NFL
Raiders Go All-In on Offensive Line Ahead of Fernando Mendoza Era
published: 03-09-2026
Last updated: 03-10-2026
Baltimore Ravens v Buffalo Bills by Timothy T Ludwig | Getty Images
The Raiders have been the most active NFL team at the highest-regions of the roster in the early hours of free agency, earning strong reviews for their handling of Maxx Crosby’s trade and the signing of center Tyler Linderbaum from Baltimore.
Those moves are being viewed by rival front offices as a part of a larger overarching theme for the long-suffering franchise, which also holds the prized first-overall pick this spring which it will use on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Multiple front office execs from other teams believe Raiders minority owner Tom Brady is fixating on rebuilding a terrible offensive line prior to Mendoza taking a snap for them, and anticipate the team using at least one of its first-round picks (they got two from Baltimore for Crosby) on a top offensive tackle.
Las Vegas has a long way to go to build a winning roster, and the defense will probably take years to truly fix, but the Raiders could not move the ball at all in 2025, and the problems began at the line of scrimmage.
Full marks for the Raiders? The Raiders?
“I like what they’ve done,” said one NFL general manager said of the Raiders.
“They basically got Linderbaum and two ones (first-round picks) from Baltimore for Crosby, and they’re saving $10M a year. Linderbaum isn’t worth what they gave him ($27M a year), but he’s a blue chip plyer and that’s what you have to do in free agency. Crosby is going to be 30 and they weren’t going to win with him, anyway. They got the same thing Dallas got for (Micah) Parsons, and Parsons is younger. That’s a win for Vegas."
“They’re going to draft a tackle day one, and they’ll add a guard. The line was terrible. They couldn’t (run) block or (pass) protect. It looks like they finally have a plan. The last two coaches were on the defensive side of the ball. This is Brady’s baby now. They are building up the offense for Mendoza.”
Another longtime NFL evaluator said: “It’s too much money, yeah, but they got the best offensive lineman available. He’s going to help Mendoza develop and take a lot off his plate with protections. They needed Linderbaum more than anyone else, and I like what they got for Crosby under the circumstances.”
The Raiders failed 2025 first-round pick Ashton Jeanty by being able to open holes for him, with him getting swarmed repeatedly at the point of attack.
Mendoza will need a robust running game to relive pressure and curtail defenses from blitzing him with abandon. Las Vegas ranked last in 2025 at 3.6 yards per carry and were far and away last in yards before contact per rush (0.50). That marred Jeanty’s impact as a rookie. The Raiders also allowed the most sacks in the NFL (64) and were fifth-worst in pressure rate allowed.
That’s unlikely to be the case in 2026 if they continue on Brady’s plan.
La Canfora has covered over 20 Super Bowls and League Meetings and NFL drafts, building a wide network of sources throughout all aspects of the game. He was an award winning print journalist as well, working at The Detroit Free Press and The Baltimore Sun prior to his first stint at The Washington Post. He has covered sporting events around the world, including two Winter Olympics and all of the 2006 World Cup. He attended his first NFL game in 1978, and would soon kindle what has become a lifelong love and appreciation of the sport. La Canfora is also a professional handicapper, specializing in the NFL, creating a daily sports wagering game show - "Wanna Bet?" He also hosts nationally broadcast NFL radio shows in the US, as well as a daily sports radio show in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland.