The Los Angeles Chargers have secured their new center following the retirement of Bradley Bozeman, signing Tyler Biadasz to a three-year, $30 million dollar deal days before the start of free agency.
This comes as somewhat of a surprise. After being cut by the Washington Commanders in a cap-shaving maneuver, Biadasz was a late addition to the market in the first place.
But given the lofty names that have been floated in recent weeks, including Tyler Linderbaum of the Baltimore Ravens, the fact that the Chargers were willing to jump at this opportunity indicates something important about their approach this offseason.
Much like past offseasons, general manager Joe Hortiz was not willing to wait and take an extended gamble on the open market. Biadasz is undeniably the safe signing, and the Chargers (for better or worse) can now turn their attention to filling out the rest of their needs.
The Biadasz signing is a strong one, but it's slightly disappointing in light of Linderbaum's availability
To make it clear, Biadasz is a moderate and strong signing that will allow Los Angeles to focus on bringing back players like Zion Johnson, Odafe Oweh, and Khalil Mack. In that context, it makes perfect sense.
Biadasz also was going to have a strong market, with the Chicago Bears bringing him in for a visit on the very day Drew Dalman retired. Getting out ahead of this is, likewise, a smart move. Per Pro Football Focus, Biadasz finished last season 11th among 40 qualified centers in overall protection grade.
But it's hard not to think about what could have been with Linderbaum.
Assuming Linderbaum and Baltimore don't get a deal done between now and March 11, he would have been the premier center on the market, commanding a market-setting deal that could stretch well beyond a $20 million annual value. If Los Angeles could have somehow nabbed him, they would finally have had one of the best centers in the league on their roster.
If you ask many fans, the time for nickel-and-diming must come to an end. The Biadasz signing is not that, but it is a clear bent towards security. If the Chargers had opted to wait on Linderbaum's market and been forced into a bidding war (or worse, outbid), they would have been left scrambling to fill their other needs this offseason.
Seeing Linderbaum return to the Ravens or take his talents to a rival will be painful. Hopefully the Biadasz signing proves to be worth the added security.