The Raiders spent the offseason trying to patch the holes that wrecked them a year ago, and no move said more about that urgency than the one they made at center. Las Vegas went out and landed Tyler Linderbaum, a record-setting investment for an interior offensive lineman, and in the process gave its rebuild a clear anchor in the middle.
That matters because the 2025 season exposed the offense in brutal fashion. The Raiders finished with the fewest rushing yards in the league, the league’s leader in interceptions, and the most sacks allowed.
That kind of damage doesn’t happen by accident. It starts up front, where Las Vegas lacked both talent and depth and paid for it over and over again.
Linderbaum is the kind of addition that can change the tone of an entire unit. He has made the Pro Bowl in three of his four seasons, has missed only two games over the past four years, and started 66 of the Baltimore Ravens’ last 68 games.
He also hasn’t missed a game in two full seasons. The Raiders weren’t just buying production; they were buying reliability.
Klint Kubiak made it clear why the team sees Linderbaum as so central to what comes next.
"Well, he touches the ball on every play, makes the line calls, he calls protections, he calls directions, he makes dummy calls, 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,” Kubiak said earlier this offseason.
“So, what stands out about him is just obviously the film that he's put on is exceptional. He was a really, really talented college player that's gotten better as a pro.
Love his play style. He's physical, he's nasty, plays through the echo of the whistle, finishes games, has been on a winning team, so we're trying to bring winners to the Raiders so that we can be on that level and go win playoff games."
The Raiders are counting on that kind of presence to steady an offensive line that has been a problem for too long. Linderbaum isn’t being asked to simply hold his own. He’s expected to lift the group around him, and Las Vegas is betting that his play will justify the price tag.
Linderbaum, for his part, sounded ready to embrace the job.
“Super excited. I think, as an offensive lineman, that's got to be your bread and butter, being able to run the football. It helps things set up for different things, for success,” Linderbaum said shortly after signing with the Raiders in free agency.
“The O-line play, it's a mindset; it's having the right attitude of determination of what we're trying to do to the defense, and it takes all five guys being on the same page. So, super excited to get with the guys in the building and kind of work towards our goals."
That’s the bigger picture for Las Vegas this summer. The Raiders aren’t being built like a finished product yet, and nobody is pretending otherwise.
They’re still in the early stages of a rebuild that will take more time. But after overhauling the coaching staff and attacking their biggest roster needs, they’ve at least given themselves a better foundation.
The expectations should stay grounded. A playoff run is not the standard here.
But a few more wins, cleaner offensive football, and real progress in the areas that were most broken last season would count as a meaningful step. After losing nearly 30 games over the past two seasons, even modest improvement would matter.
That’s why Linderbaum stands out so much in the Raiders’ long-term picture. He is one of their best players already, and if he plays the way he has throughout his career, he gives Las Vegas a chance to look like a competent offense again. For a team trying to climb out of the mess of the last two years, that’s a pretty big place to start.
In Other News...
Ravens Just Dragged Raiders Back Into The Tyler Linderbaum Drama
Baltimore is moving quickly to shore up the middle of its offensive line after Tyler Linderbaum left for Las Vegas in free agency, turning to veteran center Ethan Pocic on a one-year deal. The move gives the Ravens an experienced option at a spot that suddenly needed one, and it comes with a little extra intrigue because Pocic is still working back from an Achilles tendon tear suffered in December.
Even with that recovery timeline, Pocic is expected to be part of training camp, pending the final physical, which makes this a calculated bet rather than a simple stopgap. It also fits into a broader offseason pattern for Baltimore, which has already shown it is willing to pivot after missing on Maxx Crosby and landing Trey Hendrickson instead, leaving the Linderbaum ripple effect very much alive for the Raiders to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Another Raiders Line Gamble Just Turned Into A Much Bigger Problem
The Raiders brought in Alex Cappa last year hoping a veteran blocker could stabilize a line that needed help, but the fit never really took hold. He bounced between spots, never locked down a consistent starting job and struggled to find much traction as injuries and lineup changes forced him into different roles.
Now, with training camps approaching, Cappa is already off the roster and still looking for his next opportunity. His recent tape has drawn poor marks, and the conversation around him has shifted from what position he might hold for Las Vegas to whether there is still a place for him anywhere in the league. [Read more 🡒]