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The Las Vegas Raiders have roughly $91.5 million in salary cap space heading into free agency, per Over the Cap. With the offensive line being an issue last season, the Silver and Black have money to spend to improve the unit.
Moreover, the Raiders are being urged to back up the money truck for the Baltimore Ravens‘ Tyler Linderbaum. If the Ravens cannot reach an agreement before the center hits the open market, ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes believes that Las Vegas is an ideal spot for him, considering he’d mesh well with new head coach Klint Kubiak.
“Can I throw out a crazy idea for Linderbaum? Why not the Raiders?” Kimes said in a Feb. 20 video from the latest edition of “The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny.”
“You have a rookie quarterback. You’re bringing in a head coach who’s going to implement this Kubiak zone‑blocking scheme, which we know he’s a really, really good zone‑blocking center. You need a center to set, to run the thing, and set protections. You have a good left tackle, but this offensive line was a disaster last year.”
Moreover, Kimes believes the Raiders shouldn’t experiment at center, since the position anchors the entire unit and would help bring in a proven player.
“You have a good left tackle, but this offensive line was a disaster last year,” Kimes added. “… Jackson Powers‑Johnson, they thought he would play center; he didn’t play center. He seems more like a guard, etc.
“If you’re the Raiders and you’re going to break the bank at one position, why not choose a position that can help your young quarterback and also your run game in a way that desperately needs fixing.”
Joining Raiders Wouldn’t Be Wild Idea for Tyler Linderbaum
Moreover, ESPN’s Field Yates also stated in the same video that Linderbaum could take the risk of joining a rebuilding Raiders team because of his age, and he’s likely to get a second big contract in his career.
“The counter from people will be something to the effect of, ‘The Raiders stink. They’re not going to be good for a while,’” Yates said. “Tyler Linderbaum is going to be good for a long time. Like, this is not a 31‑year‑old center that still has one good contract left in him.
“Like, this is not the Raiders signing Trey Hendrickson to try to further beef up their pass rush. This is a true blueshift not even in the middle of his prime center that could totally last. This could be a two‑contract player for whoever signs Tyler Linderbaum.”
Lincoln Kennedy Doesn’t Hold Back on 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 recently stated that Las Vegas needs 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.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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