Tyler Linderbaum signing elsewhere wasn't due to a lack of trying on the Ravens' part.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta outlined details of a wild start to free agency, including Linderbaum reportedly agreeing to a market-shattering deal with the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday.
DeCosta, who said at the Combine that the Ravens offered Linderbaum a "market-setting offer," gave further insight into the negotiation. DeCosta compared the negotiation to trying to buy a house in Baltimore as a young scout. After DeCosta increased his initial offer for the house, the seller's realtor came back and asked for his best offer. DeCosta had already made his best offer.
"I was never going to get that house because the other people had more money to spend," DeCosta said. "That's kind of how I felt."
A three-time Pro Bowler, Linderbaum reportedly signed a three-year deal with the Raiders worth a record $81 million. The $27 million average salary per year blew away the previous record average by a center, which was held by the Kansas City Chiefs' Creed Humphrey, who has an $18 million average.
DeCosta said that, even if the Maxx Crosby trade was called off before Tuesday — one day after the legal tampering period began — it probably wouldn't have had a major effect on the beginning of free agency for the Ravens.
"I think it's just that you spend a lot of time saying, 'This is what this player is. This is who he is. This is how he plays. This is what he's worth.' And we try not to deviate from that," DeCosta said. "Would it have allowed us to spend more money on players? Maybe, but would we have done it? Probably not."
DeCosta added that the Ravens plan to bring in a few free-agent centers over the next few weeks. He expressed confidence in new Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator Dwayne Ledford and said using one of the team's 11 draft picks on a center is another option.
"I have a lot of confidence in Coach Ledford and our offensive staff to develop guys," DeCosta said. "We've done it before. We have a pretty good history of drafting centers."
