The Detroit Lions already have one less center option when free agency officially opens on Monday, with former Washington Commanders center Tyler Biadasz reportedly set to sign with the Los Angeles Chargers on a 3 year, $30 million deal. The signing was first reported by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Biadasz, 28, was released by the Commanders after he had suffered a torn ACL with the team back in December. It was a bit of a strange cut considering that Biadasz was one of the teams' best interior offensive linemen, posting a run-blocking grade of 71.2 per PFF, in addition to an overall center grade of 70.7.
Detroit hasn't really hinted either way how they're approaching free agency, with a few conflicting stories from beat reporters and NFL insiders confusing things even more for fans. The Lions don't necessarily have to get extremely aggressive this offseason, and they're probably not going to considering their cap situation. Not much you can do while $6 million in the red.
But, Biadasz would've been a nice center to consider so the team didn't have to opt for possibly starting Tate Ratledge at center in 2026.
Lions down one starting center option before free agency even begins
As mentioned above, the team is reportedly heavily considering starting Ratledge in 2026 at center, per Detroit Free Press's Dave Birkett. This would shift their free agency and draft focus towards guards, with a fantastic guard option potentially falling to them at 17th overall in Vega Ioane.
In free agency, that positional group does offer some hope for the Lions. Zion Johnson and David Edwards offer Detroit starting experience, with Edwards specifically a potentially a great get. But, Edwards and Johnson are left guards, and there's been no indication that the Lions are looking to give up on Christian Mahogany.
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Ed Ingram and Austin Corbett are other names to watch on the free agent market at right guard, which could indicate Detroit's future plans for Ratledge and their center position.
Honestly, it might be what they need to do, seeing as Biadasz was one of very few starting options on the market right now that would've cost the Lions nothing compared to that of Tyler Linderbaum's or Connor McGovern's services.
It's fine if the Lions aren't looking to overspend for their offensive line, especially if they do have a ton of hope in Ratledge's ability to shift over to center. But, it'd be encouraging to see some signs of life with any free agent IOL this offseason.