The Green Bay Packers made a rare reach into unrestricted free agency and found a new anchor for their offensive line, signing free-agent center Jeff Saturday to a two-year deal Friday.
Saturday, 36, has started 188 regular-season games in 13 NFL seasons, all with the Indianapolis Colts.
Harrison: Free-agency winners/losers
Which teams have vastly improved in free agency? Which teams are dropping the ball? Elliot Harrison weighs in. **More ...**
The Packers made the signing official late Friday afternoon, also announcing the signing of former Colts defensive lineman Daniel Muir.
Saturday replaces former Packers starter Scott Wells, who signed with the St. Louis Rams as a free agent.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers both spoke highly of Wells in the previous two seasons. Wells was the team's most consistent offensive lineman and played a critical role in dictating blocking schemes.
The addition of Saturday, with his experience in the Colts' complex offense, should make for a relatively smooth transition.
It's an uncharacteristic play for a relatively high-profile free agent by general manager Ted Thompson, who built the Packers into consistent contenders primarily by drafting and developing players. Green Bay still might look for a long-term answer at center in next month's NFL draft to learn the position behind Saturday.
Colts owner Jim Irsay wished Saturday well.
"I wanted him to work for (the) team full time but he wanted to go at it one more year ... He's as good of a man as it gets," Irsay wrote on his Twitter account.
The Packers have signed just a handful of unrestricted free agents away from other teams under Thompson, most notably cornerback Charles Woodson and defensive lineman Ryan Pickett in 2006.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
