Ravens Star’s Free Agency Value Continues to Rise

The Baltimore Ravens have had more than a few chances to realize that they may have missed on which players they most prioritized over their past offseason. A 6-6 record will do that to perennial contenders, near-weekly reminders of their core's mortality amidst older players constantly showing their age and inconsistencies that blemish wins as often as they've defined losses.

Their respected front office focused their resources to adding through the draft, flipping nearly a dozen picks to add depth to both sides of the line and their assortment of defenders. The contracts they doled out were distributed to older players like DeAndre Hopkins and Jaire Alexander, more older voices to pad other positions of need in the receiver and defensive back rooms.

The attention they paid to finding younger contributors fill out the next generation of Ravens football may have overwhelmed bubbling concerns for the present, many of which have boiled over the course of this rocky fall.

Addressing the Elephant at the Front of the Line

Few of the team's units have created as many wide-ranging issues as the offensive line, who've failed to protect Lamar Jackson's quarterback pockets while leaving the run game with considerably fewer lanes to burst through than before with sub-par blocking. And now that one of their few reliable up-front difference-makers is up for a new contract, the Ravens are expected to heavily emphasize bolstering the already-hurting portion of their roster.

That player is Tyler Linderbaum, the fourth-year center who's already established himself as one of the best young linemen in the NFL. He now stands at the head of the team's line of extension-needy pieces, standing well-above the rest on a squad that's lacking more juice than anticipated.

"The Baltimore Ravens opted not to exercise the fifth-year option on Tyler Linderbaum's rookie contract—not because they don't value the Pro Bowl center, but because it would have paid him like a top-tier offensive tackle," Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox wrote. "The values of the fifth-year option and the franchise tag are the same for all offensive line positions. This would have paid Linderbaum over $5 million more than any other NFL center."

Baltimore Ravens Center Tyler Linderbaum and Quarterback Lamar Jackson — East Rutherford, NJ -- December 15, 2024 -- Tyler Linderbaum and Lamar Jackson of the Ravens during pre game warm ups as the Baltimore Ravens came to MetLife Stadium to play the New York Giants. | Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Prior reporting by ESPN's Dan Graziano suggested that the Ravens have maintained interest in extending Linderbaum, but they failed to do so during their long offseason while other teams offered fifth-year options. Should they look to avoid letting the center walk to the highest bidder, they'd be best-suited taking care of business sooner rather than later.

The Ravens are bursting at the seams with players to fill in for Linderbaum, either, as the majority of the non-centers lining the front-five have caught at least a little bit of flack for their questionable blocking. The quarterback's already hurting even with the center cleaning up some of his teammates' messes, indicating that there remains plenty of room for things to get worse.

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