Baltimore Ravens
· 2026-07-13
The Baltimore Ravens are still searching for a center after letting Tyler Linderbaum walk, and new comments from NFL coaches suggest the front office may have been right to be cautious. Linderbaum, now with the Las Vegas Raiders, was labeled a "liability" in pass protection by some league coaches despite his Pro Bowl resume. The Ravens sit at 8-9, 9th in the AFC, on a one-game losing streak as they prepare for the 2026 season opener against the Indianapolis Colts on September 13.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler polled league executives, coaches, and scouts for a list of the top-10 interior offensive linemen. Linderbaum made the cut. But the praise came with a sharp critique.
Some coaches told Fowler the young center was "a liability in that area at times" and would "float and help" with scheme protection instead of handling one-on-one matchups. That's a tough label for a three-time Pro Bowler.
Yet the numbers tell a different story. Linderbaum ranked second among centers in pass block win rate at 97.2% last season. So which is it?
Next Gen Stats paint a clearer picture. Linderbaum allowed pressure in an average of 3.64 seconds in 2025 — the second-longest mark among centers with at least 250 pass blocks. That was the best rate of his career.
He also faced one-on-one blocks on 49.7% of his pass snaps, the highest rate at the position. That suggests the Ravens' scheme left him isolated more than any other center in football.
Maybe the problem wasn't Linderbaum. Maybe it was how often Baltimore asked him to block alone.
The Ravens didn't match Linderbaum's contract demands, and he signed a record deal with the Raiders. Now Eric DeCosta's front office is betting on a committee of unproven options.
Danny Pinter, a six-year veteran and former Colts backup, brings experience. But he's no sure thing. The team also has a rookie free agent who played college ball with Vega Ioane, the Ravens' first-round pick in the 2026 draft.
New offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford will try to mold this group. He's a key addition to head coach Jesse Minter's staff.
Lamar Jackson needs a reliable center. The new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle plans to have Jackson under center more often, which puts even more pressure on the interior line.
Returning guard John Simpson and rookie Ioane should help at the guard spots. But the middle of the line remains a question mark.
The Ravens finished 8-9 last season. They can't afford weak pass protection if they want to climb the AFC standings. The Colts visit Baltimore on September 13, and that game will be an early test for this rebuilt offensive line.