The Green Bay Packers need to make upgrades at cornerback, but they cannot afford to wait until the draft because they can easily come out of the second or third-round with a game-altering talent. In the meantime, they should turn their attention to other pressing needs, including the center position.
If Green Bay wants to check off that box in free agency, general manager Brian Gutekunst will have no shortage of options. And if the Packers want to end up with the best available, they shouldn't hesitate to target Tyler Lindenbaum.
However, his projected price tag may make it extremely challenging to secure his services, and that dream now feels more impossible than ever.
The Packers are facing a massive hurdle to sign Tyler Linderbaum in free agency
Dan Graziano of ESPN talked about the buzz around the NFL ahead of free agency. He said that the Baltimore Ravens may have trouble retaining Tyler Linderbaum, noting that people across the league project him to get a contract with an annual average of more than $20 million.
"Meanwhile, the Ravens hope they can keep free agent center Tyler Linderbaum," Graziano wrote. "But plenty of people in Indy believe he will get offers that exceed $20 million per year, and that Baltimore won't want to go that high."
Graziano goes on to say that Linderbaum will likely get a better contract than fellow center Creed Humphrey, who's making an average of $18 million per year.
The issue isn't whether Linderbaum would be an upgrade at center for the Packers. That much is abundantly clear. The issue is that he simply doesn't fit their budget. Maybe if they had the cap space, they could make a run for him, but even if they release pass-rusher Rashan Gary, Green Bay isn't in a position to meet Linderbaum's salary demands.
The Packers sit at around $2.79 million in cap space after restructuring Xavier McKinney's contract, and even with several levers they can pull to significantly increase that number, it's almost certain they won't reset the center market for Linderbaum.
In fact, teams like the Las Vegas Raiders and the Tennessee Titans would be realistic destinations for Linderbaum, not only because they have a need at center but also because they have the cap space to make a bid for his services. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Chargers are no longer a viable landing spot for the three-time Pro Bowl nod because they just signed Tyler Biadasz to a three-year deal worth $30 million.
Biadasz would've been a huge addition for the Packers as well.
Never say never, but the Packers seem like a long shot to sign Linderbaum. It's hard to see them making an aggressive run for the former Iowa Hawkeye.
Heck, nobody will bat an eye if Green Bay focuses on the second tier of free-agent centers and rolls with Luke Fortner and Cade Mays out of necessity.
And that's the thing: Maybe if the Packers had plenty of cap space, they could pursue Linderbaum. However, that dream is looking increasingly unlikely as free agency nears.