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After weeks of negotiations and what general manager Eric DeCosta described as a “market-setting offer,” the Ravens ended up losing center Tyler Linderbaum to the Las Vegas Raiders during the opening of the NFL’s legal tampering period.
Linderbaum signed a three-year, $81 million contract with $60 million guaranteed, the richest deal for an interior offensive lineman. With an average annual value of $27 million, Linderbaum’s contract is worth $9 million more per year than the next highest paid center, Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey.
In Linderbaum, the Ravens lose a three-time Pro Bowler and a locker room leader. His departure comes at a time when the Ravens are searching for answers along the interior offensive line after a disappointing 2025 season.
DeCosta has had some success managing this level of turnover on the line.
After they led the league in rushing yards in 2023 and helped quarterback Lamar Jackson win his second MVP, the Ravens lost three starting offensive linemen. They replaced right tackle Morgan Moses by drafting Roger Rosengarten and offset the losses of right guard Kevin Zeitler and left guard John Simpson with two players already on the roster — Daniel Faalele and Patrick Mekari, respectively.
They once again had a top rushing attack in 2024 and only lost Mekari heading into 2025. Andrew Vorhees won the battle to fill his spot.
But the offensive line regressed, even with four of five starters returning. Jackson had the highest sack rate of his career (10.65%), according to Pro Football Reference, and dealt with multiple injuries that limited him to 13 games. While the Ravens still finished second in total rushing yards, their yards per carry dropped from 5.8 to 5.2.
Owner Steve Bisciotti and general manager Eric DeCosta mentioned the development of the offensive line as a concern in their season-ending press conference.
So far, they’ve addressed the guard position by bringing Simpson back. While they are not expected to retain Faalele, the Ravens have Vorhees and 2025 third-round pick Emery Jones Jr. as internal options to fill the other guard spot.
But the Ravens need to find someone to anchor the 2026 line, someone trustworthy enough to touch the ball on every offensive play. Here are some options.
In house
Former undrafted free agent Corey Bullock, one of the surprise standouts of training camp, beat Ben Cleveland for the backup center job and earned himself a spot on the 53-man roster last season.
Bullock, a former Maryland Terrapin, kept his roster spot for the whole season and dressed for 16 games. He primarily contributed on special teams but stepped in for Linderbaum on the occasional snap.
Bullock is a low-cost option but also comes with low upside and questions about how he’d hold up over a full season. He is a good backup, but he is far from Linderbaum’s level. Having Simpson back helps lower the need for a veteran presence, but the Ravens would be putting the ball in the hands of someone who is largely untested.
Free agents
In the first day of the legal tampering period, four teams reportedly locked up some of the best players on the center market. One club, however, made one available.
The Green Bay Packers released two-time Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins. He graded out 25th among qualifying centers, according to Pro Football Focus, but he’s experienced and has shown upside at this level. While PFF gives Jenkins higher marks in pass protection, his run blocking grades are in line with the Ravens’ starting guards from last season. However, he may command too high of a price tag. Spotrac predicts his average annual value to be over $15 million.
Former Tennessee Titan Lloyd Cushenberry III is the next biggest name in the market. He is coming off shoulder surgery and was cut two years into his four-year deal. Like Jenkins, he’s considered stronger at pass blocking than run blocking but grades out much lower overall, ranking 36th among centers, according to PFF. Spotrac predicts his market value to be about $7 million a year.
Detroit’s Graham Glasgow and Cleveland’s Ethan Pocic are other names to watch.
NFL draft
The next cheapest option behind going with Bullock is to add a center through the draft, but a rookie would also come with lots of questions. The Ravens gave up their 2026 first-round draft pick as part of the trade package to land defensive end Maxx Crosby, meaning they run the risk of missing out on the prospect they grade the highest.
One of the top names, Auburn’s Connor Lew, is ranked in the 40s by some analysts and may be gone by the time the Ravens make their selection in the second round (45th overall). Lew is just 21 and recently suffered a season-ending knee injury. However, he is a strong, intelligent, technically sound player.
The top center on Pro Football Focus’ Big Board is Kansas State’s Sam Hecht, ranked 73rd overall. Draft analyst Trevor Sikkema viewed Hecht as one of the standouts at the Senior Bowl after he demonstrated consistent technique.
Florida’s Jake Slaughter projects to be closer to a third-round pick, as does Iowa’s Logan Jones. Slaughter is known for being a powerful player with good mobility. Jones is undersized, but his fellow Hawkeye Linderbaum also came with the same concerns. Jones makes up for it with quickness and football IQ.
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