ExtremeRavens Posted 11 hours ago Posted 11 hours ago Whenever there is talk about Tyler Linderbaum, former Ravens center Wally Williams likes to talk about the family tree. Linderbaum played at Iowa, and so did former Ravens guard Marshal Yanda, who will someday be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. All three were coached by Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz, who mentored Williams for six years in both Cleveland and Baltimore. Williams, 55, has some simple advice for the Ravens: Show Linderbaum the money. “I was with Kirk for the first six years of my career,” said Williams, now the offensive line coach at a high school in Florida. “I give Kirk a lot of credit and the way he taught us to play the game. We can talk about Yanda the same way. You can definitely trust him to hold down that position and he is somebody that can play for a long time. “When I was there, it was nothing for the Ravens to say, ‘Well, we got to pay J.O. [left tackle Jonathan Ogden].’ That was understandable, so I said, ‘Cool, man, then I’m going to New Orleans.’ Back then J.O. was the best lineman in the league, and right now, Tyler is the best lineman they got.” Agreed. General manager Eric DeCosta said earlier this week that the Ravens have offered Linderbaum, 25, a “market-setting” contract that would pay him more than the four-year, $72 million agreement signed by Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey last August. Williams has been through a similar situation before. After two years and starting 23 games, he received the Ravens’ first franchise tag in 1998 and a year later signed with New Orleans. DeCosta has said that the team has no interest in putting a franchise or transition tag on Linderbaum. The projected franchise tag would guarantee him nearly $28 million for the 2026 season. The Ravens need to ante up and award Linderbaum a new contract. All they have to do is go back and look at the 2025 game film. Both guards, Andrew Vorhees on the left and Daniel Faalele on the right, performed poorly and right tackle Roger Rosengarten struggled as well. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley, 31, is six seasons removed from being named an All-Pro. The only constant was Linderbaum. “The NFL is a business, and to be honest, the owners are loaded,” Williams said. “It’s just the way the market works out right now, and whatever it is, he needs to get paid. Does it make sense? Hell no, but I can’t figure out why a running back like Derrick Henry (two years, $30 million contract signed last May) make less money than a center. It’s one of those jobs where every year you are going to get a 15 to 20% raise.” Williams has some other arguments that work in Linderbaum’s favor. He equates the quarterback and center positions as being the apex of the offense. If a team can’t run successfully, it will struggle for most of the game. Flexibility has been a major strength for Linderbaum, who can pull and get deep into a secondary, reminiscent of the days when Dermontti Dawson was with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dwight Stephenson was with the Miami Dolphins in the late 1980’s. Centers have to call slide protections in pass plays as well. “Offensive center has always been a position of power,” Williams said. “I might not score on one play, but I tell you what, if we don’t move the damn ball nothing happens. Centers are the start of every big play we possibly have. Then there is the mental IQ, it’s the same operation as the battery between a pitcher and catcher. So if you have that relationship with your quarterback to read plays and to get things done at the line of scrimmage, you can make all the adjustments and figure things out. “This is what the bargaining agreement and the guaranteed contracts; all these things that we have been fighting for the future. Well, these young men are reaping the benefits of that.” The word Williams likes to use for Linderbaum is “gritty.” That’s a Ferentz term. When Williams played, offensive linemen were still some of the dirtiest players in the game. The Ravens had their share with Orlando Brown Sr. at right tackle, Jeff Blackshear at right guard, Williams at center and Ogden anchoring the left side. The Ravens would maul the opposition, but they had very little defense until they started adding players like tackle Tony Siragusa and end Michael McCrary as linebackers Ray Lewis, Peter Boulware and Jamie Sharper matured. “It’s kind of hard when you are out there and you have to block two defensive linemen as well as the middle linebacker,” Williams said. Hint, hint. Bring back Linderbaum. Last year, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was sacked 36 times in 12 games. The two past Super Bowl champions, Philadelphia and Seattle, both could get pressure with their front four, and that’s even more of a reason to re-sign Linderbaum. When free agency opens in March, Linderbaum will be one of the most highly sought-after players. “We’ve always been a team that has valued the importance of the trenches,” DeCosta said earlier this week at the NFL scouting combine. Well, be prepared to pay. “It’s probably going to hit $20 (million) to $21 million,” Williams said. “When I played there was more man-to-man blocking, getting a hat on a hat. Now, these guys aren’t as athletic, but you have a center who can do both. Times have changed. Lamar can maneuver to the outside, but you have to protect the middle and protect your quarterback. It’s even more important now than it used to be. Your best offensive lineman is now your center.” Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article Quote
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