In 2017, the Detroit Lions traded former first-round decide Laken Tomlinson for a fifth-rounder solely two years into his rookie contract. The veteran left guard spent 5 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Now, Tomlinson has discovered a brand new dwelling with the New York Jets on a three-year contract in free company.
Laken Tomlinson indicators with the New York Jets
Tomlinson agreed to a three-year, $40 million deal ($27 million assured) with the Jets on Monday, in response to Mike Garafolo. Tomlinson has performed persistently good soccer for many of his profession in a league the place high quality offensive line play is difficult to return by.
With Tomlinson heading to city to take over the fitting guard spot for Jets they not should depend on Laurent Duvernay-Tardif to guard Zach Wilson. Tomlinson, 30, is heading into his eighth NFL season. He brings expertise and consistency to a Jets line that was trying to enhance after 2021.
Who’s Laken Tomlinson?
Tomlinson entered the league because the twenty eighth total decide within the 2015 NFL Draft. He posted a 4.51 Relative Athletic Rating popping out of Duke, recording poor athletic testing numbers nearly throughout the board.
When Bob Quinn changed Martin Mayhew as Detroit’s GM in 2017, he made the offensive line extra athletic. Graham Glasgow had already supplanted Tomlinson within the beginning lineup. There was not any want for his companies.
After initially selecting to forgo Tomlinson’s fifth-year possibility, San Francisco signed him to a three-year, $18 million extension, retaining him by means of 2021. Now, he’s locked in because the second-ranked offensive guard within the free company class.
Who’s left within the guard market?
For a league devoid of high quality offensive linemen, fairly a couple of hit free company in 2022. Tomlinson was the 18th-ranked free agent after the franchise tag deadline.
However there’s a nice mixture of youthful and veteran choices to select from in free company. Nevertheless, it’s essential to differentiate between left guard and proper guard. They don’t seem to be merely interchangeable.
With that stated, the left guard market is nearly completely within the 30+ membership. Quinton Spain, Rodger Saffold, Andrew Norwell are all veteran choices on the place. However a sneaky identify is Bradley Bozeman. He performed middle final season for Baltimore however beforehand hung out at left guard.
