The Ravens have several important players scheduled to hit free agency in March, but none more important than center Tyler Linderbaum. The three-time Pro Bowler will garner heavy interest on the open market if Baltimore is unable to re-sign him before then.
While speaking with the media at the NFL Combine, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta revealed that the team has a “market-setting” offer on the table for Linderbaum that would make him the highest-paid center in the NFL. Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro
center Creed Humphrey sits at the top of the current list at $18 million per year.
But the deal currently on the table may still not be good enough for Linderbaum to sign at the dotted line. The Ravens have historically offered strong guarantee and cash flow structures in exchange for a discount on the APY. But free agency has always yielded inflated deals for offensive linemen, and Linderbaum will be one of the best to hit the open market in recent memory. Are the Ravens willing to make an offer he can’t refuse before free agency?
DeCosta added that the team will probably avoid using the franchise or transition tag on Linderbaum. According to overthecap.com, the franchise tag for Linderbaum would cost $27.9 million, while the transition tag would be $25.3 million. Since interior offensive linemen are grouped with offensive tackle contracts to arrive at the price of the tag, the value far exceeds the normal pay for a center.
The Ravens have been working to lock down Linderbaum for months, but his agent is simply not responding, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. DeCosta will not bid against himself and keep raising his offer until Linderbaum says yes. (Editor’s note: The team had similar issues with Lamar Jackson in 2023; so much for the idea that having an agent is vital to facilitating negotiations!)
DeCosta and the Ravens have their work cut out for them to rebuild the offensive line after a down year for the unit. Losing Linderbaum would make that a significantly harder achievement, as all three interior positions would be up for grabs. A case could be made that signing several cheaper options to fill out the interior would be wiser than ponying up top-of-the-market money for an undersized center who has struggled in pass protection at times. On the other hand, shoring up the guard positions could perhaps bring out the best of the incredibly athletic Linderbaum.
