LA Chargers: Why Corey Linsley should be the no. 1 free agency priority
By Jason Reed
NFL free agency is right around the corner and is going to be very telling for the LA Chargers. Tom Telesco has multiple roster holes to fill and what the team does in free agency is going to dictate the exact path that the team takes in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Chargers have notable in-house free agents, highlighted by Hunter Henry and Michael Davis, that the front office is going to want to bring back. There are also cut candidates that would open up more salary-cap space, but add a spot on the roster that needs to be filled.
The Chargers are going to have to be selective with who they sign in free agency but one thing is clear: the number one priority should be Corey Linsley.
Linsley is coming off of a career year at center for the Green Bay Packers and has hit the open market for the first time in his career. Offensive line is obviously a big need for the Chargers, but that is not the only reason why Linsley should be priority number one.
Why Corey Linsley should be the number one priority for the LA Chargers:
1. The cost of signing Corey Linsley
You would think that coming off of a career season and still being relatively young would drive Linsley’s price through the roof. However, since he is a center-only player, his price is lower than that of a tackle of an interior offensive lineman that is versatile.
Joe Thuney is the big offensive line name this offseason and the Chargers will likely be priced out of signing him, hence why Linsley is priority number one.
Spotrac estimates that Linsley will sign a three-year, $29.1 million contract that would pay him $9.7 per season. The Chargers could go higher than that and can afford to up the bid a bit if needed. All they need to do is cut Trai Turner to free up $11.5 million in cap space, all of which can be reallocated to Linsley.