Did the Las Vegas Raiders have two of the best free agent signings of the offseason? The Raiders signed several marquee stars leading up to the current season, but two in particular, Tyler Linderbaum and Nakobe Dean, have made good on the commitment that the Raiders made to them through the first four weeks of the year.
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper tabbed Linderbaum and Dean as being two of the best free agent signings in the NFL this offseason. He first raved about Linderbaum.
“Linderbaum reset the center market in March when he signed with Las Vegas for $27 million per year. The Raiders are getting what they paid for, and Linderbaum has been a massive factor in the team’s 3-1 start. The Raiders ranked 28th in pressure rate allowed in 2025. This
year, they rank 12th. Linderbaum has been a stabilizing force for the Raiders in pass protection, and the improved protection has given quarterback Kirk Cousins the time to be effective and accurate over the middle of the field.”
Linderbaum has had an obvious effect on the Raiders offense and his numbers prove it. He has yet to allow a sack on the season, while permitting just two hits and three pressures. The Raiders’ offensive line has clearly protected Kirk Cousins well, and Linderbaum has been a big part of that. After signing a three-year, $81 million deal with Las Vegas last spring, he has played up to his contract thus far.
As for Dean, his impact on the Raiders defense has been demonstrable early on in the season.
“Dean, who signed a three-year deal averaging a little over $12 million annually, has been an identity-changing addition for the Raiders on that side of the ball… Dean played one of the best games of his career in a Week 3 win over the New Orleans Saints. In Week 4 against the Chiefs, Dean had back-to-back stuffs in short yardage in the first quarter, including a fourth-down tackle on Walker. Dean has taken a step forward as a player, and the Raiders are reaping the benefits.”
Dean leads the NFL in forced fumbles with three, and has 1.5 sacks as well as three tackles for loss and three quarterback hits through four games played. He has been a force in the second line of defense for Las Vegas, and has proven that he deserves the three-year, $36 million deal he was given in the offseason so far.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: 2 Raiders new additions named among best free agent signings of 2026
