The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot to address this offseason, and thankfully, they have the cap space to do so.
According to OverTheCap.com, the Raiders have the second most projected cap room in the NFL with $81.3 million as of January 27th. Last offseason, general manager John Spytek had an “intelligently aggressive” mindset when it came to making moves during the offseason, and he could use that same mindset this offseason.
The Geno Smith experiment did not work, and now that Las Vegas will presumably draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick, the top priority for the Raiders should be to not only bring in weapons for him but also make sure he’s protected.
Smith was sacked 55 times last season. That can’t happen again next season with Mendoza. The Raiders’ offensive line ranked 22nd in both pass-block win rate and run-block win rate in the NFL, according to ESPN statistics, which has to be fixed.
One way that can happen is if the Raiders go all in and go after Baltimore Ravens free agent center Tyler Linderbaum.
Raiders Must Go All In and Sign Center Tyler Linderbaum During Free Agency
Linderbaum is heading into free agency as Pro Football Focus’ No. 1-rated offensive lineman, and by far the top option any team has at upgrading up front.
“Linderbaum ranked as the fifth-highest graded center in the NFL in 2025 and has improved his PFF grade in every season since entering the league, all while heading toward free agency at just 25 years old,” PFF wrote. “While he remains imperfect in pass protection, he has earned PFF pass-blocking grades above 60.0 in three consecutive seasons. He is among the league’s best run blockers, however, having posted a PFF run-blocking grade above 80.0 in three of his four NFL seasons.”
Linderbaum, a former first-round pick by the Ravens back in 2022, is a three-time Pro Bowler with the team and blossomed into one of the top centers in the NFL. The Raiders’ starting center last season, Jordan Meredith, was quite the opposite last season as he was the 32nd-ranked center out of 40 qualified centers by PFF and struggled to keep Smith upright.
The Ravens declined the fifth-year option on Linderbaum back in April, and it was reportedly based on “unusually high financial commitment and not performance, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
That could be a massive mistake, and one that the Raiders can (and should) take advantage of.
Projected Contract and Outlook
GettyTyler Linderbaum #64 of the Baltimore Ravens waits to snap the ball to Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens against the Buffalo Bills during the AFC divisional round game.
It’s going to be a pretty penny to acquire Linderbaum, but money well spent. According to Spotrac, he’s in line for a four-year, $70.9 million deal this offseason.
For context, Chicago Bears starting center Drew Dalman, who was the top free-agent center during the last free agency period, signed a three-year, $42 million deal with an annual salary of $14 million per year. If Linderbaum were to sign the exact contract Spotrac is projecting, he’ll be on a $17.7 million annual salary.
If the Raiders were able to lure Linderbaum to Vegas, it would be a slam-dunk move. To be able to pair one of the top centers in the NFL (who’s only 25) with a talent like Mendoza would be the perfect start for the Raiders’ rebuild.
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