With free agency around the corner, things are beginning to heat up. Teams are starting to re-sign their own players and making roster cuts to free up space. The Green Bay Packers, for their part, just gave a two-year deal to running back Chris Brooks. However, they still have plenty of work left.
Among the many things on Green Bay's to-do list is adding reinforcements at center, with Elgton Jenkins expected to get the boot and Sean Rhyan scheduled to hit the open market. They could address the position in free agency once it frees up space.
There's no doubt that Tyler Linderbaum would help Green Bay check off that box, but signing him won't come cheap, as he's expected to earn a top-market contract. The good news is that the Packers will have other options. The bad news is that the Los Angeles Chargers just swooped in and called dibs on one of the best ones available.
The Chargers got ahead of the Packers and signed Tyler Biadasz
Just a few days before the start of free agency, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Chargers gave a three-year deal worth $30 million to center Tyler Biadasz, effectively taking him off the market.
Even though there will be other centers in the open market, the Packers would've hit it out of the ballpark with Biadasz. For starters, he was a key cog for the Washington Commanders last year, giving up just three sacks and 21 total pressures. In fact, it was a bit surprising that he was given the boot to begin with.
But leaving aside that Biadasz would've brought stability at center in Green Bay, he wouldn't have counted against the compensatory pick formula because he was released. For context, teams are awarded draft picks based on the number of players they sign and let walk in free agency, among other things. But wait, there's more.
Biadasz was a homegrown talent, having spent his collegiate career at Wisconsin. During that time, he earned two First-Team All-Big Ten designations and was named a 2019 Unanimous All-American.
A fourth-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2020, Biadasz has appeared in 92 games with 84 starts, making the Pro Bowl in 2022. After four years with Big D, he bolted for Washington in 2024.
What's next for the Packers after missing out on Tyler Biadasz?
With Biadasz off the market, the Packers will have to take another path to bolster the center position. As noted before, Linderbaum will be the best (and most expensive) of the bunch. There will be a bit of a drop-off after him, but there will still be a handful of intriguing fallbacks.
If Green Bay wants to spare no expense, Lloyd Cushenberry and James Daniels make sense. But if general manager Brian Gutekunst is looking for a dependable bargain, going after Luke Fortner or Cade Mays would be the best course of action.
Either way, the Packers have options at center in free agency. Sure, it stings to see the Bolts poach Biadasz, but the sky isn't falling. Heck, Green Bay could wait until the draft to address the position.
And that's the thing: Free agency hasn't even started, so the Packers will have ample time to take care of their to-do list. But it's undoubtedly a golden opportunity missed.