The Las Vegas Raiders pulled off the blockbuster trade on Friday evening that nobody around the league seemed to think that they could: Dealing superstar defensive end Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks. But lo and behold, John Spytek got it done.
A Maxx Crosby-sized hole now sits at the defensive end position, and the Raiders now have an additional Day 1 pick and roughly $30.7 million more to spend in free agency this offseason, as well as an additional Day 1 pick in 2027 and roughly $95 million more to spend the next three years.
What on earth is Las Vegas going to do with an even more abundant set of resources? Well, one thing they could do is go out and sign hotshot center Tyler Linderbaum, whose future in Baltimore is now all but settled after the trade. That would be a way to get revenge on the Ravens, if that's your speed.
Raiders must sign Tyler Linderbaum after trading Maxx Crosby to Ravens
Linderbaum is the perfect player for John Spytek to replace Crosby with. He is set for a record-shattering contract in free agency, and with Crosby's contract now on the Ravens' books and a Lamar Jackson extension imminent as well, Baltimore simply can't afford Linderbaum.
Klint Kubiak has made it clear that the center position is of the utmost importance in his offense, and it is not every day that a 25-year-old perennial Pro Bowl center just hits the open market. With all the salary cap space in the world, the Raiders are well-positioned to make an offer he can't refuse.
If Las Vegas effectively comes out on the other side of this Crosby trade with two additional first-rounders and Linderbaum at around $25 million per year, that is quite a heist. Not to mention the Raiders would have an additional $5 million to spend on veteran talent.
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Should Spytek play his cards right, the Silver and Black could, dare I say, be better off. That is obviously much, much easier said than done, but if the Raiders hit on both of their additional draft picks and Linderbaum is the player everyone thinks he will be, it is smooth sailing in Las Vegas.
Signing Linderbaum will also be easier said than done, as it seems like almost two-thirds of the NFL needs a starting center. But if the front office is as serious about getting him as the fanbase is, they'll write him a blank check, and that check is bound to be bigger than anyone else's.
Although Crosby was much more than just a great player for the Raiders, landing Linderbaum would be a tremendous way to start picking the pieces back up. It wasn't an official part of the deal, but it may end up being a critical tentacle of it. Get it done, Spytek.