After last season’s 5-12 finish, one thing is abundantly clear for Washington football fans. The team needs to add a significant amount of talent during the offseason. While Adam Peters will continue to use the draft, the Commanders GM will also have an estimated $82 million in cap space at his disposal after various projected restructures, releases, and dead cap hits. Jayden Daniels is entering his third year, and the clock is ticking on the franchise quarterback’s rookie contract, making this arguably
the most critical free agency of the new millennium for Washington. With free agency set to open on March 11th, Hogs Haven will be working to bring you articles on potential targets to fill various positions of need:
Top Needs:
- Edge
- Center
- Safety
- Linebacker
- Wide Receiver
- Cornerback
- Tight end
Secondary Needs:
- Running Back
- Defensive Tackle
In each article, we will briefly summarize the team’s current situation at the position, traits the coaching staff will prioritize, along with a list of the top free agents and a detailed look at a few players that fit the team at different projected average annual values (AAV), typically one high-, one moderate-, and one low-cost contract.
Today, we look at the Commanders newest need, a starting center.
Position Summary
Currently Under Contract:
- Nick Allegretti: On last year of 3-year deal
- Julian Good-Jones: Reserve/Future deal
Significant Free Agents:
- None
Following the surprising release of Tyler Biadasz, the Commanders depth chart looks quite different. Nick Allegretti, once considered a potential cap casualty, would now be the de facto starter at the position. He played the season finale in Tyler’s place but should not be handed the job. Julian Good-Jones has been listed as a G/C by Washington in the past and did play center one year in college, but should remain on the practice squad as emergency depth. Adam Peters will aggressively pursue a new starter. Under David Blough, the offense is expected to move to a zone blocking scheme, with Jayden Daniels under center more, finding a suitable replacement will be critical.
Top 2026 Center Free Agents:
Tyler Linderbaum
Connor McGovern
Cade Mays
Ethan Pocic
Lloyd CushenBerry
James Daniels
Sean Rhyan
Luke Fortner
Jordan Meredith
Danny Pinter
Connor McGovern, 28, Bills
Height/Weight: 6’5”, 318 lbs
Career Stats:
| Games | Off. | Def. | ST | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Num | Pct | Num | Pct | Num | Pct |
| 2020 | 23 | DAL | RG | 66 | 14 | 8 | 606 | 61% | 0 | 0% | 38 | 9% |
| 2021 | 24 | DAL | LG | 66 | 16 | 6 | 500 | 43% | 0 | 0% | 91 | 20% |
| 2022 | 25 | DAL | LG | 66 | 15 | 15 | 909 | 88% | 0 | 0% | 72 | 17% |
| 2023 | 26 | BUF | G | 66 | 17 | 17 | 1136 | 98% | 0 | 0% | 79 | 18% |
| 2024* | 27 | BUF | C | 66 | 16 | 16 | 961 | 94% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| 2025 | 28 | BUF | G | 66 | 16 | 16 | 1037 | 98% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Career | 5149 | 0 | 280 | |||||||||
| 3 yrs | BUF | 49 | 49 | 3134 | 0 | 79 | ||||||
| 3 yrs | DAL | 45 | 29 | 2015 | 0 | 201 | ||||||
Spotrac Projection: 3 years, $48,822,558
AAV: $16.3M
Tyler Linderbaum is not only the crown jewel of the center market but also one of the top overall free agents. Eric DeCosta has already said the Ravens have made him a market-setting offer, and I expect Linderbaum to either remain with the Ravens or carry a price tag Adam Peters will not pay. That leaves Connor McGovern as the next highest-rated center.
McGovern spent the first three seasons of his career in Dallas before joining the Buffalo Bills, where he has been their starting center the last two seasons. Connor is an iron man and has made 78 career starts between his time in Dallas and Buffalo. He is far better in pass protection than Tyler Biadasz, allowing no sacks and permitting just two quarterback hits in 2025. A quick, athletic player, McGovern would be a nice fit for the Commanders proposed shift in the rushing attack. Skarekow of SB Nation sister site Buffalo Rumblings did a film review of the free agent headed into the offseason:
The above tape is from Connor’s toughest matchup versus the Philadelphia Eagles and shows a little bit of the good and bad he brings to the position. There are some lapses, but McGovern typically recovers well, and the spin move included in the film cutup shows the timing and quickness the center can bring to an offensive line. He would thrive at the pivot for the Commanders.
McGovern isn’t going to come cheaply, but Connor has previous history with Dan Quinn, and Washington’s need is high following the release of Biadasz. A known entity, Adam Peters should aggressively pursue the center in free agency.
Cade Mays, 26, Panthers
Height/Weight: 6’6”, 325 lbs
Career Stats:
| Games | Off. | Def. | ST | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Num | Pct | Num | Pct | Num | Pct |
| 2022 | 23 | CAR | G | 64 | 11 | 2 | 51 | 8% | 0 | 0% | 47 | 16% |
| 2023 | 24 | CAR | G | 68 | 16 | 5 | 435 | 40% | 0 | 0% | 51 | 12% |
| 2024 | 25 | CAR | C | 11 | 8 | 495 | 76% | 0 | 0% | 7 | 2% | |
| 2025 | 26 | CAR | C | 64 | 14 | 12 | 727 | 81% | 0 | 0% | 6 | 2% |
| Career | 1708 | 0 | 111 | |||||||||
Spotrac Projection: 3 years, $36,780,477
AAV: $12.3M
Outside of Linderbaum and McGovern, there are no established starters available in free agency. Teams missing out on those two will need to find a player they think can make the leap to a full-time role. Cade Mays is at the top of the list, despite the fact that he didn’t open the season as Carolina’s starter.
Following an injury to Austin Corbett, Mays stepped into the lineup and never gave the job back, logging 793 offensive snaps, the highest of his career. Over the past two seasons, Mays has had more than 1,200 snaps at center, allowing just 21 pressures and zero sacks over that span. The Panthers utilize a mixed rushing attack featuring both zone and gap schemes, with Mays demonstrating plenty of athleticism for both:
Mays doesn’t have a long history at the position, with his first snaps at center being taken last year, but if Adam Peters is looking for a player to take a leap to a starting role, he fits the bill. The Panthers are expected to let Cade test the market in order to assess his value, and he should find plenty of suitors for his services. A young, ascending talent, he would be a good signing if the Commanders miss out on McGovern.
Luke Fortner, 27, Saints
Height/Weight: 6’4”, 307 lbs
Career Stats:
| Games | Off. | Def. | ST | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Num | Pct | Num | Pct | Num | Pct |
| 2022 | 24 | JAX | C | 79 | 17 | 17 | 1123 | 100% | 0 | 0% | 73 | 17% |
| 2023 | 25 | JAX | OL | 79 | 17 | 17 | 1164 | 100% | 0 | 0% | 60 | 14% |
| 2024 | 26 | JAX | OL | 79 | 17 | 0 | 13 | 1% | 0 | 0% | 56 | 13% |
| 2025 | 27 | NOR | OL | 63 | 17 | 10 | 678 | 60% | 0 | 0% | 32 | 7% |
| Career | 2978 | 0 | 221 | |||||||||
| 3 yrs | JAX | 51 | 34 | 2300 | 0 | 189 | ||||||
| 1 yr | NOR | 17 | 10 | 678 | 0 | 32 | ||||||
Spotrac Projection: 3 years, $18,540,624
AAV: $6.2M
Luke Fortner was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round of the 2022 draft. He was named their starting center as a rookie and continued to operate in that role in 2023. Unfortunately, his play was below average and he ended up on the bench in 2024. He was traded to the Saints in August of 2025, but was given a chance to redeem himself when starter Erik McCoy went out with an injury mid-way through the season. In 12 games and 10 starts, Fortner allowed just three sacks and 11 pressures on 442 pass-blocking snaps while committing only three penalties. Undersized, Fortner wins with athleticism and can move laterally and climb to the second level easily which makes him a good fit for a zone-blocking scheme.
Fortner was better in pass protection than in the run game last season, and you can’t ignore his past history. On a budget deal, he could be brought in to compete with Allegretti or a draft pick for the starting role.
Bottom Line
The center market is not very deep this free agency, which makes the early release of Tyler Biadasz even more surprising. The draft is also not particularly deep at the position, and the chances that Adam Peters uses an early selection for an offensive line in which he has already heavily invested seem slim. Going into the season with Nick Allegretti or another budget option would be concerning. The Commanders will need to move quickly in free agency to secure a replacement that can start for the team in 2026.
