The Lions, no doubt, would like to add Tyler Linderbaum this offseason. Who wouldn't? The three-time Pro Bowler is likely to reset the market for centers, whether he stays in Baltimore or signs elsewhere.
"I love my job," NFL Draft insider Daniel Jeremiah said last week, "but if I could switch jobs for just the next couple months, I’d want to be Tyler Linderbaum’s agent, because everyone that I talk to seems to be in on Tyler Linderbaum. Sounds like he’s going to have a robust market. Congratulations to him and his family."
The Lions already have several top-of-the-market contracts on their payroll, and more to hand out in the coming years. It's not clear if they'd be able to squeeze in another, while bidding against the rest of the league, no less. It doesn't mean they won't sign a proven center, but a more cost-responsible option like Connor McGovern of the Bills or Cade Mays of the Panthers feels more realistic.
They could also attack the position via trade. Cardinals center Hjalte Froholdt, who's entering the final season of his contract and spent the past three years in new Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing's system in Arizona, is one potential target. Aaron Brewer of the Dolphins, also entering the last year of his deal, is another.
One way or another, the Lions have to upgrade the center position before next season. Graham Glasgow is unlikely to be back, and was one of the weak links of last season's faulty offensive line as it was. And Tate Ratledge, who's significantly more comfortable (and better) at guard, is not a real candidate to take over in the middle. He's just not. The Lions are well aware of his desire to remain at his natural position. There's really no reason to complicate that, and potentially create another weakness.
To the draft they could turn. It's not an especially impressive class of centers, with none projected to go in the first round. The best of the bunch, Connor Lew of Auburn, tore his ACL in October, casting doubt on his readiness for next season. Asked if any of them could be immediate NFL starters, Jeremiah said, "Look, there are some good guys, like, third-round type players, and there are guys who are interior players who have some experience there."
Jeremiah highlighted three in particular, Lew not being one of them.
"Sam Hecht from Kansas State I think can start Day 1. He probably goes in the late second, early third round range. Jake Slaughter from Florida I think would have a chance as a third-round pick to come in and get on the field right away. And Trey Zuhn III played primarily left tackle but has some center experience at Texas A&M. Maybe that takes a little while, but he’s graded for me in that same range as guys who would have a chance to play pretty early," Jeremiah said.
Hecht, a two-year starter for the Wildcats, was considered the best center at the Senior Bowl. He doesn't boast "ideal mass and length" for the position, per NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein, and doesn't necessarily have the elite athleticism to make up for it, "but it will be hard to find a center in this year’s draft with better technique." Zierlein adds that the 6'4, 300-pound Hecht "needs to add more muscle mass to his frame but he has the consistency and tape of a future starter."
"Whoever takes him is getting a player built to earn a starting job within his first two years and hold it for a while," per NFL Draft Buzz.
Slaughter, a three-year starter and two-year captain at Florida, is a dominant pass protector who "handled all the line calls and protection adjustments" for the Gators, per SEC evaluator Bill Miller, and "sees the game at a different speed than most college centers." His run-blocking has some catching-up to do, but Slaughter is "a safe pick who should anchor the position for a decade if he stays healthy," per Miller, who says Slaughter has the floor of "immediate quality starter" and a Pro Bowl-caliber ceiling. He could be a second-round pick.
Zuhn III is a more interesting case. He was a four-year starter for Texas A&M at left tackle (and a captain as a senior) and received the highest single-season pass blocking grade in PFF history last year, but projects as a guard or center in the NFL due to his stouter frame. He took snaps at center in several games last season, but it would be a lot to ask him to step in there as a starter in his first year in the NFL.
Zuhn, per Zierlein, "projects as 'solid' more than 'standout' but he could have a long career as a starter at center or guard while offering emergency help as a tackle." He's likely either a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick
"I think there’s a decent group of centers there," Jeremiah said. "I don't know that there’s one that I would jump on the table for to take in the second round -- maybe a little bit of a reach there -- but I think you can get one of those guys at that point in time, or you can trade back, whatever you want to do there. But I think those guys all have a chance to start."
In the end, the best plan for the Lions might be trading for a veteran, cost-controlled center who can fill the void for a season or two while mentoring a developing player who arrives via the draft. Easier said than done, of course, but it would help Detroit solve the position in both the short- and long-term, without breaking the bank in free agency.