Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore Ravens
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(Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
The Las Vegas Raiders, who need major offensive line help, are likely hoping that the top center on the market, Tyler Linderbaum, makes it to free agency. Nonetheless, the Baltimore Ravens are doing everything possible to prevent that from happening.
Las Vegas has been one of the teams in the speculation mill linked to Linderbaum. The Silver and Black are in a rebuild, and the Ravens center is at an age that makes sense for the team, which should be looking to improve its offensive line for projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
However, on Feb. 24, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta spoke to the media and stated that the team has made a “market-setting” offer to the player ahead of free agency.
“Tyler is a guy I have tremendous respect for,”DeCosta said. “Obviously, he’s proven to be, in my opinion, the best center in the league. We’ve been having conversations. We’ve had conversations since the end of the season.
“At this point in time, we’ve made him a market-setting deal proposal offer, and hopefully we can get something done with him between now and the start of the new league year. We’ve always been a team that has valued the importance of the trenches and being up front, which is one of the reasons why we want to bring Tyler back, if we can.”
Raiders Urged to Make Run at Ravens’ Tyler Linderbaum
If the Ravens cannot reach an agreement before the center hits the open market, ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes believes that Las Vegas is an ideal spot for him, considering he’d mesh well with new head coach Klint Kubiak.
“Can I throw out a crazy idea for Linderbaum? Why not the Raiders?” Kimes said in aFeb. 20 video from the latest edition of “The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny.”
“You have a rookie quarterback. You’re bringing in a head coach who’s going to implement this Kubiak zone‑blocking scheme, which we know he’s a really, really good zone‑blocking center. You need a center to set, to run the thing, and set protections. You have a good left tackle, but this offensive line was a disaster last year.”
Moreover, Kimes believes the Raiders shouldn’t experiment at center, since the position anchors the entire unit and would help bring in a proven player
“You have a good left tackle, but this offensive line was a disaster last year,” Kimes added. “… Jackson Powers‑Johnson, they thought he would play center; he didn’t play center. He seems more like a guard, etc.
“If you’re the Raiders and you’re going to break the bank at one position, why not choose a position that can help your young quarterback and also your run game in a way that desperately needs fixing.”
Las Vegas Told to Throw the Bag at Tyler Linderbaum
PFF gave Linderbaum an 80.2 overall grade for the 2025 season. He recorded a 63.4 pass-blocking grade, good for 22nd among the 40 eligible centers, and an 83.7 run-blocking grade, which puts him fourth among the 40 eligible centers.
As a result, former Raiders offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy recently stated that Las Vegas needs to do whatever it takes to land Linderbaum in free agency.
“I’m throwing a bag of money at Tyler Linderbaum,”Kennedy said on the Feb. 3 edition of “Raiders Squad Show.” “I’m throwing a ton of money. What do you need? Tell me a check that will make you happy to come over for Raiders. That’s just a start, right? But there are plenty of guys out there that I would definitely look at, and I have no problem with accepting and throwing a ton of money out there.”