Green Bay Packers: Don’t Forget About Corey Linsley

With several key free agents in the Green Bay Packers’ 2021 class, don’t forget about Corey Linsley, who is off to a dominant start.

Although we are just four games into the Green Bay Packers’ 2020 season, there has already been plenty of discussion surrounding the upcoming free-agent class. Of course, this group includes David Bakhtiari, Aaron Jones, Kevin King, and perhaps the least talked about free agent, Corey Linsley.

Linsley tends to fly under the radars of many in part due to the position that he plays, fans believing that Lucas Patrick or Jake Hanson can take over for him in 2021, and the fact that the three other players mentioned have been performing well. However, what can’t be overlooked is just how good Linsley has been over his career, especially this season.

For starters, since entering the NFL back in 2014, Linsley has been incredibly durable, playing every offensive snap in three of those seasons, including back-to-back years in 2017 and 2018, along with not missing a start since 2016. On top of that, he’s also excellent at making adjustments pre-snap.

And when discussing Linsley, we also have to mention the chemistry that he has with Aaron Rodgers and his ability to remain still with the best cadence and hard-count in the game. A task that certainly isn’t an easy one, as Linsely told Packers.com recently:

"“It’s very, very complex,” said Linsley of Rodgers’ cadence. “It’s not like we’re sending rockets up into space or anything … but it’s complex enough to where being on the same page as him takes a lot of time and effort from studying, playing, all of that. It takes a concerted effort to get used to his cadence.”"

As far as this year goes, according to Pro Football Focus, as a pass blocker, Linsley’s 158 pass-blocking snaps are the most by any offensive linemen without allowing a single pressure. This, of course, gives him the highest pass-blocking efficiency rating out of all centers in the NFL.

Meanwhile, in the run game, the combination of Linsley and left guard Elgton Jenkins are creating huge holes for Aaron Jones, who is averaging a whopping 10.6 yards per carry this season when running between that dynamic duo. When asked about Linsley’s quiet dominance, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett had this to say:

"“It’s amazing, there are so many guys on the team who sometimes go unnoticed. He’s one, he’s been incredible. His leadership role, the ability to run the entire offensive line, from all the calls that he makes, just his athleticism. The things that we ask him to do, there’s not a lot of guys who can do what he can do.”"

GM Brian Gutekunst and Executive Vice President/Director of Football Operations Russ Ball are certainly going to have their work cut out for them this offseason. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic meant no fans in the stands, the Green Bay Packers were already going to have limited cap space once again. But now, with a potential salary cap in 2021 of just $175 million, things might be even more difficult than what we had originally expected at the beginning of the year.

At this point, bringing Bakhtiari back should be priority No. 1; however, after him is where things get dicey. Has King shown enough to earn that big payday here in Green Bay? As dynamic as Jones is, do the Packers give a big contract to a running back? And with Linsley in line for a big contract of his own, where does he fall in all of this?

Well, in an article by Rob Demovsky of ESPN back in May, he asked a longtime NFL assistant coach what his thoughts were on Linsely and a new deal here in Titletown:

"“Good teams pay centers,” the assistant said. “And they pay them more than they’re probably worth and maybe past their [prime] years because they understand the relationship between the center and the quarterback. You can’t put a price on that relationship between him and Aaron Rodgers. And even if it’s a young QB, that’s important, too.”"

As always, there are a myriad of reasons behind the Green Bay Packers’ success on offense this season, but one huge factor is the offensive line’s performance. With what is likely the best center, left guard, and left tackle combo in the league, Gutey will have to decide if he’s willing to risk breaking that unit up because regardless of who takes over for Linsley, the chances are that player will be a downgrade. The big question is, how much?

So as this season continues on, don’t overlook Linsley’s play on the field; he certainly has been that good. I also wouldn’t overlook his future with this Packers team moving forward either.