Several teams were reported to have interest in Tyler Linderbaum as free agency approached, among them the Bears and Chargers, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Though neither won the bidding war for the former Ravens Pro Bowler, both teams did their homework on the veteran center in the weeks leading up to the start of the legal free agent tampering period. 
Expected to reset the market at the center position, Linderbaum was arguably the hottest player slated to hit the open market with massive projections for his next contract. Because the Raiders’ three-year, $81MM offer blew expectations of $25MM annual average out of the water, the Ravens, Bears, Chargers, and any other potential suitors, alike, were all forced to pivot.
Both Chicago and Los Angeles fell out of the race for Linderbaum far before the price tag rose to $27MM per year. Signs began pointing to the veteran center landing back with Baltimore or with the Raiders as the competing bidders started dropping like flies — made apparent by the transactions for other centers. After moving on from the idea of landing the highest-paid center in the NFL, the Bears traded for Garrett Bradbury, acquiring him from the Patriots. Instead of paying $27MM, Chicago was able to move on by relinquishing a fifth-round pick to land Bradbury for a single season at $3.7MM.
The sign that the Chargers had dropped out of the race for Linderbaum came when the team added Tyler Biadasz after he was cut by the Commanders. Los Angeles even secured Biadasz long term, signing the 2022 Pro Bowler to a three-year, $30MM contract. Also, because he had been released from his contract before the start of free agency, he was able to join the Chargers right away and won’t count against the team’s compensatory pick calculations next year.
The Ravens, too, will need to find a new center after their 2022 first-round pick left Baltimore in free agency. General manager Eric DeCosta was willing to go up to $88MM over four years, a $22MM AAV that would have reset the center market by $4MM per year, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. But the Raiders came in with $27MM per year and a structure that essentially guarantees all $81MM. The three-year term will also give Linderbaum significant leverage to negotiate another raise during the 2028 offseason, which was another sticking point with the Ravens.
The Raiders clearly thought it was worth every penny to land the top center option available as they close in on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the presumed No. 1 overall pick of the draft. The rookie passer will find himself behind one of the league’s top centers. A smart, experienced interior lineman like Linderbaum should be able to take a significant load off Mendoza’s shoulders when it comes to the offense’s presnap operations blitz recognitions. In the meantime, the Bears and Chargers have paired their young passers with veterans of their own, and the Ravens have a hole to fill.
Pretty sure the Ravens were a little pissed at how much the Raiders were willing to give “their center”, and this may have had something to do with the nixing of the Crosby trade. I think they immediately went and struck the deal with Hendrickson directly following the move to sign Linderbaum away from them. Just a theory, but may have some legs to it.
Ravens will be damned if you take our first picks this year and next and make an offer to their center that they know could not be matched. So the Ravens get their panties in a bunch and nix the deal. It’s a really bad look for the franchise.