New head coach, new offensive line, and a new unified direction.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the gist of Klint Kubiak earning the Las Vegas Raiders coaching gig and him tabbing longtime Kubiak-tree branch Rick Dennison as the boss of the trenches. Together, the duo is set to install and drill a zone blocking scheme influenced by Alex Gibbs, the \u201cgodfather\u201d of the system. On the surface, there won\u2019t be the ambiguity that was present in the head coach, offensive coordinator, offensive line coach dynamic in Las Vegas. The trio of Pete Carroll, Chip Kelly, and Brennan Carroll was an unmitigated disaster.<\/p>\n
Thus the Autumn Wind of change flowing through the halls of Raiders headquarters in Henderson \u2014 once more.<\/p>\n
For Kubiak\u2019s offense to go \u2014 he\u2019s going to call the plays as head coach \u2014 it\u2019s imperative Dennison\u2019s offensive line is executing and in unison. And to get there, the Raiders would be wise to spend cap space on a premiere pivot that\u2019s slated to hit the open market when free agency begins next Monday: Tyler Linderbaum.<\/p>\n
The Baltimore Ravens\u2019 center the the last four years since being taken by the team with the 25th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Iowa product is an elite player at his position that\u2019s slated to be a focal point for offensive line-needy teams. Las Vegas won\u2019t be alone in its pursuit of the Iowa product but Linderbaum is worth the chase and coin.<\/p>\n
The 6-foot-2 and 305-pound Linderbaum excelled in the Ravens\u2019 primarily gape-heavy power blocking scheme, yet the 25-year-old (26 April 7) pivot has the skillset to be even better in a zone scheme. This is due to Linderbaum\u2019s combination of lateral movement, technical expertise, and the ability to climb to the second level with ease and determination.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a rare combination amongst NFL centers and when you combine those traits with his background as a wrestler, it\u2019s no surprise to hear Linderbaum is going to be a hot commodity on the open market. He\u2019s showcased versatility to be in a power-based blocking scheme while having tailor made ability to be a dancing bear in zone systems.<\/p>\n
The blocking scheme that Kubiak and Dennison prefer focuses on athleticism and footwork, alongside the core tenet of zone vs. man. The scheme uses smaller, more agile linemen who can execute in \u201creach\u201d blocks and double teams at the point of attack before one linemen peels off to engage a linebacker. A reach block is where an offensive linemen gains outside position on a defender \u2014 especially on outside\/wide zone running plays \u2014 to cut across their body and wall them off from the play\u2019s direction.<\/p>\n
Linderbaum showcases an impressive ability to do just that. He also is a sound communicator at center and adopted an over-communicating style with Baltimore to ensure his linemates are all on the same page. This is vital for Dennison\u2019s scheme in Las Vegas as another core tenet to the Gibbs\u2019 zone blocking scheme is unison movement \u2014 where the entire offensive line moves in the same direction to move the defense horizontally.<\/p>\n
Being able to do it is one thing, getting the group of vie to do it as a group is a different beast and Linderbaum has tamed both.<\/p>\n