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By now the fact that the New York Giants need help on their offensive line, especially the interior of that offensive line, has been well-established. The best interior offensive lineman slated to be a free agent is Cleveland Browns' center Alex Mack.
Could the Giants bring Mack to East Rutherford to snap the ball to Eli Manning?
Mack, 28, has made the Pro Bowl twice in his five-year career -- including in 2013. He has started all 80 games for the Browns during those five seasons. He is NFL.com's 18th-ranked free agent, and the highest-ranked interior lineman. Rotoword lists the 6-foot-4, 2312-pound Mack as the best free-agent center available.
Pro Football Focus says "Mack has been a consistent force in the middle of the Browns offensive line throughout his career. In that time he has never finished a season with a grade lower than +8.7, ranking among the Top 10 centers in that regard every year. That included finishing 2013 as our fourth-highest graded player at the position, excelling both in pass protection and as a run blocker.
Question is, will Mack really be available for the Giants -- or any team other than the Browns -- next month? He is apparently expected to test the market, and it seems likely there will be several teams interested if he does reach free agency.
Considering that try-hard backup Jim Cordle is the only center guaranteed to be on the Giants' roster for 2014 it is hard to see why the Giants would not go all in to try and bring Mack to New York. David Baas has broken down over the past two years and seems destined to be cut. Kevin Boothe is a free agent who, even if he is brought back, is more comfortable at guard.
Your thoughts, Giants' fans? Would you like to see Mack in a Giants' uniform in 2014?