No price was seemingly going to be too high for the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason in their pursuit of Tyler Linderbaum. The former Baltimore Ravens center landed with the Silver and Black after inking a three-year, $81 million deal, which reset the center market in unbelievable fashion.
But this overpay of sorts was worth every penny to a Klint Kubiak-led Raiders team that desperately needed a connector and multiplier up front and in the middle. And so far, Linderbaum's presence has made a world of difference for a Las Vegas offensive line with so much still to figure out.
It was honestly a miracle that Las Vegas signed Linderbaum, as he was highly sought after by almost two-thirds of the league this offseason. This made sense, as he was still young and already a top-three center in the NFL. But he's now getting the Raider treatment from the national media already.
Tyler Linderbaum is mysteriously dropping in rankings after joining Las Vegas Raiders
CBS Sports analyst Pete Prisco recently released his list of the top 100 players in the league headed into the 2026 NFL season. Brock Bowers was slotted in at No. 27, down five spots from 2025. Maxx Crosby was ranked No. 35, down seven spots from last year. Due to injury, both are understandable.
Linderbaum, however, after a fully healthy campaign last year, dropped all the way from No. 53 to No. 92. Here's the kicker, though: He was arguably better in 2025 than he was in 2024, so no reason exists for him to drop so dramatically. But this is the classic perception of those who join The Dark Side.
In years past, Raider Nation has seen this time and time again. A player who is considered elite at their position will sign with the Silver and Black or be acquired via trade, and suddenly, those in the national media don't feel as strongly about them anymore. And it works the other way, too.
When a player has left Oakland or Las Vegas, suddenly, they are recognized for their greatness, or excuses are made for them. In a way, this is understandable, as the Raiders have been a hotbed for ruining careers or not getting the most out of their players in recent years. But it is a lazy narrative.
Now, did Prisco provide some reasoning for Linderbaum's dramatic drop? Not exactly. Here's all that he said:
"He will go a long way toward improving the Las Vegas offensive line. He's a good run blocker who should help Ashton Jeanty a lot," Prisco wrote of Linderbaum.
That's it. No explanation for why Linderbaum plummeted 40 spots. Reason was provided for others in this range who fell significantly, whether it was injuries shortening their campaigns or their production falling off a cliff. But not the Raiders' new center.
And when one looks at Linderbaum's season last year, it was practically the exact same as the one he had in 2024. According to Pro Football Focus, his overall offensive grade went from 79.9 to 79.8. His run-blocking mark dropped from 64.9 to 63.4, and his pass-blocking from 85.3 to 83.2. Semantics.
These numbers are not consequential, and Linderbaum doesn't get any credit for cutting his penalties in half from 10 to 5. Yes, the Ravens' offense was worse last year, but a lot of that can be attributed to Lamar Jackson missing games and not being at 100% health all season.
Being the No. 92-ranked player in the NFL is still momentous, and Raider Nation should be glad to have three of its players on this list. But Linderbaum tumbling can only be attributed to one thing: His being perceived less favorably now that he wears Silver and Black. Get used to it, Tyler.
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