The New York Jets are letting Tomlinson go
The New York Jets’ first big move of the offseason has dropped. Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Jets are releasing left guard Laken Tomlinson with no post-June 1 designation. The move will free up $8.1 million in cap space with $10.7 million in dead money.
The #Jets are releasing guard Laken Tomlinson, per source.
Move saves around $8.1M on the cap.
Incredibly durable player has started 114 straight games.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 27, 2024
Tomlinson was Joe Douglas’ biggest-ticket free-agent signing to date. The Jets signed the Pro Bowl guard from the San Francisco 49ers in the 2022 offseason, giving him a three-year, $40 million deal. It was the eighth-highest guard contract in the NFL at the time.
However, Tomlinson failed to live up to his lofty free-agent billing. In 2022, he posted a 46.9 Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade while consistently appearing lost in pass protection. In 2023, rather than the bounceback year Jets fans hoped for, Tomlinson set an ignominious PFF record in allowing 51 pressures, the most ever surrendered by a guard.
Tomlinson was viewed by many as a likely cut candidate this offseason. He was due to count $18.8 million against the cap, which was unsustainable given the Jets’ cap situation. The biggest questions were whether Douglas would be willing to give up on his free-agent investment and whether the Jets would potentially release Tomlinson with a post-June 1 designation, thereby freeing up $13 million in cap space. However, the post-June 1 cut would have meant that the Jets did not receive the cap relief until then; Tomlinson would have counted $18.8 million against the cap for the duration of the offseason, which was untenable.
Making this move early in the offseason gives the Jets upfront knowledge of their needs along the offensive line. They now need two tackles and a guard. Their salary cap situation improved somewhat in the process.
The #Jets now have $24.7m in salary cap space after the Laken Tomlinson release. That’s 18th most in the NFL
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) February 27, 2024
So ends perhaps the most disappointing Jets tenure of a free-agent in the Douglas era. He will have one last chance to fix the offensive line this offseason sans his biggest failure.
