After the Maxx Crosby trade fell through, there was a little worry that the Las Vegas Raiders wouldn’t actually be able to make all of their reported free agent signings. The team committed a ton of money to center Tyler Linderbaum with the idea that they’d have $30 million of salary cap off the books.
Luckily, the Raiders still had enough space to make all of the big moves they wanted to make. They announced a slew of signings, most notably the Linderbaum signing.
Based on the fact that the Raiders offered him a historic contract, he was clearly a major part of their plans this season. New head coach Klint Kubiak’s offensive system places a ton of value on the center.
That played a role in why Linderbaum wanted to come to Las Vegas. He’s very confident in what Kubiak’s plans are for the offense and team.
“Coach Kubiak, I’m excited about what he’s going to build here, something that I think will fit my play and the whole organization itself is heading in the right direction, and something I want to be a part of,” Linderbaum said during his introductory press conference.
Linderbaum is Strong Fit In Kubiak’s Offense
The Raiders have been speculated to go after Linderbaum dating back to the regular season. He was the best offensive lineman in the free agent class, and the team had a massive need at center.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer shared why the Raiders’ decision to spend big on Linderbaum made a lot of sense.
“With all that established, this does make sense for the Raiders, from an ‘it’s just money’ standpoint, for a team that has plenty of it,” Breer wrote. “The role of the center in helping to run the presnap operation is massive in new head coach Klint Kubiak’s offense. The scheme also values athletic linemen who can move on zone runs. Linderbaum’s a perfect fit on both counts, and his football IQ should help ease the transition of presumptive first pick Fernando Mendoza to the pros.
“Given the spot the Raiders are in, the question then becomes, would you rather bid at $24 million (which is where Trey Smith set the guard market last year) and risk losing Linderbaum to someone like Washington or Cleveland? Or would you rather just pay the extra $3 million per year and have the player?”
Raiders Need More OL Help
Landing Linderbaum is a great start, but the Raiders shouldn’t be done with the offensive line. It sounds like Kolton Miller will be the left tackle, Jackson Powers-Johnson will be the right guard and Linderbaum will be the center. DJ Glaze should have a chance to compete at right tackle, but the Raiders should bring in competition.
Plus, it’s not clear who could be the left guard. The Raiders may have been planning to use the extra first-round pick they were supposed to get from the Ravens to address the need, but now things are more complicated with limited salary cap space. The Raiders are likely reevaluating their options, so it’s hard to imagine they swing anymore big moves in free agency.
New Raiders OL Tyler Linderbaum Has Strong Message for Klint Kubiak