The chances of Nick Mangold starting at center for the Jets against the Raiders this weekend never looked good and we can now turn our attention to other matters.
Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News is at Jets practice and shares the news we’ve all been expecting. Mangold will not make the trip to Oakland and is out for Sunday’s game. Colin Baxter, an undrafted rookie who the team claimed off waivers at the end of training camp, will make his first NFL start.
As you’d expect, Baxter had some tough moments against the Jaguars in Week Two. The team’s running game never got on track, although it didn’t look very good when Mangold was healthy either, and pass protection was also a problem for the rookie. With right tackle Wayne Hunter also struggling in his transition to the starting lineup, the Jets will have a less than ideal offensive line to do battle with an aggressive Raiders defense.
Mangold’s high ankle sprain is expected to keep him out a while longer. With road games looming against the Ravens and Patriots, the Jets need Baxter to be a quick study. Simply replacing Mangold as a blocker is tough enough, but the center was also responsible for setting up the team’s protection schemes.
