As the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks continue preparations to face one another in the Super Bowl this coming Sunday, the Detroit Lions have already gotten a head start on their offseason preparations for what they hope is a far more fruitful 2026 NFL campaign.
There is no denying that one of the main drawbacks for the Lions in the recently completed season was the struggles of their offensive line, which was left vulnerable after the retirement of Frank Ragnow combined with the struggles of Graham Glasgow.
Of course, they weren’t aided by the recent announcement by veteran offensive tackle Dan Skipper that he intends to call it a career.
In the mind of Christian Booher of SI.com, the Lions ought to consider beefing up the offensive line by poaching Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum if he’s not able to come to terms on a new agreement in free agency to remain in his current location.
“For Detroit, a logical option could be to sign Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum in free agency if he does not agree to a new contract,” Booher wrote.
“Linderbaum has been named to three straight Pro Bowls and at age 26 could be a nice long-term solution. With the Lions’ identity being based around the run game, having a player like Linderbaum in the middle would be massive.”
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A Detroit Lions Signing Of Tyler Linderbaum Would Take Pressure Off Other Players
Booher continued his reasoning for the Lions’ poaching Linderbaum in free agency from the Ravens by noting it would help take pressure off younger players like Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogan.
“Linderbaum would also take the pressure off of young players like Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany, particularly Ratledge who played plenty of center during training camp before starting every game at right guard as a rookie,” he wrote.
Naturally, there’s not a guarantee that Linderbaum will make it to the open market, but if he does, Booher urges the Lions to act quickly, as he’ll be an attractive option for multiple teams.
“If Taylor Decker returns in 2026, the Lions would have three Pro Bowl selections amidst their starting five offensive linemen,” he concluded. “There’s no guarantee that Linderbaum makes it to the free agent market, but if he does, the Lions should waste little time to pounce.”
Linderbaum, the 25th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, has earned three Pro Bowl selections in his NFL career and has played in 66 contests, starting in each of them.
He’s been projected to be able to command upwards of $70 million in his next contract.
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The Lions Await Taylor Decker’s Decision
While the Lions have already lost a veteran leader in Dan Skipper, they continue to await on whether veteran Taylor Decker will join Skipper in retirement.
Following Detroit’s regular season finale last month against former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears, Decker implied that retirement from the NFL was something that he was strongly considering.
“I just want to get away because it’s been really challenging for me mentally, just being in pain all the time and knowing that you have to go out there and play anyway,” Decker said. “I’m just not in a good mental state right now. I’m not sleeping well. I mean, I just need to get away, and I go out there, and I play because I love the game and I love my teammates.”
Detroit Lions Urged To Poach $70 Million Three-Time Pro Bowler