Packers Lose All-Pro Linsley to Chargers
GREEN BAY, Wis. – You can’t keep everyone.
While the Green Bay Packers were able to retain Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones on the eve of the free-agent negotiating period, All-Pro center Corey Linsley agreed to a contract with the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday. According to SI.com's Albert Breer, the five-year deal is worth $12.5 million per season. That was more than the cap-strapped Packers could swallow.
The departure leaves a big hole in the middle of the offensive line. However, there are contingency plans. Last year’s starting guards, Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins and Lucas Patrick, can play center. If that were to happen, promising sixth-round pick Jon Runyan could step in at guard. While Linsley was the best free agent on the market, there are several experienced starters available. The Packers used a sixth-round pick on four-year Oregon starter Jake Hanson last year, or they could find a rookie, with Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey (early) and Kentucky’s Drake Jackson (late) among the options.
On the bright side, the Packers will be in line for a compensatory draft pick in 2022 for losing Linsley. Those picks are based mostly on average annual salary and, using last year's picks as a guide, will probably give the Packers an extra fourth-round selection.
Green Bay lost right tackle Bryan Bulaga to the Chargers last offseason.
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That Linsley is moving on after seven seasons with the Packers is no surprise given a salary cap that’s down $15.7 million compared to last year.
“My agent hasn’t had any talks with the Packers,” Linsley said one day after a bitter loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game – Linsley’s fourth empty trip to the title game in his seven seasons. “That’s obviously not to say something couldn’t happen, but up to this point it’s kind of been complimentary but nothing of substance. We’ll move forward with that. It is what it is. I felt like I personally had a good year. We obviously didn’t get the goal that we wanted to, but I felt like I put out some good film. Hopefully a team values that and we’ll move into free agency with that in mind.”
That trend continued in the weeks leading up to free agency, with the Packers appreciating his tenure and talent but realizing the financial realities in simply trying to get to the cap, let alone finding enough room to add another high-priced player.
“Corey’s a great player. He’s been a really good player for us,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said recently. “There’s nothing more we would like (than) to have Corey back. Obviously, there’s a lot of pieces to this puzzle we’re trying to put together. Finding a way to bring him back would be ideal but, at the same time, obviously, at the level of compensation that he’s at, he’s earned that. We certainly would never close the door on someone like Corey Linsley. We’ll see as we get down what’s possible and what’s not.”
Linsley wasn’t selected for the Pro Bowl but he was voted first-team All-Pro. For what it’s worth, he was by far ProFootballFocus.com’s highest-rated center. According to Sports Info Solutions, Linsley didn’t allow a sack or a stuff (a tackle at or behind the line of scrimmage vs. the run). Among centers with 500-plus snaps, he had the third-lowest blown-block rate at 0.6 percent, according to SIS. He wasn’t penalized, either.
On the other hand, Linsley missed three full games and most of two others due to injuries. After not missing a snap in 2017 and 2018, he played 88 percent in 2019 and 71 percent in 2020. And he’s going to turn 30 right about the time training camps are opening next summer. Including Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang and Bryan Bulaga, Packers have shied away from paying top dollar for 30-something linemen.
