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The Las Vegas Raiders have flexed their financial muscles on the first day of the legal tampering period in the NFL.
The Raiders came in with a league-high $111.91 million when the legal tampering period opened Monday, and they wasted no time revamping their roster in various ways, including pulling off a record deal.
Center Tyler Linderbaum was perhaps the best offensive lineman on the market, and the former Baltimore Ravens first-round pick is heading out to Sin City after agreeing to terms on a three-year, $81 million deal with $60 million guaranteed. He is now the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in NFL history, according to ESPN.
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Tyler Linderbaum of the Baltimore Ravens looks on before the game against the New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium on December 21, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Linderbaum, 25, cemented himself as one of the best centers in the league coming out of Iowa, providing a consistent presence snapping the ball to two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson while in Baltimore.
But with John Harbaugh parting ways and making way for the hiring of head coach Jesse Minter, Linderbaum’s return to the Ravens was never a done deal. He was expected to get a hefty long-term deal somewhere in the NFL, but Las Vegas, a team that struggled on offense all last season, made the move to the AFC West worthwhile.
However, it wasn’t just Linderbaum. Players from around the world were lured by the Raiders, who opened the box to gain access to key free agents, including linebackers Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean.
Dean agreed to terms before Walker, as the former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker is set to make $36 million with $20 million guaranteed. But Walker got more in the end: a $40.5 million deal over three years, including $28 million guaranteed, according to his agents.
Walker, a first-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in the 2022 NFL Draft, is coming off a career year after tallying 128 tackles to help a solid defensive group in Green Bay. He is a reliable tackler who has achieved at least 100 in each of his first four seasons. Only one Packers player since 1975 has been able to do that.
Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean (17) reacts after sacking Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Philadelphia. (Matt Slocum/AP Photo/)
As for Dean, the 25-year-old Georgia product has 226 total tackles across 47 games with the Eagles, including 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and 19 tackles for loss.
Remaining on the defensive end, Kwity Paye shores up the interior line, as the 2021 first-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts reached an agreement on a deal worth $48 million over three years with $32 million in guaranteed money. Known for his ability in run defense, Paye does a good job of setting the edge for his defense to secure short gains.
Cornerback Eric Stokes (three years, $30 million) and defensive end Malcom Koonce (one year, $11 million) also return to the Raiders, creating even more defensive reinforcement on the roster.
Finally, the offensive passing game got a sneaky upgrade when former Minnesota Vikings receiver Jalen Nailor agreed to terms on a $35 million deal with $23 million guaranteed over three years.
November 27, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker (7) runs out of the tunnel for the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. (Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports)
The Raiders may not be done with their spending yet, as they have more cap space to work with. They also have the first overall pick in next month’s NFL Draft, where they are expected to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza to start a new era under head coach Klint Kubiak, who is fresh off a Super Bowl title with the Seattle Seahawks.
In a tough AFC West division, it feels like the Raiders are poised to turn the tide in hopes of making the playoffs for the first time since 2021. Las Vegas has gone 7-27 overall since 2024.
