NFL roster building is like a game of chess. Moves must be made with more than just the present in mind, because when the future inevitably comes, it’s already too late.
Plug-and-play centers are few and far between. Unless a team is willing to spend a top pick on the position, growing pains should be expected. While it may feel like he just took over, Tyler Biadasz is set to hit free agency after the 2023 season. Since being selected in the fourth round of the 2020 draft, he’s become a fixture in the middle for the Cowboys. In three seasons, he’s played in 45 games, starting 33 of 34 games over the past two seasons.
At the age of 25, he’s just entering his physical prime. He earned Pro Bowl honors after the 2022 season as an injury replacement, and by many accounts, is playing the best ball of his career. The question is whether the Cowboys should build around him or start looking for his replacement.
While his Pro Bowl invite indicates he’s an elite center in the NFL, film grades aren’t so kind. Pro Football Focus graded his performance with a 60.5 score, slotting him as the 22nd-best center who saw at least 675 snaps.
While PFF isn’t the gospel truth in offensive line rankings, they provide a decent value range to consider and have never graded a season of Biadasz’s higher than 18th. Creed Humphrey and Jason Kelce sit atop the rankings for 2022.
As a former Day 3 pick, Biadasz has been a relative steal for Dallas. He’s carved out a nice role as a starting center, despite having a fairly modest skillset. There’s little question he’s developed over the last three years and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him continue to progress in his fourth season.
It may seem as though the Cowboys have a year to decide on Biadasz but if they eventually decide to let him walk as a free agent, do they want to start over with a rookie in 2024 or would they rather draft and develop one now in anticipation for such an event?
Of PFF’s top-five graded centers, only Kelce was picked outside of the top-two rounds and even he graded No. 28 out 34 as a rookie. Centers take time to develop, so if Dallas thinks they’ll be moving on, they should look for their next center this year and groom him for the future.
Roster building is a game of chess and the Cowboys need to consider the future.
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