Two years into the Joe Hortiz-Jim Harbaugh regime, the Los Angeles Chargers have learned a lot about their team. After losing in the Wild Card playoffs after 11 consecutive winning seasons, the Chargers know where their strengths and weaknesses lie.
Soon, the Chargers will have a chance to address their team needs when free agency begins on March 9. His front office connections could help him land a potential three-time Pro Bowl center.
Recently, ESPN's Chris Rimm reported that the Chargers could make "a push" to sign Tyler Linderbaum from the Baltimore Ravens when free agency begins.
"However, Hortiz has shown he will take a somewhat larger swing for a player he is familiar with. This was evident when he traded a fifth-round pick and a seventh-round pick in October for safety Alohi Gilman and Ravens edge rusher Odafe Oweh. Oweh was a 2021 first-round pick who was evaluated by Hortiz.
With that example, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Chargers make a push to sign Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum, one of the top projected free agents and a player Hurtiz had a hand in selecting in the first round of the 2022 draft. Linderbaum was the league's second-best pass-blocking center in pass block win rate (97.2%). Last season's Chargers starter, Bradley Bozeman, ranked 30th (92.5%).
ESPN's Chris Rimm on Tyler Linderbaum
By signing Linderbaum, the Chargers could get a proven solution for one of their biggest weaknesses. Still, is Linderbaum ready to depart Baltimore for Los Angeles? If he was a big John Harbaugh fan, playing for his brother Jim might have been the next best thing.
Or, perhaps he wants to stick around and see what his new offensive-minded head coach, Todd Monken, is able to do behind two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson in Baltimore. Either way, Linderbaum is expected to have more than just the Chargers and Ravens to consider for contract offers this offseason. We'll have an answer soon when free agency starts.
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