Ryan Mink
Top Ravens free agent Tyler Linderbaum got the mega contract elsewhere, as the center will reportedly sign a record-setting deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.
It's a three-year deal worth a reported $81 million, a whopping average of $27 million per year. The previous highest-paid center, the Chiefs' Creed Humphrey, has an $18 million average salary.
General Manager Eric DeCosta said at the Combine that the Ravens made a "market-setting" offer to Linderbaum, but the Raiders didn't just reset the center market. They reinvented it.
Reports indicated that Linderbaum's camp was aiming for a contract averaging $25 million per year. They exceeded that, with reportedly a large number of teams interested in Linderbaum's services.
It's a tough pill to swallow for the Ravens, as they lose a highly respected player and three-time Pro Bowler who anchored their offensive line. A first-round pick in 2022, the Ravens opted not to pick up Linderbaum's fifth-year option, which would have carried a 2026 salary of $23.4 million.
Baltimore was looking to upgrade the interior of its offensive line and is reportedlybringing back veteran guard John Simpson, but it will now have a big opening to fill. Several of the top available centers have already been scooped up or traded.
The Ravens could look to draft Linderbaum's replacement or turn to Corey Bullock, who spent last year as Linderbaum's backup and impressed many teammates and coaches last summer, including Linderbaum.
"I'm super stoked for Corey. I think he's putting himself in a great position," Linderbaum said last August.
"He plays the game the right way. He plays how you want a lineman to play physical, tough and he's a smart guy, too. So, if anything happens, I'm totally comfortable with him going in at that position and playing at a high level. He's a guy that just continues to work, continues to get better, and I'm excited for what's upcoming for Corey."
