Corey Linsley: 5 Best landing spots in 2021 NFL free agency

Corey Linsley is one of the best offensive linemen on the 2021 NFL free agency market but what landing spots make sense for the former Packers center?

Oftentimes in NFL free agency, fantastic offensive linemen don’t make it to the open market. Teams almost always recognize the value of a great player and, if they’re willing to stick around, they keep them. Occasionally, however, a player the caliber of Packers center Corey Linsley hits the market due to cap constraints or otherwise and teams should be honed in on him.

Linsley has an argument as the best offensive lineman available in 2021 NFL free agency. He’ll be just 30 years old when the 2021 season kicks off and he’s playing the best football of his career. This past year with Green Bay, he came in as the highest-graded center in the league according to PFF (subscription required). And that’s not outside the norm as he’s consistently been one of the best at the position.

With his effectiveness as the pivot man on the offensive line, the veteran is going to draw a ton of interest and likely sign a huge contract this offseason. But where are the best landing spots for Corey Linsley in 2021 free agency? We’ve got five possible ideas.

Best Corey Linsley free agency landing spots for 2021

5. Kansas City Chiefs – Particularly with Laurent Duvernay-Tardif opting-out in 2020 to help work on the frontlines against COVID-19, the Chiefs offensive line depth was tested. That was never more evident than in the Super Bowl when they were dominated in the trenches.

Kansas City could stand to upgrade in a big way on the interior and Linsley would be the biggest fish they could pluck from the pond. They are up against the salary cap right now, which could make signing an expensive center difficult. But if there are gymnastics to pull to make it happen, it would be a boom for the Chiefs.

4. Cincinnati Bengals – Outside of young Jonah Williams and perhaps 2018 first-round pick Billy Price, there’s not a spot on the Bengals offensive line that they couldn’t stand to upgrade. Joe Burrow needs protection if he’s going to develop into a true franchise quarterback.

This is going to be a clear focus for Cincinnati this offseason and it would behoove them to use their ample salary cap space to go after Corey Linsley. He’d be a stalwart on the interior for a line group that, frankly, doesn’t have many players who fit that bill.

3. New York Jets – The Jets tried to patchwork an offensive line together last season and, though rookie Mekhi Becton looked like a stud when healthy, the rest of the experiment left a lot to be desired. Eyeing a change at quarterback, they need to fix the situation in the trenches if they’re going to improve overall.

Linsley could come to New York and make a substantial impact. He would be bar-none their best interior lineman and be a standout pivot man they’ve been lacking for several years. The Jets are never shy at spending big in free agency and doing so with Linsley would make a ton of sense.

2. Los Angeles Chargers – Speaking of teams that need to shore up the middle of the line, the Chargers are in that mold in an obvious way. Their line has been a problem area for several years at this point and it’s something that they must address.

Quietly, Los Angeles is one of the top teams in terms of available cap space in the 2021 offseason. And with the season Justin Herbert is coming off of as a rookie, the Chargers have to be an attractive destination. Putting Linsley in front of the young quarterback would help the Bolts become a much better overall offense.

1. Miami Dolphins – The Miami Dolphins have been working diligently to improve their offensive line via the draft and free agency. And it should be noted that Ted Karras played well for them at center last season but is now set to hit the market in his own right. That puts Linsley in play if the Dolphins want to be aggressive.

Linsley could come in and man the center position right away as the Dolphins continue to sort out the rest of the picture with a variety of young, talented players. He could be the veteran leader of the group for the long haul, something that would certainly help the development of all involved in Miami.