The Raiders came out swinging in free agency, landing a franchise-level center and a Las Vegas-grown receiver in the same burst. Las Vegas agreed to a three-year, $81 million deal with center Tyler Linderbaum with $60 million guaranteed, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, then added Bishop Gorman alum Jalen Nailor on a three-year, $35 million deal with $23 million guaranteed, also reported by Schefter.
Those are two different bets with the same idea. The Raiders want the offense to be sturdier inside and faster outside, and they paid real money to get there.
Linderbaum Is the New Foundation
If you are going to spend at the top of the market, you better be buying certainty. Linderbaum has been exactly that since he entered the league. He has started 66 of 66 games in four seasons, and he has played essentially every snap when healthy.
That matters because it lets the Raiders build protections with confidence. It also reduces the weekly shuffling that turns drives into chaos. Even his penalty track record is clean enough to trust, with 19 total penalties across four seasons and 0 false starts in 2025.
Linderbaum is also not just a snap eater. He is a three-time Pro Bowl center, and that résumé fits what Las Vegas needed most: stability at the pivot, then a chance to make everyone else better.
Nailor Brings Vegas Speed Back to Vegas
Nailor’s addition hits differently for local fans because it is a homecoming. He played at Bishop Gorman, and now he is bringing his best NFL trait to Allegiant Stadium, which is vertical juice.
Across 55 career games, Nailor has 69 catches for 1,066 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he averages 15.4 yards per catch. That is a clean indicator of what he does. He stretches coverage, wins downfield and punishes mistakes.
His last two seasons show why the Raiders felt comfortable paying him. In 2024, he went 28 for 414 with 6 touchdowns. In 2025, he followed with 29 for 444 and 4 touchdowns, and he posted a career long catch of 62.
The Point of Both Moves
These deals are not about headlines. They are about shape. Linderbaum gives the offense a steady spine, and Nailor gives it speed that changes spacing, and that is how you make Sundays feel less desperate and more deliberate in Las Vegas.
Related stories
Welcome to Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily!
Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
