The Detroit Lions can end up being a benefactor to the Baltimore Ravens' current instability in more ways than one.
While the Ravens just fired John Harbaugh, making Kevin Stefanski a far less appealing option at head coach in the current available pool of coaches, they've also just opened a bit of a vacuum for other big changes set to take place on their roster. They have a few key free agents hitting the market this offseason such as DeAndre Hopkins, Isaiah Likely, and Tyler Linderbaum.
Linderbaum is who the Lions should be circling amid this huge coaching change, as he could be seeking out a more stable situation in free agency. He'd be a high cost offensive lineman to pay, with Spotrac estimating that he'll be worth a 4 year, $70.8 million deal. But, what better way to raise your contention ceiling back to Super Bowl levels than by signing one of the best centers in the NFL?
Ravens' instability could lead Linderbaum to seek out another team
Linderbaum is a staple of the Ravens' offense, and if there's one thing to glean from the team's decision to fire Harbaugh, it's that they're prioritizing Lamar Jackson's ceiling before it's too late. That means they're inclined to keep together their offensive line, and especially to keep Linderbaum in the fold.
The 25 year old center posted a 79.8 overall grade on PFF, allowing only one quarterback hit and two sacks through 1,007 offensive snaps played. More notably for Lions fans, Linderbaum was an excellent run blocking center, grading out at 83.1 in that metric per PFF. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery struggled to find gaps with this year's Lions offensive line, and consistency was a huge problem for the both of them.
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When they were getting open run, the Lions tended to win - they posted 170.5 rushing yards and 5.8 yards per carry in eight wins this past season, and 69.4 yards and 3.1 yards per carry in their eight losses this season, per team reporter Tim Twentyman.
Linderbaum is just one of several free agent centers the Lions should be kicking the tires on this season, and the most expensive by far.
A cheaper name to monitor: Ethan Pocic. He suffered a season-ending Achilles tear this past season with the Cleveland Browns, but if he's able to make it back for the start of the 2026 season, he could be someone worth investing in if you're Brad Holmes.
He was an average pass blocker in 2025, and getting up there in age, but could be a nice signing even as a fallback option to whoever else Detroit brings in to compete at center.