The New York Jets bolstered their offensive line on Monday, as the team plans to sign free-agent guard Laken Tomlinson, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Tomlinson, who played last season with the San Francisco 49ers, will ink a $41.2 million contract with Gang Green, including $27 million guaranteed.
The 30-year-old Jamaica native entered the league from Duke University as a 2015 first-round draft pick for the Detroit Lions, and was traded in the offseason of 2017 to the 49ers for a future fifth-round draft pick.
He ultimately reached free agency this offseason, and he will now help protect Jets sophomore quarterback Zach Wilson.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh knows the O-lineman well, as the pair overlapped in their time in San Francisco when Saleh was the 49ers defensive coordinator between 2017 to 2020. Saleh accepted the Jets head coaching gig after the 2020 season.
The move allows the Jets to better protect 22-year-old Wilson — the 2nd overall draft selection in the 2021 NFL draft, and performed decently during his rookie season last year, despite the team’s forgettable 4-13 record.
Gang Green can also look forward to adding fresh rookie talent to their depleted roster, as they earned the 4th overall draft pick on April 28, as well as the 10th overall pick in a trade that sent safety Jamal Adams to the Seattle Seahawks last summer.
