The Las Vegas Raiders entered free agency with almost more money than they could feasibly spend. But if they were going to overpay for veteran talent on the open market, it had to be for Pro Bowl Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum, who is still just 25 years old.
Well, John Spytek made Raider Nation's wishes come true early in the legal tampering period, as he gave Linderbaum a record-setting contract to come to Las Vegas. The three-year, $81 million deal was enough to sway Linderbaum from a sea of options. Spytek and Klint Kubiak got the job done.
Not only is this a massive deal in terms of its financials, but it changes everything for the franchise, both on the field and in terms of morale. Spytek and Kubiak are already defining the new era in Las Vegas and re-establishing the Raiders as a premier destination.
Raiders' Tyler Linderbaum signing changes everything in Las Vegas
First, let's look at what this addition means for the offense. Kubiak has gone on about the importance of the center in his scheme, and the Raiders now have, arguably, the best young player at the position in the league. Las Vegas' offensive line struggles could be a thing of the past with him in the middle.
Secondly, this proves that Kubiak and Spytek are seeing eye-to-eye. This rebuild requires talented young players who figure to be a part of the future, and it was well known that Kubiak would be in the market for the best center available. Spytek made it happen. Cohesion! Imagine that.
This also serves to prove that these are not the Raiders that the league has become accustomed to. Great players like Linderbaum see the vision and Las Vegas and want to join the Silver and Black. They are not scraping the bottom of the barrel for free agents anymore.
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Linderbaum is an elite run-blocker, so he should firmly boost Ashton Jeanty into stardom in his sophomore campaign. Obviously, the Raiders need more pieces around him, but Linderbaum alone is enough to strengthen this unit and make it unrecognizable.
Pass-protection is also a key thing to address this offseason, with young quarterback Fernando Mendoza likely entering the fold, and Linderbaum has that in spades. He and Mendoza can touch the ball on every play for the Raiders for the next decade or more.
Signing Linderbaum was massive for countless reasons. But this is a major morale boost for the organization, as it reaffirms that they are taking the right steps in this rebuild. Linderbaum is a Raider, and that is great news for everyone, except for the rest of the AFC West.