Seahawks Sign Former Jets $40 Million ‘Iron Man’ Starter

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Former Jets guard Laken Tomlinson on November 12, 2023.

The Seattle Seahawks are rebuilding their roster under new head coach Mike Macdonald. While Seattle has less than $2 million in cap space, the Seahawks are not done making moves.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero broke the news on that Seattle was signing Laken Tomlinson. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Tomlinson is signing a one-year deal worth up to $4 million.

The Seahawks’ interest in adding the former New York Jets guard was first reported two weeks ago. Fowler posted on April 1, “The Seahawks have shown interest in Tomlinson,” which turned some heads. While they don’t have a ton of cash, beefing up Seattle’s interior line is a top priority. SI’s Corbin K. Smith also listed Tomlinson as a “name to watch” for Seattle.

Tomlinson, who signed a three-year, $40 million contract ahead of the 2022 NFL season, was a cap casualty in the team’s restructuring. The Jets cleared approximately $8.1 million by cutting the Pro Bowler.

ESPN’s Brady Henderson confirmed Pelissero’s report. “Seattle had openings at both guard spots and a lot of youth there,” Henderson posted. “They fill one with Tomlinson, an ex-first-round pick, one-time Pro Bower and an iron man who’s missed one game in nine seasons.”

According to Pro Football Focus, Tomlinson, 32, participated in 1,099 snaps last season. The former first-round pick from the 2015 NFL draft earned an overall 55.0 grade in 2023, allowing 7 sacks.

Seahawks News: Laken Tomlinson Is Joining an Inexperienced Offensive Line

GettyFormer Jets star Laken Tomlinson on November 06, 2022.

With starting quarterback Geno Smith and a strong trio of receivers in Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks’ new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has a lot of trusted talent to work with.

The same can’t be said for the offensive line. The Athletic’s Mike Dugar wrote, “Seattle’s projected starting interior offensive line is currently left guard Tremayne Anchrum Jr. (one career start), either Nick Harris (four starts) or Olu Oluwatimi (one start) at center and right guard Anthony Bradford (10 starts). That’s setting up to be an inexperienced offensive line with players who haven’t put much on film to suggest that they’ll be elite players at their respective positions.

“Offensive line coach Scott Huff has his work cut out for him in his first year coaching the position in the NFL, even if Seattle uses its first-round pick on a guard.”

With Tomlinson in the mix, Seattle gets a durable veteran at left guard. Because Tomlinson was released by the Jets, “his signing won’t have any impact on Seattle’s 2025 compensatory picks,” Henderson noted.

Seahawks Head Coach Mike Macdonald Said They Were ‘At Work’ on the O-Line

GettySeahawks general manager John Schneider, general manager (L) and head coach Mike Macdonald (R) on February 01, 2024 in Renton, Washington.

Speaking to reporters during the NFL’s annual league meeting last month, Macdonald made it clear they were still working on the offensive line.

“It’s a work in progress,” Macdonald said, per SI. “We’re not done by any stretch of the imagination. There’s some great competition going to happen in that room, and we expect high-level play this year from those guys.”

“We’re at work at it. We’re not hitting the panic button or anything like that; we don’t play until September. A lot of time to figure out who the right guys are and the right opportunities to make the team the best we can.”

Earlier this month, Fowler reported that Seattle discussed bringing Cody Whitehair in for a free agent visit. Whitehair was also released as a cap casualty following eight years as a starter with the Chicago Bears. However, Smith posted on Friday, “Had been told Tomlinson was top target and Seahawks get it done before draft.”

Emily Bicks covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Bills, Seahawks and Chiefs. She’s contributed to Heavy since 2019 and has interviewed some of the biggest stars in sports, including Jerry Rice, Shaquille O’Neal and Stefon Diggs. More about Emily Bicks