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The Las Vegas Raiders have flexed their financial muscle on the first day of the NFL’s legal tampering period.
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 a variety of ways, including paying a record deal.
Center Tyler Linderbaum was perhaps the best offensive lineman available on the market, and the former Baltimore Ravens first-round pick is headed to Sin City after agreeing to terms on a three-year, $81 million contract 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 watches 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, established himself as one of the league’s best centers coming out of Iowa, providing a steady presence throwing the ball to two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson while in Baltimore.
But with John Harbaugh parting ways, 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 land a sizable long-term contract somewhere in the NFL, but Las Vegas, a team that struggled on the offensive line all of last season, made a move to the AFC West worth it.
But it wasn’t just Linderbaum. The Raiders attracted players from all over, who opened the coffers for key free agent additions, including linebackers Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean.
Dean agreed to terms before Walker, as the former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker will earn $36 million with $20 million guaranteed. But Walker got more in the end: a three-year, $40.5 million contract, 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, having totaled 128 tackles to help a solid defensive group in Green Bay. He’s a reliable tackler, making 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 in 47 games with the Eagles, including 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and 19 tackles for loss.
Staying on the defensive end, Kwity Paye shores up the interior line, as the Indianapolis Colts’ 2021 first-round pick agreed to a deal worth $48 million over three years with $32 million in guaranteed money. Paye is known for his ability in run defense, doing a great job of establishing the advantage 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 reinforcements on the roster.
Finally, the offensive passing game received a sneaky upgrade, as former Minnesota Vikings receiver Jalen Nailor agreed to terms on a $35 million contract with $23 million guaranteed over three years as well.
November 27, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker (7) walks out of the tunnel to perform against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. (Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports)
The Raiders may not be done with their spending spree 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 select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza to begin a new era under head coach Klint Kubiak, who just won a Super Bowl title with the Seattle Seahawks.
In a tough AFC West division, it appears the Raiders are ready to turn the tide, hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021. Las Vegas is a combined 7-27 since 2024.
