ExtremeRavens Posted Tuesday at 05:01 PM Posted Tuesday at 05:01 PM INDIANAPOLIS — The ball is in Tyler Linderbaum’s hands. The only question now is whether he’ll still be snapping it in a Ravens uniform next season. General manager Eric DeCosta said Tuesday that Baltimore has offered the 25-year-old center what he described as a “market-setting” contract extension as free agency approaches in two weeks. Linderbaum is scheduled to reach the open market when the league’s new year begins March 11. Baltimore’s preference, of course, is to keep him. “He’s proven to be the best center in the league,” DeCosta said at the NFL scouting combine. “Hopefully we can get something done with him between now and the start of the new league year.” Talks, DeCosta added, have been ongoing since the season ended. Linderbaum’s agent, Neil Cornrich, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Re-signing Linderbaum would likely require a commitment of roughly $20 million per year. The current benchmark at the position belongs to the Kansas City Chiefs’ Creed Humphrey, who signed a four-year, $72 million extension last August worth $18 million annually. The expectation is that Linderbaum’s deal would surpass that figure. For Baltimore, the calculus is financial and structural. Linderbaum has become the fulcrum of an offensive line that showed cracks last season — particularly at guard — as quarterback Lamar Jackson was sacked 36 times in 12 games, the highest sack rate of his eight-year career. “We’ve always been a team that has valued the importance of the trenches,” DeCosta said, noting that the organization is unlikely to use either the franchise or transition tag on Linderbaum. That option is mostly impractical anyway. The projected franchise tag for offensive linemen is roughly $28 million, a steep figure for a team with roughly $13 million in effective salary-cap space for the time being until it works out an extension for quarterback Lamar Jackson or makes other cap-clearing moves. The Ravens also declined Linderbaum’s fifth-year option last offseason, which would have been worth $23.4 million. Teams can use the tag as a bridge and continue negotiating until mid-July, but Baltimore does not appear inclined to go that route. Keeping Linderbaum would offer stability for a line entering a new era under coach Jesse Minter. Even in a season that was not quite as dominant as his previous ones — he allowed two sacks and 26 pressures, per Pro Football Focus — Linderbaum still nabbed a third consecutive Pro Bowl nod. He anchored a unit that powered the league’s second-best rushing attack, producing 2,662 yards and a league-leading 5.9 yards per carry. In franchise history, only two other offensive linemen — Hall of Fame tackle Jonathan Ogden and guard Marshal Yanda — have made at least three Pro Bowls. “I think he’s one of the best interior linemen in the league,” Minter said of Linderbaum. “I think he’s a major piece of our offense. I think he fits really well into the direction our offense is headed; so [he’s] a guy that we’d love to have back.” One potential direction could include even more outside zone running plays, something that back Derrick Henry has excelled in over his career and something new offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford featured heavily with the Atlanta Falcons and their back Bijan Robinson. “Everything is personnel driven, what-the-guys-do-well driven,” Minter said. “Dwayne is one of the best O-line coaches in the league. I was super excited to get him on the staff, and so I think the coaches’ job on both sides of the ball is to see what we have, see what we could possibly be best at, see what fits into our style of play with our guys.” Few players shape that equation more than the one standing over the ball. Linderbaum said last month that he would “absolutely” like to be back. He also will be one of the top league’s free agents should he want to test the waters. It’s not dissimilar to the position the Ravens were in with left tackle Ronnie Stanley last offseason. Just before free agency, the two sides came to an agreement on an extension, keeping him off the market. Now, the next two weeks will determine whether Linderbaum follows suit. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article Quote
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