Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Hoosiers football
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(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Las Vegas Raiders spent big in free agency on March 9, with the biggest name from the signings being former Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported, citing sources, that the Raiders and Linderbaum agreed to a three-year, $81 million deal that includes $60 million guaranteed. Moreover, this contract makes him the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in NFL history.
Linderbaum’s reported signing wasn’t the only impact move that the Silver and Black made to start free agency. Nonetheless, the offensive lineman’s arrival has a major impact on Fernando Mendoza, who is the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
On March 10, ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky believes the Raiders are setting up Mendoza to succeed should Las Vegas draft him next month.
“It’s the best day the Raiders could have had for their potential young quarterback,”Orlovsky said on the March 10 edition of “Get Up.” “I think the No. 1 thing you can do for a young quarterback to help him is give him a defense.
“Make him feel that he doesn’t have to score 30 points a game and a touchdown every pass play. The addition of those defensive picks is a big deal.
“Then the second thing is you can keep him clean. And Tyler Linderbaum is going to be a big part of that. Linderbaum is very good in the run game, in their zone run game. Klint Kubiak getting out on the edges and being athletic. He’s also really strong in protection.”
Raiders Running Game Should See Improvement in 2026
Moreover, with the arrival of Linderbaum, the running game will get a boost, helping Mendoza and benefiting Ashton Jeanty.
“Also, remember Ashton Jeanty had 112 runs that were up the middle of the offensive line,“ Orlovsky added. “Fifty percent of those were hit at or behind the line of scrimmage. So if they can just get Jeanty to run the football a little bit better, that’s also going to be something super impactful for Mendoza.”
Last season,Linderbaum recorded an overall PFF grade of 80.2 for the Ravens, with a pass blocking grade of 63.4 and a run blocking grade of 83.7.
Las Vegas Receives Praise Over Tyler Linderbaum Signing
Furthermore, with their center now in place, ESPN NFL insider Mina Kimes shared her thoughts on Linderbaum reportedly joining the Silver and Black.
“You’ve got a rookie quarterback coming in,“Kimes said on March 9. “He’s going to be playing under center. He did not play under center at Indiana. In Klint Kubiak’s scheme, which is very under center, outside zone, boot off of that, the center has a lot of responsibility. And I loved the idea of bringing in a veteran center for Fernando Mendoza.
“‘Okay, we got the rookie quarterback. What do we want to invest in?‘ They very clearly decided, ‘We are going to invest in the center position.‘ I love it. The price is a whole other conversation, but the player, the fit, the need, what he’s going to do for Mendoza, I love every part of that.”