john spytek
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Las Vegas Raiders GM John Spytek.
There’s a lot of talk about what the Las Vegas Raiders will do in the draft and on the trade market, but free agency is closing in. Armed with the third-most salary cap space in the NFL, they can afford to be big spenders this offseason.
This isn’t a particularly strong free agent class, but there’s one player who is a perfect fit for what the Raiders need. Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum appears set to hit free agency after not landing an extension with the Baltimore Ravens.
It’s not often that a 25-year-old offensive lineman who has made three straight Pro Bowls actually hits free agency. There are plenty of teams around the NFL ready to give him a lot of money to come play for them.
NBC Sports’ Matthew Berry is now reporting that the Raiders will be among those teams.
“Expect the Las Vegas Raiders to make a very strong run at the Ravens star center Tyler Linderbaum, who is going to set records with his eventual payday,” Berry wrote. “He’ll have many suitors, but I’m told the Raiders, who have a ton of cap space, very much like the idea of a stud like Linderbaum lining up in front of the No. 1 overall pick if Las Vegas does, in fact, draft Fernando Mendoza.”
Linderbaum Looking for Record-Setting Contract
At this rate, Linderbaum is likely to blow the previous record for the biggest center contract ever out of the water. Right now, Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey is the NFL’s highest-paid center at $18 million a season.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Linderbaum is looking to get significantly more.
“Word is Ravens C Tyler Linderbaum is shooting for $25 million per year in free agency,” Breer wrote. “I don’t think he quite gets there. But the fact that Baltimore declined its fifth-year option on him, and didn’t tag him, purely because those calculations include all linemen, is why a player of his level gets to the market. Both the option and the tag are based on what tackles make.”
Is Linderbaum Worth All That Money?
It will be very difficult for most teams to stomach paying a center $25 million a year. Guards and tackles are typically considered more valuable.
However, Linderbaum could be worth that much to the Raiders. Las Vegas is expected to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick, which means they’ll have him under a rookie contract for at most four years.
Giving a rookie quarterback a star center to work with is a recipe for success. Yes, the price is high for Linderbaum, but the Raiders aren’t paying a ton of players right now. They can afford to splurge on Linderbaum, especially since he’d fill such a big need.
Also, this would allow Jackson Powers-Johnson to move to guard permanently without any questions. That could mean the Raiders are set at left tackle, one of the guard spots and center. Though the Raiders may have had the worst offensive line in the NFL last season, adding Linderbaum makes the group look much better on paper.