Seattle Seahawks Guard Laken Tomlinson 'Excited to Be a Part of Culture'

After a visit to Seattle and talking with former Seahawks, guard Laken Tomlinson is excited to be in the Pacific Northwest to continue his NFL career.

Dec 11, 2022; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New York Jets guard Laken Tomlinson (78) on the sidelines before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports / Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

The interior offensive line has been an issue for the Seattle Seahawks. Last season, it was arguably the weakest spot on the team and to help try to rectify the problem, they selected guard Christian Haynes with their third-round pick and brought in Laken Tomlinson from the New York Jets in free agency this offseason.

$4 million isn't a lot to pay for a starting guard, but if you are going to Moneyball a position in the NFL, guard might be the best one to do so with. Tomlinson was a first-round pick of the Detroit Lions in 2015 and lasted two seasons with the Lions before playing over 1,000 snaps in five consecutive seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, where he earned Pro Bowl honors in 2021. The Seahawks front office saw plenty of Tomlinson during that time and it earned him a big contract with the New York Jets.

After a disappointing season, the Jets released Tomlinson this offseason and he came up to Seattle for a visit before eventually signing a one-year deal shortly before the draft. He was asked after the Seahawks minicamp practice on Tuesday about his impression of Seattle and Tomlinson is clearly a fan.

“It's amazing you see this weather, it's awesome, man. Sunny. No, it's been great. Obviously working with Coach (Scott) Huff and with Mike (Macdonald) and (Ryan) Grubb, it's been great. Guys here have been all amazing, all great teammates, I heard a lot about the culture here and it just goes to show that all those things I've heard over the years, they're true man. The culture here is awesome. The fan base is awesome and I'm excited to get this season rolling.”

- Laken Tomlinson

The cultural element of Tomlinson's response is intriguing, as the coaching staff has changed but the front office has remained the same. He elaborated a little bit on the culture when he got another question about how he ended up choosing to sign with Seattle.

“I did come out here for a visit. I met the coaching staff and everyone, they're all pretty new as well, so they're getting situated and just talking to everyone here and I had some old teammates of mine, George Fant was an old teammate of mine as well and talking to him and I just really feel like it was a great fit for me and I was really excited to come be a part of the culture here.”

- Laken Tomlinson

Likely set to open the season as the Seahawks starter at left guard, Tomlinson will have a prime opportunity to contribute towards maintaining the culture previously established by Pete Carroll under the direction of coach Mike Macdonald. Banking on a bounce back season, the organization hopes he will be able to provide leadership for an offensive line that certainly needs it.