NFL Rumors: Laken Tomlinson, Seahawks Agree to 1-Year Contract Worth Up to $4M

The Seattle Seahawks signed guard Laken Tomlinson to a one-year deal in free agency, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported the deal is worth up to $4 million.

Tomlinson started 17 games for the New York Jets during the 2023 season. Prior to his time with the Jets, the 32-year-old made a Pro Bowl appearance for the San Francisco 49ers in 2021.

He was released by New York on Feb. 26 in order to save roughly $8.1 million prior to the start of free agency.

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Tomlinson's durability is his strong suit, as the former first-round pick has not missed a game since Week 1 of the 2017 season. Per Pro Football Reference, he's also played in every single offensive snap since his 2018 campaign with San Francisco.

However, he's struggled as a run blocker and hasn't excelled in pass protection either as a member of the Jets. Pro Football Focus gave him a disappointing overall grade of 55.0 in 2023, allowing seven sacks and committing three penalties.

The Seahawks' desire to sign Tomlinson wasn't exactly a secret, as ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that Seattle had "interest" in bringing him in on April 1. In March, general manager John Schneider also confirmed that the team would target veterans on the interior of the offensive line.

"We're going to be bringing a couple of veteran offensive linemen through in this second phase of free agency, and then comparing that what the draft looks like," Schneider said, via the team's official website. "... That is a need on our team right now, I think it's fairly obvious."

Damien Lewis served as Seattle's starting left guard throughout the past few seasons, although he signed a four-year contract worth $53 million with the Carolina Panthers in free agency.

While the addition of Tomlinson doesn't prevent the Seahawks from adding an offensive lineman in the draft, it allows Schneider to have some flexibility with his choices.