51 replies to this topic

[BSLJamieSieck]

If Linderbaum hits the market, really feels like he'll be gone. Vegas is flush with cap space, has a huge need on the O-line. Just feels like a team that would be stupid enough to pay him $25+ million a year.

The other side of that, you have to hope he gets out there, and everyone has the same thoughts, and he comes back because Baltimore is actually the best offer. Doubtful, but plausible.

I do believe Lamar gets something done soon. If he resigns/restructures, that opens up a lot of valuable cap space.

 

The preference is that Lamar and EDC get an extension done. Of course we can do a simple restructure to get some cap space for this year but then we're right back in the same boat next offseason but Lamar's cap number will be bigger and he could potentially have more leverage.

[bmore_ken]

Frankly if I were the Ravens I would begin to plan to approach other options.  Lindy is a good player but I am not sure he is good enough to reset the market.  Like most centers he gets overpowered by the bigger nose tackles.  I think the reason for EDC to make that statement is to try to pressure Lindy and his agent.  

Agree. I don't know who's available because I haven't really looked. But I'm guessing you can find a serviceable C that won't cost $23M per. The line is already in bad enough shape to go into the draft needing a C when you already have G issues. 

[BSLChrisStoner]

@koestreicher34

The Ravens hope to keep C Tyler Linderbaum, but people in Indianapolis at the NFL Combine believe he will get offers that exceed $20M per year and that Baltimore won't want to go that high, per @DanGrazianoESPN Around $22.5M per year is a sensible sweet spot, per @JFowlerESPN

[makoman]

Breer said Linderbaum is looking for 25M per year. Said he doesn’t think he gets that much, but still…bye.

[Biggsy]

Breer said Linderbaum is looking for 25M per year. Said he doesn’t think he gets that much, but still…bye.

Some really bad franchises out there, with a lot of money to spend, and no common sense. Someone will give him $22+ million AAV.


At this point, its obvious Linderbaum wants to see what's out there. With that said, I'd say we have very little odds of him being our starting center next season.

[BaltBird 24]

Too many holes to fill to give $20+ million to a center.

[Mackus]

I'd rather spread the money around than give it all to Linderbaum.  Adding another huge hole to our weakest unit sounds like bad news, but lots of room for improvement so probably some good bang for your buck opportunities to go from awful to decent at modest prices rather than pay the high premium for the marginal improvement from good to great (or staying great, in the case of Linderbaum, if you do believe he's great).

 

Knowing the Ravens, they're probably scouring the market for cap casualties.  An opportunity to fill holes with veterans and not hurt your comp pick math could be a win-win.

[jamesdean]

I'd rather spread the money around than give it all to Linderbaum.  Adding another huge hole to our weakest unit sounds like bad news, but lots of room for improvement so probably some good bang for your buck opportunities to go from awful to decent at modest prices rather than pay the high premium for the marginal improvement from good to great (or staying great, in the case of Linderbaum, if you do believe he's great).

 

Knowing the Ravens, they're probably scouring the market for cap casualties.  An opportunity to fill holes with veterans and not hurt your comp pick math could be a win-win.

Starting to lean in your general frame of mind.  If someone wants to give Linderbaum $25 million a year, then, "happy for you, good luck and thanks for the memories."  

[mdrunning]

While I largely agree with the above, my question isn't so much what, but specifically who will be the next center should Linderbaum take his show on the road? As someone else pointed out, there are a number of teams out there with plenty of cap space, and only one of them, of course, will get Linderbaum if they so choose to pay him.

 

I don't know who else is out there specifically at center, but if it's a position of need for multiple teams, then it could put upward pressure on the price for second-level talents as well. The Ravens could always draft for the position, but a glaring hole could force them to deviate from their best player available approach, which could skew their entire draft. Overpaying for mediocre is just as bad as overpaying for good, so the Ravens may have to decide which is the best of their two bad choices. 

[Mackus]

While I largely agree with the above, my question isn't so much what, but specifically who will be the next center should Linderbaum take his show on the road? As someone else pointed out, there are a number of teams out there with plenty of cap space, and only one of them, of course, will get Linderbaum if they so choose to pay him.

I don't know who else is out there specifically at center, but if it's a position of need for multiple teams, then it could put upward pressure on the price for second-level talents as well. The Ravens could always draft for the position, but a glaring hole could force them to deviate from their best player available approach, which could skew their entire draft. Overpaying for mediocre is just as bad as overpaying for good, so the Ravens may have to decide which is the best of their two bad choices.

Here is a list of free agent centers:
https://www.spotrac....2026/position/c

Here is a list of PFF's top-32 centers entering 2025:
https://www.pff.com/...2025-nfl-season

Guys on both include Linderbaum (#2), McGovern (#6), Pocic (#12), Cushenberry (#20), and Mays (#22). Not on the UDFA list but recently released is Biadasz (#15).

[mdrunning]

There's still the option of the non-exclusive franchise tag if the Ravens want to go that route. Rather high (just over $25 million), but some projections have Linderbaum getting close to that much anyway. The upside is the tag would likely scare off potential suitors; the downside, of course, is the Ravens would be looking at a significant cap hit heading into free agency if they could not get a subsequent long-term deal done in an expedient manner.

 

And before anyone jumps in, I'm aware DeCosta has stated they're not using the tag on Linderbaum.

[makoman]

Here is a list of free agent centers:
https://www.spotrac....2026/position/c

Here is a list of PFF's top-32 centers entering 2025:
https://www.pff.com/...2025-nfl-season

Guys on both include Linderbaum (#2), McGovern (#6), Pocic (#12), Cushenberry (#20), and Mays (#22). Not on the UDFA list but recently released is Biadasz (#15).

Of those that you listed, Linderbaum was on his rookie deal, McGovern was on a 3/22 deal, Pocic a 3/18 deal, Cushenberry a 4/50M deal, Mays was on a 1/3.5 RFA deal, and Biadasz a 3/30M deal. 6 centers made 10M per year last year, 2 made 15M+. I can't imagine Linderbaum is going to reset the market so much and demand will be so high that all these FAs are going to get like 15M. I would think there should be room for right player right price here. Someone like the center version of when we signed Zeitler, he was affordable and solid.

[Mackus]

Doing the same thing for guards...

 

Free agents:

https://www.spotrac....2026/position/g

 

Pre-2025 PFF rankings:

https://www.pff.com/...2025-nfl-season

 

Bitonio (#14), Teller (#18), Zeitler (#9), Seumalo (#12), Daniels (#24), Simpson (#21), and Edwards (#29) are on both lists.  This is 32 total guards, so only half the starters, not sure if any other FAs would be considered starting caliber and of course these are pre-25 ranks so lots of movement up or down is likely. 

[Mackus]

While I largely agree with the above, my question isn't so much what, but specifically who will be the next center should Linderbaum take his show on the road? As someone else pointed out, there are a number of teams out there with plenty of cap space, and only one of them, of course, will get Linderbaum if they so choose to pay him.

 

I don't know who else is out there specifically at center, but if it's a position of need for multiple teams, then it could put upward pressure on the price for second-level talents as well. The Ravens could always draft for the position, but a glaring hole could force them to deviate from their best player available approach, which could skew their entire draft. Overpaying for mediocre is just as bad as overpaying for good, so the Ravens may have to decide which is the best of their two bad choices. 

 

$25M all cap in year 1 is very different than a $25M AAV deal.  Linderbaum's cap hit on his new contract will probably be under $10M in 2026.  I'd rather give him the long-term deal than the non-exclusive tag value.

[Biggsy]

I'd rather spread the money around than give it all to Linderbaum. Adding another huge hole to our weakest unit sounds like bad news, but lots of room for improvement so probably some good bang for your buck opportunities to go from awful to decent at modest prices rather than pay the high premium for the marginal improvement from good to great (or staying great, in the case of Linderbaum, if you do believe he's great).

Knowing the Ravens, they're probably scouring the market for cap casualties. An opportunity to fill holes with veterans and not hurt your comp pick math could be a win-win.

It definitely feels like Linderbaum has priced himself out of Baltimore. I tend to lean your way as well, now that the writing seems to be one the wall. Go get McGovern and 1 or 2 of Teller/Bitonio/Zeitler/Daniels, for the same amount, or less.

[mdrunning]

Saw where Bears' center Drew Dalman, who just signed a three-year, $42 million contract with Chicago last offseason, has opted to retire at the age of 27. Now there's going to be another team in the market for a center.

[mdrunning]

$25M all cap in year 1 is very different than a $25M AAV deal.  Linderbaum's cap hit on his new contract will probably be under $10M in 2026.  I'd rather give him the long-term deal than the non-exclusive tag value.

I'm aware of all that, but what a tag would do (and it's probably moot now since I think the deadline just passed) is discourage other suitors who could drive up his price tag even more. That would give the Ravens de facto exclusivity in negotiations on a longer-term deal. No one is going to surrender two first-rounders for a center even if he's the second coming of Jim Ringo or Jim Otto.

[BSLJamieSieck]

I'm aware of all that, but what a tag would do (and it's probably moot now since I think the deadline just passed) is discourage other suitors who could drive up his price tag even more. That would give the Ravens de facto exclusivity in negotiations on a longer-term deal. No one is going to surrender two first-rounders for a center even if he's the second coming of Jim Ringo or Jim Otto.

 

Sure but it also chews up that cap space until a deal gets done, which hamstrings our ability to upgrade the roster in other ways. And, at the moment, I think we're projected to be about 25 million under the cap.

[BSLMikeLowe]

I'd rather spread the money around than give it all to Linderbaum.  Adding another huge hole to our weakest unit sounds like bad news, but lots of room for improvement so probably some good bang for your buck opportunities to go from awful to decent at modest prices rather than pay the high premium for the marginal improvement from good to great (or staying great, in the case of Linderbaum, if you do believe he's great).

 

Knowing the Ravens, they're probably scouring the market for cap casualties.  An opportunity to fill holes with veterans and not hurt your comp pick math could be a win-win.

 

I suspect Linderbaum's agent might be using that as leverage against the Ravens. I know there are teams out there that do dumb things but giving a C, no matter how good, as much as $25M/yr sounds like a bridge too far for anyone.

[mdrunning]

Sure but it also chews up that cap space until a deal gets done, which hamstrings our ability to upgrade the roster in other ways. And, at the moment, I think we're projected to be about 25 million under the cap.

This is just a what if, and the Ravens would have been foolish to slap the tag on Linderbaum now with free agency just over a week away. That would have left them with precious little negotiating time. Put the tag on him Feb. 17 and try and negotiate a long-term deal during that time frame. Should the talks appear to be going nowhere, pull the tag, let him test the market and use the money elsewhere. 

 

Of course, there's always the chance of a player signing the tender from the outset, but of the two players out of the four who had the tag put on them in February--George Pickens and Kyle Pitts--neither has signed of yet.