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Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was less than pleased with his franchise's decision to trade away top target Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown to the Cardinals during the 2022 NFL Draft.
The 2018 first-round pick was left frustrated with the trade with the Cardinals, one that brings back a first-round pick, known in a cryptic tweet on draft night right after it was announced:
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Lamar Jackson made it clear his tweet wasn't about the Ravens draft pick
While Baltimore suffered a significant subtraction in the WR room with the loss of 'Hollywood' Brown, it wasn't a total L for the Ravens offense. Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum will now be snapping the ball to the 2016 Heisman winner and 2019 NFL MVP.
Jackson made it clear that his tweet wasn't a subtle shot at his new center:
Like Jackson, the undersized label has been slapped on Linderbaum, but the six-foot-two, 296-pounder could well prove the naysayers wrong just like his new signal-caller:
"He's a bit undersized in terms of weight and girth, but he plays with an advanced understanding of how to leverage blocks with exceptional quickness, explosive power and grip strength to control defenders in the run game."
As Bleacher Report's NFL scouting department relayed, though, his advanced understanding of the position should serve him well, just as Jackson's grip on the QB spot does:
"Linderbaum does a tremendous job of getting under and inside the pads of defensive linemen on combo blocks to create displacement while knowing exactly when to overtake or release to the second level. He takes solid angles to intersect backers on his climb, with overwhelming leg drive and power to regularly tip and dump them into the ground once he’s latched."
Ultimately, Linderbaum will need to use his speed to overcome any size issues he may face at the pro level:
"Overall, Linderbaum is a dynamic run-blocker inside a zone-heavy scheme with the ability to be devastating at the second level. His size and anchoring concerns can lead to issues against high-end power-rushers in the NFL if he doesn't improve his use of hands to keep rushers guessing and off-balance, but he is a quick processor who can protect his edges against shiftier rushers."
Lamar Jackson now has a center he can relate with, and if Baltimore has its way, a center he can dominate with as well offensively.
