Times are exciting for the Baltimore Ravens this offseason. Fans were overjoyed with the end of the John Harbaugh era and the start of the Jesse Minter era. Their free agency additions haven't really disappointed either, as they signed the biggest fish on the market in Trey Hendrickson.
However, there has been one downside to free agency. A major downside. The Ravens lost Tyler Linderbaum to the Las Vegas Raiders, making an already questionable interior offensive line all the more concerning. What makes it worse is that the potential replacements for Linderbaum, both in free agency and the draft, aren’t really star-studded. Life without him is looking kind of rough.
According to Zachary Pereles of CBS Sports, the center spot is Baltimore’s most pressing need, and the best possible solutions are six-year veteran Lloyd Cushenberry and Auburn’s Connor Lew. Pereles wrote:
“[The Ravens] also lost a ton of their own free agents, most notably Tyler Linderbaum. Cushenberry struggled in Tennessee the past few years, but then again, so did almost every Titans player. Lew is the top center in CBS Sports' NFL Draft Prospect Rankings.”
Baltimore Ravens have a major question mark in post-Tyler Linderbaum life
Replacing Linderbaum is going to be a struggle. If they go the free agency route with a player like Cushenberry, there’s not exactly a lot of promise. As for the draft route with a prospect like Lew, there may be a ton of potential, but development will take some time.
Cushenberry was once a coveted center in the 2020 NFL Draft, being drafted in the third round by the Denver Broncos. Unfortunately, outside an impressive contract year in 2023, he hasn’t found a consistent footing in the league. He has started in 80 games, though, which could be valuable experience that Baltimore may choose to go after.
The obvious direction to go in is the 2026 NFL Draft, though. General manager Eric DeCosta pretty much made it sound like that’ll be the path they go to find the heir to Linderbaum, highlighting the organization’s success with drafting centers. Lew is probably the best of the bunch in this year’s class.
Lew is a former wrestler like Linderbaum and possesses outstanding hand usage to fend off opposing offensive linemen. He does have a major red flag, though: he is coming off an ACL tear in 2025. With lower body strength and footwork already among his flaws, a significant knee injury could raise additional questions about his play both now and in the future.
Obviously, there remains hope in Charm City after losing Linderbaum. Center isn’t that difficult a position to replace, and DeCosta’s right, the Ravens have a very strong history with drafting centers. However, you’re not going to replace a three-time Pro Bowl center with the snap of a finger. And with a more lackluster group available to fill that void, it may get off to a troubling start.