When thinking about where to start with rebuilding this Las Vegas Raiders team, the consensus should be obvious: Draft Fernando Mendoza, and build a fortress of an offensive line to support him and young running back Ashton Jeanty.
With so much salary cap space, Raider Nation has been pounding the table for John Spytek to write a blank check to Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum. He'll be a 25-year-old Pro Bowler if he hits the open market next month. Seahawks reporter Brian Nemhauser expects Las Vegas to make a play.
"Just a heads-up, the Raiders are going to back up the truck for Tyler Linderbaum. Center is one of the most valued positions in Kubiak’s offense, and they’ve got the cap to pay him top dollar," Nemhauser wrote.
ESPN thinks Raiders are team to watch for Tyler Linderbaum
Now, landing a free agent of that stature feels like a bit of a pipe dream for the Raiders. Baltimore could still franchise tag Linderbaum, making him unavailable for Las Vegas, or he could choose to sign with any number of other NFL teams who will surely want his services.
But ESPN's Matt Bowen is keeping the dream alive. Bowen released his list of the NFL's top 50 looming free agents on Tuesday, and he included "best fits" for said players. For Linderbaum, he felt that the New York Giants were obvious, but urged fans not to count out the Silver and Black.
"Linderbaum can follow coach John Harbaugh to New York. Given his movement traits, he would fit the Giants' zone and gap schemes, and his 97.2% pass block win rate with the Ravens tied for second among 31 qualifying centers last season," Fowler wrote. "The Giants would be landing the top offensive lineman in free agency ... but let's keep an eye on the Raiders here, as well. They could also use Linderbaum's tone-setting mentality on the interior."
Linderbaum is widely considered to be one of the very best centers that the league has to offer. In just four NFL seasons, he has earned three trips to the Pro Bowl and a spot on the All-Rookie team in 2022. He could transform the Raiders' offensive line, turning it from a weakness to a strength.
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As Bowen pointed out, Linderbaum is incredible in pass protection and has experience working in zone blocking schemes, which is what Klint Kubiak will employ in Las Vegas. He could both protect Mendoza well and pave lanes for Jeanty. That is transformational value.
His market value currently sits at $17.7 million per year, with Spotrac projecting a four-year, $70.9 million deal to be in the cards for Linderbaum. The Raiders should do that in a heartbeat. Heck, pay him $20 million per year on a four-year deal. Genuinely, who says no?
Of course, the only drawback to this plan would be that Jackson Powers-Johnson would be resigned to playing guard when he has shown promise at and clearly wants to play center. Linderbaum is pigeonholed there, so Las Vegas would have to ask Powers-Johnson to make that sacrifice.
It'll be interesting to see how free agency plays out for Linderbaum, if he even makes it there. But one thing is for sure: Raiders fans, by and large, desperately want his talents in Las Vegas, and Spytek and Co. have the resources to make it happen. Bowen just gave The Nation hope on that front.