Why the Tyler Linderbaum Deal Makes Sense for Raiders

Signs that something like this could happen have cropped up over the past week. The Bears and Chargers had their centers retire, and both sniffed around on Linderbaum. The Bears then traded for Patriots center Garrett Bradbury, and the Chargers signed Commanders castoff Tyler Biadasz. After that, as the Commanders were seen by many as the favorite to land Linderbaum, I started hearing Washington was kicking tires on guys such as Lloyd Cushenberry III, whom the Titans let go. Everyone felt like the market would go wild. And it did.

With all that established, this does make sense for the Raiders, from an “it’s just money” standpoint, for a team that has plenty of it. The role of the center in helping to run the presnap operation is massive in new head coach Klint Kubiak’s offense. The scheme also values athletic linemen who can move on zone runs. Linderbaum’s a perfect fit on both counts, and his football IQ should help ease the transition of presumptive first pick Fernando Mendoza to the pros.

Given the spot the Raiders are in, the question then becomes, would you rather bid at $24 million (which is where Trey Smith set the guard market last year) and risk losing Linderbaum to someone like Washington or Cleveland? Or would you rather just pay the extra $3 million per year and have the player?

I know what my answer would be.

But that doesn’t mean this wasn’t the sort of deal that’ll be seen a certain way by certain teams—mostly because it’s going to affect how everyone does business at that position.

Colts’ wide receiver decisions

The Colts’ signing of Alec Pierce and subsequent dumping of Michael Pittman Jr. is indeed a risk—and I like Pierce as a player and can understand the price Indianapolis had to pay.

Pittman’s had 80 or more catches in four of the past five seasons and has been, for a number of quarterbacks, the most consistent, reliable weapon in the Indy offense. Pierce is just a different player than that, covered up on a lot of in-breaking routes and more of a build-up speed burner than an explosive separator. Now, what he’s good at, he’s really, really good at, and that’s getting downfield and making big plays. But to make his four-year, $116 million deal worthwhile, he’ll have to round out his game to help fill the void that Pittman leaves.

That doesn’t mean that he has to change who he is. Tyler Warren and Josh Downs are very effective targets underneath, so Pierce’s down-the-field ability still complements what’s around him. But he must do better than the 47 catches he had last year, which was a career high, if he’s going to bring a little more to the table.

And I think that’s fine, and he could logically get there. You keep Pierce over Pittman because what Pierce does is simply harder to find than what Pittman does. It does make sense. Now, it’s up to Pierce to make the deal look like it was a real no-brainer, which he might do.

Kenneth Walker III to the Chiefs

The Chiefs have had eyes for Kenneth Walker III for weeks, and they got their man on Monday with an agreement on a three-year, $43.05 million deal.

Walker’s finances, more or less, fit right into the slot that was just cleared by trading Trent McDuffie to the Rams, as McDuffie’s $13.6 million option number for 2026 is pretty close to the $14.35 million average per year Walker got. And Walker will arrive in Kansas City as a really nice fit for Andy Reid’s offense, a three-down back who can both run between the tackles and be a weapon out of the backfield (he had 133 catches over four years with the Seahawks).

There’s also the reality that running back was a need, with Isiah Pacheco also a free agent, which would’ve been difficult to fill in the draft. There’s a good chance Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love wasn’t getting to them at the ninth pick, and some teams view Love’s Irish teammate Jadarian Love as the only other back worthy of going in the first three rounds.

By signing Walker, the Chiefs don’t have to worry about any of that, which frees them up to use the ninth, 29th and 40th picks in different ways.

So that was the first box the Chiefs wanted to check in free agency. The second one was at nose tackle, and Kansas City got that squared away later in the day with the addition of former Patriots big man Khyiris Tonga. Add it up, and it was a good day for Reid and GM Brett Veach.

Titans’ busy day

The Titans followed a blueprint that worked for the Commanders in 2024 and the Patriots last year, leaning into a new coaching staff’s existing connections to selectively and very aggressively pick off free agents early in the negotiating period.

The logic is sound. By doing it, the guys you’re acquiring are known commodities and can become instant torchbearers for your program.

So that’ll be the charge for corner Cor’Dale Flott (three years, $45 million), receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (four years, $70 million) and tight end Daniel Bellinger (three years, $24 million), who were with OC Brian Daboll on the Giants; backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky (two years, $5.25 million), who was with Daboll in Buffalo; defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers (three years, $63 million), who was with Robert Saleh on the Jets; and even corner Alontae Taylor (three years, $58 million), who was with assistant GM Dave Ziegler in New Orleans.

Of course, a huge part of the Washington and New England stories was that those signings all coincided with young quarterbacks breaking through. And that’ll need to be the equation for the Titans with Cam Ward, if they’re to take the sort of step those other two teams did.

Quick-hitters

• I love Tua Tagovailoa picking the Falcons. Since Michael Penix Jr.’s rehab from ACL surgery is likely to run right up to the start of the regular season, Tagovailoa is going to get starter reps for Kevin Stefanski through the spring and summer. That’ll give him a chance to develop, impress his new coaches and build chemistry with his new teammates, which will be huge if he is pressed into action at some point in the fall.

And for what it’s worth, the Colts, should they get Daniel Jones back in the fold, could provide the same sort of opportunity for someone at the position in 2026.

• The biggest contract of the day actually flew a little under the radar. That was the four-year, $120 million agreement between the Panthers and edge rusher Jaelan Phillips.

The Panthers lurked over the weekend as a factor on the edge rusher market (I’d actually heard them connected by other teams to Odafe Oweh), but what only those in the organization knew is that the team’s brass, GM Dan Morgan, EVP Brandt Tilis and coach Dave Canales, viewed Phillips as the clear best player on the market, regardless of position.

So they took a swing with $80 million fully guaranteed on a guy who does have significant injury history for a 26-year-old. But if he hits, this could be a real home run, and one that could impact Carolina’s own young edge guys, and Nic Scourton in particular.

• The Seahawks went to $51 million over three years to keep Rashid Shaheed, and that surprised me a little. And that’s not because I don’t think he can be worth it—he has big-play ability that you can’t coach, and Seattle gave up picks to get him at the deadline. The reason I figured Seattle might tread lightly here was because the defending champs are already paying Cooper Kupp and they have a monster contract coming for Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

That’s a lot to have tied up in one position. But my understanding is that the team is ready to make all of it work and have all three out there together in September.

• One guy I’m watching now is Jaguars free-agent linebacker Devin Lloyd. I heard he was shooting for $20 million per year over the weekend. And the other top name on the market at his position, Quay Walker, fell short of even $15 million per year in his agreement with the Raiders. So it makes what Lloyd gets an interesting one to track.

• The 49ers giving Patriots swing tackle Vederian Lowe a two-year, $12 million deal is not nothing—and worth considering as they wade through the Trent Williams situation.

• Finally, we’ve mentioned how the Patriots, Chiefs, Chargers and Bills were the teams on A.J. Brown’s wish list and that New England appeared to be the only team from that group really in on the idea of trading for the 28-year-old three-time All-Pro. That would seem to give the Patriots some leverage. But on the flip side, Brown is really the only top-shelf receiver on the trade market, which gives the Eagles leverage. Or maybe putting those two elements together will just turn this into a staring contest. Time will tell.

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