The Baltimore Ravens have had such positive vibes through training camp and the preseason that it’s almost made it possible to forget the mass exodus of talent that walked out the door after last season — including a fired, Super Bowl-winning head coach.
That bygone talent was front and center this week when rookie Ravens head coach Jesse Minter announced Jovaughn Gwyn as the starting center — and a temporary starter, at that.
It’s a far cry from the last 4 years, when the Ravens had 1 of the NFL’s top centers in Tyler Linderbaum, who The Athletic predicts will make the NFL’s “Biggest Impact” on a new team after leaving Baltimore for a 3-year, $81 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.
“The Raiders shattered the top of the center market in March when they signed Linderbaum to a deal worth $27 million in annual value,” The Athletic’s Daniel Popper wrote on September 9. “Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey was previously at the top of the market at $18 million AAV. Resetting a market this aggressively is rare and risky. But Linderbaum can still have a dramatic impact on the Raiders’ offense even if he does not necessarily live up to his paradigm-shifting contract. Linderbaum’s athleticism should be an excellent fit in coach Klint Kubiak’s scheme. Having an experienced center will be monumental for rookie Fernando Mendoza when the No. 1 pick gets his chance to start this season.”
‘Franchise-Altering’ Move to Lose Tyler Linderbaum?
In Las Vegas, signing Linderbaum might be 1 of the moves that lifts the franchise from the NFL’s dregs, with Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton calling it not only the NFL’s best offseason move but a “franchise and season-altering move” moving forward.
“You can make the case that the Las Vegas Raiders had the best offensive signing of the offseason, locking three-time Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum into a three-year, $81 million deal,” Moton wrote. “In 2015, the Raiders signed center Rodney Hudson, who played a big role in solidifying a top offensive line group dubbed (Derek) Carr Insurance. Linderbaum can do the same for a unit that will eventually protect No. 1 pick, Fernando Mendoza.”
Tense Negotiations Between Linderbaum & Ravens
By all accounts, the working relationship between the Ravens and Linderbaum had grown pretty frosty way before he left town for the largest contract for an interior offensive lineman in NFL history.
“(The Ravens) have tried to negotiate with (Linderbaum),” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said on February 24. “His agent is very difficult to negotiate with. Neil Cornrich is the agent and his method is basically not responding.”
Linderbaum played out the final season of his 4-year, $13.23 million rookie contract in 2025 as the Ravens missed the playoffs for the 1st time since 2021 despite entering the year as Super Bowl contenders.
“ESPN Sources: former Ravens free-agent center Tyler Linderbaum reached agreement today on a record deal with the Raiders, who are awarding him with a three-year, $81 million deal that includes $60 million guaranteed and makes him the highest paid interior offensive lineman in NFL history,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on March 9. “Before today, Cowboys guard Tyler Smith was the NFL’s highest-paid interior offensive lineman, with a deal that averaged $24 million per year. Tyler Linderbaum’s deal averages $27 million per year.”
Ex-Ravens Star Predicted to Make NFL’s ‘Biggest Impact’ on New Team