With a new regime coming in, the Atlanta Falcons are mere weeks away from making some major offseason changes. Kevin Stefanski and Ian Cunningham, a former offensive lineman, have been vocal in their willingness to get more physical in the trenches, so refining the OL will be a priority.
Fortunately, it just so happens that one of the most coveted free agents available is an offensive lineman. Baltimore Ravens' center Tyler Linderbaum is the belle of the ball this offseason, and is expected to draw interest from basically every team in the NFL, which hopefully includes the Falcons.
The three-time Pro Bowler is regarded as arguably the best center in football and is probably going to force a major bidding war this offseason. The Dirty Birds will have to break the bank to secure Linderbaum's services, but there's no better fit for Cunningham and Stefanski's vision than this guy.
The Falcons need to be involved in the Tyler Linderbaum sweepstakes in free agency
However, Stefanski and Cunningham shouldn't be the only front office members chomping at the bit for this guy. Matt Ryan played behind some great centers in his career, including Alex Mack and Todd McClure, so he should be well aware of the impact that good interior OL play can have on a young QB.
With that said, the 2022 first-round pick from Iowa has a lot to offer the Falcons. While Ryan Neuzil had a great year where he ranked inside the top 10 at center in both overall grade and run blocking grade per Pro Football Focus, his breakout year was a product of Dwayne Ledford's development.
Ledford is now in Baltimore, while Bill Callahan is the Falcons' new OL coach. As a more old-school coach, Callahan wants Atlanta's unit to be more physical than his predecessor, which the 25-year-old would fit perfectly in because even though he's undersized, he's a mauler, especially as a run blocker.
Spotrac projects his market value at four years and $70 million, which would come in at roughly $17.7 million per year. There's even been talk that Linderbaum has a shot to steal the title of the highest-paid center in NFL history from Chiefs center Creed Humphrey, who is making $18 million a season
Signing Linderbaum would be a major course correct from Cunningham and company after Terry Fontenot and the previous regime decided they didn't want to pay Drew Dalman top dollar. They let him leave for Chicago and rolled with Neuzil, but paying a center $20 million a year is a luxury move.
Given their financial predicament this offseason, they may not have that luxury. Even though signing a center of Linderbaum's caliber will majorly help out Michael Penix Jr., the Falcons have other free agents they need to prioritize and several other teams they'll need to fend off, but a man can dream.
So hopefully Cunningham, Stefanski, and Ryan see the vision and pull out all the stops to make this pipe dream a reality.