Fixing the offensive line should be the Las Vegas Raiders‘ priority, especially with the potential of Fernando Mendoza being drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Whether it’s in the run blocking or pass protection, the Raiders’ offensive line in 2025 wasn’t good and needs an overhaul. The first task will be hiring a new offensive line coach, but the next step will be upgrading the unit’s talent.
Free agency will be key for the Silver and Black, who will have the second-most cap space of any NFL team this offseason, per Over the Cap. One of the marquee offensive linemen who will be hitting the open market is the Baltimore Ravens‘ Tyler Linderbaum.
PFF gave Linderbaum an 80.2 overall grade for the 2025 season. He recorded a 63.4 pass-blocking grade, good for 22nd among the 40 eligible centers, and an 83.7 run-blocking grade, which puts him fourth among the 40 eligible centers.
As a result, former Raiders offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy believes that Las Vegas need to do whatever it takes to land Linderbaum in free agency.
“I’m throwing a bag of money at Tyler Linderbaum,” Kennedy said on the Feb. 3 edition of “Raiders Squad Show.” “I’m throwing a ton of money. What do you need? Tell me a check that will make you happy to come over for Raiders. That’s just a start, right? But there are plenty of guys out there that I would definitely look at, and I have no problem with accepting and throwing a ton of money out there.”
Who Could Be the Raiders’ Next OC and OL Coach?
Amid the report that Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is on his way to Las Vegas, The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen floated a name that could also be coming over from Seattle to be his offensive coordinator, who can also help the trenches on that side of the ball.
“The most important coach that Kubiak has to take with him and believe he will is OL coach John Benton,“ Nguyen wrote on X on Feb. 1. “He should give him the OC title and a big salary.”
Reggie Kinlaw Talks Reported Klint Kubiak HC News
Over the last few days, former Raiders players have shared their thoughts on Kubiak potentially being the next head coach for the Silver and Black. Before the news regarding Kubiak’s reported hire, Raiders legend Reggie Kinlaw shared his thoughts on the Seahawks coach potentially being the guy in charge in Las Vegas.
“We’re going to talk about the new era,“ Kinlaw told Vegas Sports Today in a video posted on Jan. 31. “This is new football. I mean, fundamentals have changed, have not changed, but the style of football has changed. So I’m looking at all these other teams that got great quarterbacks. I mean, great quarterbacks or young quarterbacks coming up. So you need a young head coach.
“Kubiak will be ideal for the Raiders. And plus, if we draft [Fernando] Mendoza, you got somebody that can coach this kid, break him in playing a new style of football, which is this all about passing, dude. I mean, you know, we either get a sit‑in‑the‑pocket quarterback or somebody that can move around.”
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