The Baltimore Ravens are gearing up for what is a defining first offseason for new head coach Jesse Minter.
With the futures of several stars up in the air, work will begin at the scouting combine this week to potentially thrash out deals and to get a better lay of the land ahead of free agency.
One player the NFL world will be keeping an eye on is three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum.
The Ravens declined his fifth-year option, and now have two choices: Let him walk into free agency or sign him long-term.
And for Minter, he knows how this thing could play out.
“I think he’s the best center in the league,” Minter said. “I think he’s one of the best interior linemen in the league, major part of the team here, somebody we’d love to have back. The rules are what they are as far as your contract and earning free agency. So, I respect all that. I think he knows how we feel about him, and that we’d love to have him back.
“I think he’s major piece of our offense, he fits really well into the direction our offense is headed. So, a guy that we’d love to have back, but certainly respect the idea of free agency as well.”
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Ravens face huge offseason
There is so much to do for Minter and the front office, with the main item being Lamar Jackson’s contract.
Shrinking his $74.5 million cap hit is job No. 1 for the franchise, and doing that will then allow the Ravens to offer contracts to their big free agents in the coming weeks.
So how it all plays out will be a fascinating watch, with the Ravens looking to bounce back from the horror 2025 season that saw Baltimore miss out on the playoffs.
Minter has a lot ahead of him in the coming months, and how he fills out his roster and which free agents remain, will give us a good indication of Baltimore’s ceiling in 2026.
And Linderbaum looms as the centerpiece of the Ravens’ offseason plans.
