Getty Green Bay Packers take the field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 28, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.
Corey Linsley sure sounds like someone who is preparing to spend the 2021 season with a team other than the Green Bay Packers.
Linsley — a 2020 first-team All-Pro selection who has been the Packers’ starting center for the past seven seasons — spoke about his impending unrestricted free agency Thursday during a guest appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio. The 29-year-old center had disclosed back in January there were no ongoing contract talks between his camp and the Packers, and now Linsley seems even more resigned to finding a new team this offseason.
Here’s how Linsley put it when talking about the situation on Thursday:
“Yeah, it definitely feels a little bit different. We’re not closing the door for anything, obviously we’d never do that for any team — especially the Packers. But yeah, it definitely feels weird. It looks like all signs are pointing toward snapping the ball somewhere else next year, but it really doesn’t change … I’m putting in the work right now, lifting and training and from that standpoint, but a little more anxiety, a littel more uncertainty I guess. Just wanting to get this all over and find a new home.”
“We’re not closing the door for anything…but yeah it definitley feels weird. Looks like all signs are pointing towards snapping the ball somewhere else next year.”
Free Agent C @Linsley71 discusses free agency and the Packers
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Linsley Will Fetch Good Price in Free Agency
Linsley was Pro Football Focus’ top-graded center (89.9) during the 2020 season, allowing a career-low 1.7% pressure rate on MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers while surrendering just one sack in 13 regular-season games. Though he did miss three games with an MCL sprain, his quality of play never dipped with Linsley finishing as the league’s top run-blocking center (with a win rate of 78%) and fifth-best pass-blocking center (96% win rate) — per ESPN.
While the Packers may not be interested in renewing his services, there should be a fairly good market for Linsley given his consistency at the position and proven track record with an elite-level quarterback. A team like the Los Angeles Chargers — who signed former Packers right guard Bryan Bulaga to a pricey third contract in the 2020 offseason — may view Linsley as a necessary expense to assist and protect first-round quarterback Justin Herbert.
The Miami Dolphins — presumably with their own first-round starting quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa — could also use a new center and would certainly have the cap resources to meet his contract demands. Spotrac’s calculated market value currently projects Linsley will earn $9.7 million on his next deal, but he could potentially push the envelope and get more than $10 million with the right team, especially if playtime incentives are involved.
Patrick, the Packers’ Future at Center?
The Packers don’t have a pure center in place to take the reins from Linsley if he is allowed to walk in free agency, but there is still one possible way they can solve for his departure with the current personnel on their 2021 roster … and it involves a position change for Lucas Patrick.
Patrick has developed from a practice-squad project into a full-fledged starting NFL guard for the Packers’ offensive line over the past several years, initially joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2016. He earned a two-year contract extension from the Packers toward the end of the 2019 season, but his role changed tremendously when veteran Lane Taylor suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 of the 2020 season and forced him to step up as their new right guard.
Patrick started in every game after the 2020 opener and ended up playing on 90% of the Packers’ offensive snaps throughout the regular season, a total of 939. By comparison, he played 642 offensive snaps in his first three seasons combined.
How does all of this qualify Patrick as the Packers’ new center? Well, for one, he has already filled in at the role in the past. He replaced an injured Linsley for the majority of the Packers’ Week 5 win in Dallas back in 2019 (55 snaps), then actually started at center for the same reason in Week 17 against Detroit (68 snaps) — one day after signing his contract extension.
The Packers also have several options for replacing Patrick at right guard, namely 2020 sixth-round picks Jon Runyan Jr. — who showed promise in limited reps as a rookie — and Simon Stepaniak. The latter spent the entire 2020 season on the non-football injury list as he recovered from a college injury but figures to compete again in his sophomore outing.
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