The Las Vegas Raiders were looking to upgrade the offensive line this offseason and went to work during free agency to accomplish that goal. They signed one of the best centers in the league, Tyler Linderbaum, to the biggest deal for a center in NFL history.
NFL executives, coaches and scouts voted Linderbaum as a top-ten interior offensive lineman in the league. This is a massive addition. But he adds consistency to the offensive line, and his leadership will help the group tremendously. It goes without saying that he'll impact the quarterbacks, too.
Proof of this dynamic is Lamar Jackson's growth with Linderbaum at center. Jackson had his first 4000-yard passing season and won a second MVP with Linderbaum as the captain of the Ravens' offensive line.
It is what a great center brings to the table when forming a great relationship with the quarterback. And it sounds like Linderbaum already has reverence for what young Fernando Mendoza is doing in Las Vegas as he embarks on his first training camp with the Raiders.
Tyler Linderbaum understands the difficulty of training camp for Fernando Mendoza
At some point in the near future, Linderbaum will be working directly with Mendoza. Their chemistry should develop over the next few seasons and will be important for the overall performance of the Raiders' young signal-caller.
On the first day of training camp, Linderbaum was asked about the rookie quarterback's progress so far. Andrew Janocko and others spoke on the same topic in an earlier presser, but Linderbaum added his thoughts.
"Yeah, I think as a rookie coming in, and I can speak for all the rookies, it's a lot's being thrown at you. And it's what you can do with that information, how you're processing it, and then once we get that five-week period off, it's what are you doing to hit the ground running come fall camp and how much work have you put into being prepared for camp, and I think he's done a great job."
Linderbaum understands how tough it is as a rookie with expectations because he has been a starter ever since he was drafted. He hasn’t missed a snap since, and his ability to relate with the young players around him displays his leadership and knowledge of what it takes to succeed in the NFL.
Mendoza had a good first two days of practice and hopes to continue this growth throughout training camp. As the preseason goes along, the former Heisman Trophy winner may even be able to start building rapport with his new center.
Hopefully, all of this leads to wins on Sundays and Raider Nation finally gets the center and quarterback duo that has been missing since Derek Carr and Rodney Hudson. If that can be duplicated, it could lead to the success everyone has been clamoring for. Â
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