports.

Ruiz (6-3, 307 pounds) bench-pressed 225 pounds 28 times at the combine. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has compared him to James Daniels, who was selected by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2018 draft.

“Ruiz has early starting potential and should develop into a good pro with guard/center flexibility,” Zierlein wrote of the offensive lineman.

That sounds exactly like the kind of versatile interior offensive lineman Denver likes to have. With limited roster spots on game days, the Broncos — and all NFL teams — prefer linemen who can play multiple positions.

Ruiz is the ninth-best interior offensive lineman in this year’s class, according to Luke Easterling’s 2020 NFL draft big board for Draft Wire.

Ruiz is projected to be selected sometime between the third and fifth rounds of the draft, according to Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com.

The draft will take place in Las Vegas from April 23-25.

[vertical-gallery id=631819]

John Elway says Broncos will be talking with Connor McGovern

John Elway says the Broncos plan to talk with pending free agent center Connor McGovern.

The Broncos might enter the 2020 season with Garett Bolles and Ja’Wuan James as their starting tackles. Dalton Risner is locked in as a starter at one of the guard spots but Ron Leary won’t return after the team declined his contract option.

That means Denver will need to bring in a new guard this offseason. Depending on what happens with pending free agent Connor McGovern, the Broncos might need to bring in a new center as well.

“We’d like to get better there [on the offensive line] obviously,” general manager John Elway said at the NFL combine on Tuesday, according to The Athletic‘s Nicki Jhabvala. “Connor is still free, so we’ll be talking to Connor too.”

McGovern (6-4, 306 pounds) was selected by Denver in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft. After serving as a reserve lineman as a rookie, McGovern emerged as a top backup in 2017 and eventually earned five starts.

McGovern started his career as a guard before transitioning to center. He started all 16 games at center last season and allowed 3.5 sacks.

[vertical-gallery id=632585]

Seahawks center Justin Britt’s ACL recovery appears to be on track

Seattle Seahawks center Justin Britt’s appears to be on track for a successful recovery from the ACL tear he sustained Week 8 last season.

The Seahawks lost starting center Justin Britt last year to an ACL tear he sustained Week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons, effectively ending his season. Britt was just one of a number of Seattle players to suffer a serious injury in 2019.

But after successful reconstructive surgery, Britt has been rehabbing diligently and seems on track for a timely return.

“He’s doing great,” Seahawks general manager John Schneider said Tuesday at the combine. “Yeah, he’s doing a really good job. You know, my office is right above the weight room so I heard him in there the other day throwing weights around and listening to Metallica, or whatever he was listening to in there. He’s doing a great job. That’s an unfortunate thing for him, you know.

“But Joey (Hunt) came in and played real well and (Ethan) Pocic can play there, as well.”

Britt has been posting his workout updates on his social media accounts and appears to be on schedule in his recovery efforts.

[lawrence-related id=56823]

Cap Cut Candidate: Should Jets move on from C Jonotthan Harrison?

Joe Douglas and the Jets need to find their future starting center – and Jonotthan Harrison isn’t it.

Jonotthan Harrison was never supposed to be a starting offensive lineman for the Jets, but he’s been forced into action a lot over the past two seasons because of injuries and bad blocking.

Now, as Harrison enters the final year of the two-year, $5 million contract he signed in 2018, the Jets have an important decision to make regarding the future of the 28-year-old. If the Jets keep Harrison he will count $2.25 million against the cap in 2020. If the Jets cut him, they’ll save $2 million.

Joe Douglas needs cap space to remake the Jets roster, and the money saved from cutting Harrison could be used to fortify other areas if the Jets go heavy on offensive linemen in the draft or free agency. Harrison is a solid contributor on the offensive line, though, and can start in a pinch. There are obvious benefits to both scenarios, but it will be on Douglas to decide the outcome.

Pros to keeping him

There aren’t many backup offensive linemen like Harrison capable of starting in a pinch at multiple positions. He’s played guard and center throughout his six-year career, including 18 starts in the past 32 games at center for the Jets. Harrison provides continuity as a role player for Adam Gase, Sam Darnold and the rest of the Jets offense and is a solid safety net for multiple positions on the offensive line.

Harrison is also cheap, for all intents and purposes. His cap hit ranks 16th on the Jets roster and he’ll only count 1.06 percent against the salary cap. Harrison is by no means a bonafide starter, but the Jets had enough initial faith in him to not break the bank in free agency or draft a center before Douglas coaxed Ryan Kalil out of retirement. When the Kalil experiment failed, Harrison stepped up and the line actually performed better with him at center. 

Pros of cutting him

This one is simple. The Jets need to find their future center – either in free agency or the draft. Harrison can’t be that future, even at his price point. There are much better centers in the free agency and in the draft and that’s where the Jets should look to build their line. 

Yes, Harrison is a solid and versatile backup. But the Jets cannot afford to be paying him $2 million when there are so many other positions that could use that money for backup players. Harrison, while solid when called upon, didn’t have a great 2019 season, either. He finished with a 51.4 Pro Football Focus grade, which only put him in the top-40 at the center position.

The verdict

Considering how much the coaching staff and players like his work ethic, it wouldn’t be surprising if Douglas held onto Harrison as a contingency plan at center again. If he chooses to cut some other players for cap relief, Harrison’s roster spot will probably be safer given his rapport with Darnold and the rest of the team.

However, if Douglas ends up keeping certain players that would otherwise save the Jets money and builds a plan to find a suitable starting center and cheaper backup, the Jets should move on from Harrison. He’s simply too expensive of a backup with money that could be used at other positions of need like cornerback, pass rusher or wide receiver.

Ex-Broncos center Dillon Day drops F-bomb during XFL sideline interview

Former Broncos center Dillon Day went viral after dropping an F-bomb during a live interview during an XFL game.

The XFL kicked off its 2020 slate of games on Saturday and former Denver Broncos center Dillon Day went viral after dropping an F-bomb during a live sideline interview.

Day, who now plays for the Seattle Dragons, was approached by ESPN’s Dianna Russini right after a failed drive ended with a brief scuffle.

“There was just a lot of chatting after the play,” Day said. “We’re trying to make some stuff happen and they’re doing a little extra pushing and shoving. We’re trying to get our [epletive] job done and they’re just — .”

ABC cut Day’s audio before he was able to finish his statement.

Day (6-4, 299 pounds) entered the NFL as a college free agent with the Broncos in 2015. After spending the first two years of his career on Denver’s practice squad, Day spent time with the Packers and 49ers before landing in the XFL. He’s now starting for Seattle.

[vertical-gallery id=632585]

Temple C Matt Hennessy would love to play with brother in New York

NFL draft prospect Matt Hennessy could be a great Day 2 target for the Jets, and he’s the brother of long snapper Thomas Hennessy.

The Jets desperately need a center after Ryan Kalil’s failed comeback. Could the brother of New York’s long snapper be the answer to that problem?

Temple center Matt Hennessy, the younger brother of Thomas, is one of the top interior offensive linemen prospects in the draft. Draft pundits put Hennessy slightly below the best center in the draft, Washington’s Tyler Biadasz, who is projected to go in the early second round.

When a reporter asked him at the Senior Bowl what it would be like to play with his older brother on the Jets, Hennessy seemed overjoyed at that idea.

“Oh, that’d be incredible. That’d be incredible,” he told reporters Wednesday. “We never got the chance to play together, he’s always been a bunch of years ahead of me.”

If Joe Douglas is serious about strengthening the offensive line through the draft, Hennessy could be a great Day 2 pick to fortify the line. He’s projected to go somewhere between the end of the second round and the end of the third round, but his stock could rise if he performs well in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 25 and the NFL Combine in early spring.

Hennessy didn’t give up a sack in 828 snaps, allowed four total pressures during the 2019 season and only allowed 14 pressures during his three years at Temple. At 6-foot-4, 295 pounds, he helped anchor a Temple offensive line that ranked 23rd in the nation and a run game that ranked 29th, per Pro Football Focus, and graded out as PFF’s top-ranked center (86.9).

The Jets won’t use the 11th overall pick on Hennessy given the amount of top-tier talent that will still be available in the first round, but they could easily use their second-round or either of their two third-round picks on the center if they like him. The Jets had one of the worst offensive lines in football, and they haven’t found a reliable center since Nick Mangold retired in 2016. A center should absolutely be on the team’s radar early in the 2020 draft.

The Jets have three selections on Day 2 of the draft: No. 48 (second round), No. 68 (third round, from the Giants in the Leonard Williams trade), and No. 79 (third round) and they could use any of those picks to take Hennessy if they’re impressed by his workouts and if the board falls the right way. 

It would be a homecoming of sorts for the younger Hennessy if the Jets draft him. He and Thomas both grew up in Bardonia, New York, and attended Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, New Jersey. Both are within a 30-minute car ride from MetLife Stadium.

2020 East-West Shrine Game: Texas OL Shackelford can improve draft stock

Texas offensive lineman Zach Shackelford, a consistent starter at center, has a chance to improve his NFL Draft stock at the Shrine game.

A four-year starter for the Longhorns, offensive lineman Zach Shackelford has a chance to improve his NFL Draft stock with a solid performance in the 2020 East-West Shrine game on Saturday, January 18.

The Shrine game is an invite-only event for college seniors based on a player’s ability to make an NFL roster. Several successful professional players such as Tom Brady, Brett Favre, and John Elway have all taken advantage of this opportunity in the past.

Shackelford has been seemingly overlooked as one of the draft eligible prospects from Texas. Wide receiver’s Devin Duvernay, Collin Johnson, and safety Brandon Jones have noticeably received the most hype with invitations to the Senior Bowl, higher draft projections, etc.

Quarterback Sam Ehlinger has benefited greatly from Shackelford’s strong base in pass protection. A consistent starter at center for the Longhorns, Shackelford was elected as a team captain for the 2019 season.

After earning first-team All Big 12 honors, Shackelford is projected to be a day three selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Watch Shackelford’s quest to impress top representatives from NFL teams at 3:00 p.m. EST on NFL Network.

The former Longhorn will be wearing No. 56 on the West roster.

Texans QB Deshaun Watson, C Nick Martin have chemistry worth building on

The Houston Texans have dynamic duos, including between quarterback Deshaun Watson and center Nick Martin, who expect to be around for a long time.

From 2008 to 2012, Houston Texans had one of the NFL’s best quarterback-center tandems in Matt Schaub and Chris Myers. Years later, the organization is trying to forge another tandem in quarterback Deshaun Watson and center Nick Martin.

“Nick is like a brother to me,” Watson told reporters on Wednesday. “We have a great relationship.”

While a less-heralded duo compared to one of a quarterback and wide receiver, the one between a quarterback and center needs to be pristine. If the two don’t have a good relationship, an offense can follow.

“If the quarterback and center don’t have that great relationship, there can be a lot of bad things happen for sure, because he controls everybody upfront and as he goes, I go. We’re the only two guys that touch the ball every single play,” said Watson.

We have to be on the same page with the run points, the pass protections, seeing it through the same set of eyes, and teams do different fronts, different disguises, where they can move and things like that. So, if he’s thinking one thing, I’m thinking one thing, I might be thinking I’m picked up, but really I’m hot, I could get hit in the back of the head or something like that.”

Watson and Martin have played together for three seasons. The two are 24 and 26, respectively. The Texans hope they grow together as they usher in a new era for the franchise. In Sept., they signed Martin to a three-year, $33 million extension.

The two have done just that.

“He knows what exactly I’m thinking, what he’s thinking,” said Watson. “On different looks, we meet throughout the week. We go out to eat and all types of stuff. We have a great chemistry and great relationship.”

Watson and Martin’s chemistry has resulted in standout individual seasons for each. Watson’s 105.9 passer rating is a career-high, as his numbers are up across the board. Martin’s 95% Pass Block Win Rate, per ESPN, sits at eighth in the NFL

Next time Martin props up Watson after scoring a touchdown, realize that’s a result of chemistry build over years of playing together.

Broncos make 2 roster moves

The Broncos claimed center Patrick Morris off waivers from the Steelers and placed defensive end Derek Wolfe (elbow) on injured reserve.

The Denver Broncos claimed offensive lineman Patrick Morris off waivers from the Pittsburgh Steelers and placed defensive lineman Derek Wolfe (elbow) on injured reserve, the team announced Tuesday.

Morris (6-3, 300 pounds) is a first-year center from TCU who spent his rookie season on Pittsburgh’s practice squad and dressed for two games this year. Morris earned first-team Academic All-Big 12 Conference honors three times during his time with the Horned Frogs before signing with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent last year.

Morris will add more depth on the offensive line with guard Ron Leary in concussion protocol. When Leary left last week’s game, Austin Schlottmann filled in for him at guard. Schlottmann is also Denver’s backup center so the team needed to add depth in case Leary does not play in Week 14.

Wolfe (6-5, 285 pounds) totaled 34 tackles and a career-high seven sacks in 12 games this year before suffering a season-ending elbow injury. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March.

[vertical-gallery id=628662]

Seahawks designate Ethan Pocic to return from injured reserve

The Seattle Seahawks designated center/guard Ethan Pocic to return from injured reserve. He will be eligible to play starting December 15.

The Seattle Seahawks designated versatile offensive lineman Ethan Pocic to return from the injured reserve on Thursday.

Pocic is now eligible to return to practice right away, but he cannot play until December 15, when the Seahawks take on the Panthers in Carolina.

Additionally, Pocic will not take up a spot on the 53-man roster until the team officially activates him. His designation to return also means Seattle can no longer activate anyone else from IR this season. They used the first of their two allotted returns on veteran tight end Ed Dickson, who was unfortunately placed back on the IR a few days later.

Pocic only appeared in two games this season, starting one, before getting hurt and eventually landing on injured reserve. His return will be welcome for a team that lost starting center Justin Britt to a season-ending knee injury – as they are now starting Joey Hunt at center which left them with no backup who is capable of playing that position.

Pocic has also proven himself capable of playing both guard spots and even tackle as well, making him a really nice option to have on the bench. Plus, if Hunt continues to struggle in pass protection, Pocic could see regular time at center before the season is up.

[lawrence-related id=51817]