Linderbaum Breakdown: Why the Raiders’ Biggest Move Makes Perfect Sense

RAIDERS FREE AGENCY AFTERMATH:

& WHAT THE FREE AGENTS REVEALED

Free agency was absolute chaos this week, and the Raiders were right in the middle of it all. In our latest episode of the Silver & Black Sports Network Podcast, I break down everything that happened in Las Vegas: the massive spending spree, the Maxx Crosby trade rollercoaster, and the biggest takeaways from the newest Raiders speaking at their introductory press conferences. We also dig into why these players chose Vegas and what it all says about the direction of the roster moving forward. And yes, we dive into all the work Chef Spytek put in this week, he was cooking. So if you want the full breakdown of how the Raiders attacked free agency, make sure you check out the episode linked above.

THE FIRST WAVE OF FREE AGENTS

Tyler Linderbaum (C)
The biggest splash of them all. I’ll own it, I didn’t think the Raiders would actually pull this one off. Yes, they paid a premium at $27M per year, resetting the center market by a mile, but it’s hard to complain when you’re landing a 25-year-old, top-tier center who’s a perfect fit for Klint Kubiak’s offense. In this scheme, the center is responsible for protection calls, run checks, and setting the tone for the entire o-line, and Linderbaum is an elite fit for a heavy zone blocking scheme. Bottom line: this move instantly makes life easier for Fernando Mendoza, Ashton Jeanty, and stabilizes the entire offensive line. Keep scroller for a deeper dive on the Raiders’ newest center and the low down on how you can shut down just about any argument your buddies try to throw your way about him.

Nakobe Dean & Quay Walker (LBs)
The Raiders injected youth and athleticism into the middle of their defense with two 25-year-old linebackers. Dean is the more exciting addition, when healthy, he’s explosive, aggressive, and one of the better blitzing linebackers in the league. The question is durability. Walker has been extremely productive (100+ tackles in every season) but has struggled in coverage. Still, both players are aggressive tacklers, and their speed should allow Rob Leonard to dial up some creative pressures.

Kwity Paye (EDGE)
Paye is a classic bounce-back bet. After posting 16.5 sacks across 2023–24, he took a step back last year in a new defensive system under Lou Anarumo. The Raiders are hoping he can rediscover that earlier form in Leonard’s defense. Even during the downturn, he’s remained a strong run defender, posting a 77.5 PFF run-defense grade since 2022, which ranks 16th best at the position.

Jalen Nailor (WR)
From a bounce-back bet, to an upside play. Nailor spent the last few years behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, so opportunities were limited. But when targeted last season, he was efficient — just one drop on 49 targets. He’s fast, versatile, and capable of playing both inside and outside, which should allow Kubiak to move him around the formation and create plenty of mismatches.

Malcolm Koonce (EDGE)
The Raiders brought Koonce back on a one-year, $11M deal, giving him a prove-it season in Rob Leonard’s first year as the DC and Kubiak’s first as the HC. The move to a 3-4 should suit him well since he played as a stand-up edge in college. His 14.4% pass-rush win rate (73rd percentile, per PFF) last year was solid, and now two years removed from his ACL injury, this is a big opportunity for him to reestablish himself.

Eric Stokes (CB)
Bringing Stokes back was an easy call. He revived his career last season, posting a 73.5 PFF coverage grade and allowing completions on just 56% of targets. Add in his reputation as a great locker-room presence, and it’s a move that makes plenty of sense.

Taron Johnson (CB – Trade)
The Raiders also addressed the slot by trading for Johnson from Buffalo. While his play dipped slightly the last couple seasons, he’s still a capable starter, and that matters for a defense that gave up 420 yards and six touchdowns to slot receivers last year. Even if he’s not the same guy he used to be, he should be able to hold down the fort in the slot.

Matt Gay (K)
The Raiders moved on from Daniel Carlson and brought in Matt Gay. On paper, Carlson has been the more consistent kicker recently, but Gay has familiarity with special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis, and some of his best seasons came under him in Los Angeles.

Bottom line:
The Raiders added a lot of young talent and scheme fits while reinforcing key positions across the roster on deal that don’t lock them in for the long term if things don’t work out. That’s a hell of a start to the rebuild.

If you want the full deep dive on each of these guys, check out the podcast linked below, from Tuesday where I peeled the curtain back a bit more on each of the Raiders’ signings this week.

BREAKING DOWN THE BIG FISH

Let’s start with the obvious question Raider Nation has been hearing since the deal was announced:

Did the Raiders overpay for Tyler Linderbaum?

Yes. Of course they did.

The Raiders are paying him $27 million per year, resetting the center market by a mile. The next highest-paid center in the league is Creed Humphrey at $18 million per year. That’s a $9 million jump.

But here’s the part people miss.

When you compare Linderbaum’s contract to all interior offensive linemen, it’s really not that outrageous. The highest-paid guard in the league is Dallas’ Tyler Smith, at $24 million per year, meaning the Raiders are only paying $3 million more annually for one of the best centers in football.

And he’s only 25 years old, turning 26 in April.

That matters. A lot.

At worst, Linderbaum is already a top-three center in the NFL, and he’s entering the prime of his career.

Why He’s So Important in Klint Kubiak’s Offense

Outside of the quarterback, center is the most important position in Klint Kubiak’s offense.

The center is responsible for making all the protection calls, identifying the mike linebacker, and adjusting run-blocking assignments. Linderbaum has already been doing exactly that in Baltimore, and doing it at an elite level.

For Fernando Mendoza, this is massive.

Young quarterbacks often struggle because they have a million things to wrap their head around. Linderbaum eliminates a huge portion of that learning curve whenever Mendoza does indeed step out onto the field.

The Pass Protection Criticism

If people want to nitpick Linderbaum’s game, they’ll likely point to last season.

He allowed 26 pressures, the 9th most among centers, with a 5.2% pressure rate, both career highs.

But context matters.

Those pressures came after an average time of 3.64 seconds, which ranked second longest among centers, and was the best mark of his career.

Even more impressive?

He was blocking one-on-one on 49.7% of his pass sets, the highest rate at the position.

Despite that workload, he still posted ESPN’s 4th-highest pass-rush win rate among centers.

So the idea that he’s somehow a liability, or less than elite in pass protection doesn’t really hold up when you dig into the numbers.

The Run Blocking (This Is Why He’s Here)

This is where Linderbaum becomes a perfect fit for what the Raiders are building.

Across his first four seasons in the NFL, he owns a 91.2 PFF run-blocking grade. That’s 3rd best among all centers, behind only Frank Ragnow (recently retired) and Creed Humphrey.

Now let’s dive into why that matters for the Raiders.

Last season in Seattle, Klint Kubiak ran the ball at the second-highest rate in the NFL. And many of those runs were zone concepts, which accounted for 58% of Seattle’s rushing plays.

Well, over the last four seasons, Linderbaum owns a 92.4 PFF zone-run blocking grade, also 3rd among centers.

The Production Speaks for Itself

Linderbaum wasn’t just putting up good grades in Baltimore. He was a foundational piece in one of the best rushing attacks in football.

Last season, the Ravens offense averaged 156.6 rushing yards per game (2nd in the NFL) and 5.3 yards per carry (1st in the NFL).

Now, that skillset is coming to Las Vegas.

The Ripple Effect

The move also clears up the rest of the offensive line, sort of.

Jackson Powers-Johnson can now settle in at guard, which removes the drama surrounding last year’s coaching staff.

From there, the Raiders can focus on filling in the remaining pieces.

Like possibly drafting a guard and letting Caleb Rogers compete with them for the starting role, and figuring out the right tackle situation between DJ Glaze, Charles Grant, and/or a rookie.

But the most important piece is now locked in.

And when you step back and look at the entire picture — age, production, scheme fit, and positional value to Kubiak — it’s really hard to argue the Raiders made anything other than a rock solid move by bringing Tyler Linderbaum to Las Vegas.

MISS ANYTHING?

Catch up on some of our recent stories:

MUST WATCH (HEAR ME OUT!)

Before you start yelling at whatever screen you’re reading this on, hear me out.

I know this is a Raiders newsletter, and yes, it sounds crazy to include anything Chargers-related in here. But trust me — this one actually makes sense.

The Chargers recently posted a video on their YouTube channel breaking down how Mike McDaniel’s run game weaponizes tackles who can really move. The reason I’m including it here is simple: McDaniel comes from the same coaching tree as Klint Kubiak, and his offense is built on the same wide-zone rushing concepts Kubiak wants to run in Vegas. So a lot of the ideas in that video translate directly to what the Raiders are trying to build.

There’s another reason it caught my attention, too. It ties into the debate we’ve all been having about how the new staff will approach the right tackle position.

Right now, the Raiders’ options on the right side are DJ Glaze and Charles Grant. When Kubiak spoke at the Combine, he mentioned that the team has “stability” at both tackle spots — presumably referring to Kolton Miller on the left and Glaze on the right, who’s been starting there since 2024.

I’m not writing Glaze or Grant off by any means. But after watching this breakdown, I’m starting to come around to the idea that the Raiders could take a tackle if someone like Blake Miller, Max Iheanachor, or Caleb Lomu is still on the board early in the second round. Miller will likely be gone, but Iheanachor and Lomu could realistically be there.

And when you see how much athletic tackles can unlock the run game in this system, it’s not crazy to think the Raiders might prioritize that — even over a nose tackle, which is still a massive need. If that happens, they could grab a tackle in the second and then circle back for someone like Domonique Orange or Darrell Jackson Jr. in the third to address the interior of their defensive line.

That was probably a longer explanation than necessary, but I wanted to defend myself before catching heat for sharing a Chargers video (LOL).

Long story short: check out the breakdown linked above. It might get you thinking about the Raiders taking a tackle early in the second round, too.

P.S. I had to hyperlink it because they (the Chargers) suck and blocked it from being shared the way I normally link to my podcasts.

ICYMI

The first big wave of free agents gets all the attention. After all, the Raiders spent a ton of money, how could we not dedicate a big chunk of the newsletter to those moves?

But those aren’t the only additions the Raiders made.

Amid all those dollars flying around, you might have missed that the team quietly made a pair of smaller moves on Thursday.

First, they found their fullback, signing former Steeler Connor Heyward to a two-year deal worth up to $5.5 million, including $2 million fully guaranteed, according to his agents at Priority Sports.

Heyward is a versatile piece — he even has a background as a tight end — but he spent the last four seasons serving as Pittsburgh’s fullback. He also handled duties as their “tush push” quarterback in short-yardage situations.

That last name should sound familiar, too.

His father is former NFL running back Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, and his brother, Cam Heyward, has built a pretty solid career of his own in Pittsburgh.

Along with Heyward, the Raiders also reportedly brought in a familiar face for Klint Kubiak.

According to Sports Trust Advisors, their client — former Seahawks wide receiver and kick returner Dareke Young — is following Kubiak to Las Vegas. Young projects as a depth receiver and core special teamer.

Last season he totaled 322 kickoff return yards and recorded nine tackles on special teams.

FANSHOTZ FRIDAY

“FanShotz Friday”

By now, you have seen the phenomenal photos we’ve been using in many of our newsletters. They’re some of the best shots you’ll find of your favorite team, captured through the lens of our friend Arnie Bazemore of Fanshotz.com. Every Friday, we’ll feature Arnie’s favorite Raiders shot of the week that he captures at practice or on game day.

This week, we’re cheating a bit here. Sorry, Arnie. We’re using a picture the Raiders posted on their X (Twitter) account on Thursday evening. When Spytek cooks like he did this week, you gotta tip the cap. This one was too good to pass up.

You should still check out Arnie’s work at his site linked above, though and reach out if you’re interested in working with him. He’s a great guy and has been so supportive of me over the years when I was at NBC here in Vegas, and he’s come along for the ride with Silver & Black Sports Network, too.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Hopefully some calm, some sleep, and a less eventful weekend. LOL.

This week was a wild one, and I think we all need a little bit of a breather.

That said, keep an eye on the Raiders potentially adding a veteran quarterback. I’ve been saying for a while now that Kirk Cousins could make a lot of sense here (if the price is right, it usually isn’t with Kirk). Maybe it comes to fruition, maybe it doesn’t. Maybe he’s open to mentoring Mendoza. Or maybe he decides he’d rather go somewhere like Pittsburgh, where he could extend his career as a potential starter.

Either way, that situation is worth keeping an eye on.

The Raiders will also likely continue adding depth pieces as they look to shore up a few remaining holes on the roster.

Other than that, keep an eye out for our next podcast dropping Tuesday at 9 a.m. PT.

I’m planning on bringing in some friends from Philadelphia, Green Bay, Indianapolis, and Minnesota to break down what Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker, Kwity Paye, and Jalen Nailor bring to Vegas. These are people who covered those guys closely for years with their previous teams, so they’ll have some really good insight into what Raider Nation can expect.

Should be a fun one.

Catch ya next time,