The Las Vegas Raiders are working to fill out as much of their roster as they can before the 2026 NFL Draft. One player who has been in limbo is offensive lineman Will Putnam.
The team placed an exclusive rights tag on him ahead of free agency, and no other team has tried to sign him. He’s decided to come back to the Raiders. He’s officially signed a contract with the team.
Putnam first joined the Raiders as an undrafted free agent signing in 2024. He didn’t get a chance to see the field as a rookie, but he had a few chances to show what he can do in 2025.
He played in 15 games last season and even got two starts at center. The Raiders are set at starting center with the signing of Tyler Linderbaum in free agency, but Putnam has a chance to be the Pro Bowler’s backup. The Raiders also have a need at guard, which he could compete at.
Putnam was twice named third-team All-ACC when he was at Clemson, but hasn’t had too many chances to earn playing time. The Raiders’ offensive line was a mess last season, which is why he was able to play. If he’s going to get playing time under the coaching staff, he’s going to have to continue to improve.
Raiders Going to Rely on Linderbaum
The Raiders made Linderbaum the highest-paid center in NFL history this offseason, so their expectations for him are going to be very high. A player on the type of contract he’s getting has to be a major impact player.
Linderbaum is a multi-time Pro Bowler, but he’s now going to have a lot more pressure on him. General manager John Spytek is expecting a lot from the veteran center.
“We’re going to put a lot on the center,” Spytek told reporters at the annual league meeting. “At a position where some teams don’t have as much value or want to put as much of a premium on it, that’s not us.
“We value that position a lot, and he fits us perfectly from that standpoint. And so we were gonna make our best offer.”
Klint Kubiak Expects Linderbaum to Be a Leader
Not only does Linderbaum have to be a great player on the field, but he’s going to have to be the leader of the offensive line. It’s likely going to be a young group outside of left tackle Kolton Miller.
Head coach Klint Kubiak expects him to take on a major leadership role.
“He touches the ball on every play, makes the line calls, calls protections [and] directions,” Kubiak said. “He’s the leader of the whole operation, touches the ball before the quarterback gets it. He’s going to be leading meetings when the coaches aren’t there.”
The Raiders had the worst offensive line in the NFL last season, so the hope is that adding Linderbaum alone makes the group better. With the kind of money they’re paying him, they’re going to need him to impact the entire group immediately. If he can, it’ll turn out to be a worthwhile investment for the team.
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