The NFL’s free agency period opens in just days, but teams will begin negotiating legally on Monday, March 14.
While the Miami Dolphins have taken care of a few orders of business like franchise tagging Mike Gesicki, tendering Nik Needham, and tendering their two exclusive-rights free agents, they still have quite a few players that are expected to hit the market.
One of those players is center Greg Mancz.
Mancz, 29, was traded, along with a seventh-round pick, to Miami from Baltimore back in August for a sixth-round pick. He spent the previous six seasons with the Houston Texans, starting 28 of the 58 games he played.
In 2021 Mancz started the season as Miami’s backup center behind Michael Dieter, but when the starter when down with an injury, Mancz was bounced into the top spot until he suffered a neck injury. Once Dieter returned to the lineup, Mancz didn’t step on the field after Week 9.
As a backup at the position, Mancz did his job for Miami. Now, he’s heading into unrestricted free agency without a guarantee that he’ll have a spot on the roster.
He won’t break the bank, and while there’s always value in veteran experience, the Dolphins may look another direction to fill that spot. If they can find a rookie a developmental interior offensive lineman, they may be better off going with them.
