Bear Digest

Reported Option for Bears Is Replacing Pro Bowl Center With Another

After Drew Dalman's sudden retirement at 27 Tuesday, it was reported by NFL Network that former Washington center Tyler Biadasz was visit Halas Hall.
Gene Chamberlain|
Center Tyler Biadasz snaps to Jayden Daniels during a Washington game against Arizona.
Center Tyler Biadasz snaps to Jayden Daniels during a Washington game against Arizona. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Bears avoided the free agent frenzy when they traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson.

Now, perhaps they can avoid it again as they seek to replace retired center Drew  Dalman. They're hosting the former center for Washington quarterback Jaden Daniels. Tyler Biadasz is on a visit to Halas Hall, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Biadasz can visit because he was released in a move nearly as shocking in the nation's capital as Dalman's retirement was in Chicago. They let him go while the combine workouts were going on, and he is a free agent.

It's not often you can replace a Pro Bowl player with another in free agency but this is what the case would be with Biadasz. Like Dalman, Biadasz is known as a good run blocker with excellent ability to get out in screens and zone blocking schemes.

Biadasz had signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Commanders when Dan Quinn became coach. Biadasz had been with Dallas his first four seasons when Quinn was the Cowboys defensive coordinator. He became starter in his second season after he had been selected in the fourth round of the 2020 draft. He's a former teammate of T.J. Edwards at Wisconsin.

Biadasz, who is from Amherst, Wis., made the Pro Bowl in 2022, his third  season with the Cowboys.

The Commanders must have something drastically different in mind with the  center position because Biadasz didn't give them a lot of immediate cap relief when they cut him, and according to Pro Football Focus, his performance has been solid.

The Washington cap hit with Biadasz was slated to be $10.9 million but they saved only $2.8 million against the cap total with his departure because they ate $8.1 in dead cap money.

As a blocker, Biadasz was coming off a season most offensive linemen would be  happy to have. He was graded 11th among 40 centers according to Pro Football Focus, five spots behind Dalman. Biadasz' run blocking was 12th and his pass blocking 18th. Overall, it was his best season as a blocker according to PFF. He's been consistent over the last three years, though.

Commanders lineman Andrew Wylie wasn't too pleased while talking about how the team released his teammate during an interview on 106.7 The Fan.

"I think it caught everybody by surprise," Wylie said on The Fan. "He's a hell of a player and a great teammate, too. I know he's gonna land on his feet.

"There was some shock on the players, but things like that happen with every team, every season. There's always going to be a handful of those, but I will reiterate the fact that he's a great room guy and a hell of a player as well."

The idea of signing a player ahead of free agency is a solid one because it gives them a pick of the litter, so to speak. It probably isn't going to work in their favor cash-wise much, though.

Biadasz can ask or what Dalman was being paid if he knows he's going to have other interested parties.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.