With the NFL Combine set to kick off this week, general managers and head coaches are set to address the media. Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell are both chatting with media on Tuesday afternoon, but there's plenty to pick apart from other NFL executives prior to their availability.
Specifically, any comments from GMs from teams with free agents, or trade targets, that make sense for the Lions should be paid attention to this week. Baltimore Ravens GM Eric DeCosta spoke to media quite early in the day on Tuesday, and his comments on Tyler Linderbaum should be turning the Lions all the way off from making a run at the center in free agency.
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta says the Ravens have extended a "market-setting" offer to pending free agent center Tyler Linderbaum. To do so would mean a deal averaging more than $18M/year.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) February 24, 2026
Creed Humphrey, who is the league's currently highest-paid center, makes $18 million per year. So, whatever the Ravens offered eclipses that. That's an unbelievable payday for Linderbaum, who was one of the NFL's best lineman in 2025 and the best center by far. Detroit could desperately use that level of talent added back to their line, but not for that price tag.
Detroit should steer clear of Linderbaum sweepstakes after Ravens' latest comments
Detroit has to be looking for ways to improve their pass protection and run blocking, of course, but it's possible to do so without dedicating almost all of their future cleared cap room to one player.
Free agents like Cade Mays or Connor McGovern feel a lot more attainable assuming they cannot afford to keep up with the Linderbaum sweepstakes, and they'd offer exactly what the Lions were missing in 2025: simple, starting caliber center play.
READ MORE: Ben Johnson speaks on "match made in heaven" between Drew Petzing and Lions
As of now, the Lions also haven't struck any extension deals to Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Brian Branch, or Jack Campbell. All four are basically extremely high priority players to try and keep on board for Detroit, as they help maintain a Super Bowl contention window for years to come (health being a big factor here).
So, making a run at someone like Linderbaum - or even Trey Hendrickson - looks impossible. That's not a bad thing. Detroit already has an excellent roster, but they've got to improve in the trenches. And, it's possible to do that without selling the farm or their entire cap for a single signing. They're working with negative money right now.
With a cut potentially coming for Graham Glasgow this offseason, the Lions' needs at center will reach critical levels. The draft, lower-tiers in free agency, and even the trade market offer some far more viable solutions for them than Linderbaum does, based on DeCosta's comments today.