The Seattle Seahawks had some big changes take place this offseason. Two of those moves were huge as they traded away quarterback Geno Smith and wide receiver DK Metcalf. They did well to replace them with Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp, who might not be seen as even swaps, but they could have done much worse.
While those changes got the most headlines, there were several other players who left this offseason as well, including guard Laken Tomlinson. Seattle still needs to replace Tomlinson, but he didn't exactly set the world on fire during his lone season with the Seahawks
That's why it was a little surprising to see him selected as the team's most important loss in free agency by SI's Ryan Phillips. In a piece where he identified the most impactful free agent departure, he said Seattle lost a "durable and steady" guard.
"Tomlinson started 17 games at guard for the Seahawks in 2024, and the 33-year-old former Pro Bowler was a reliable presence along the offensive line. He's durable and steady, and the Texans were able to get him cheap on a one-year, $4.25 million deal." — Phillips, SI
To be fair, the biggest losses Seattle suffered were either via trade (Smith, Metcalf) or release (Tyler Lockett). They didn't leave through free agency, so perhaps Tomlinson wins by default.
Houston signed Tomlinson as they looked to overhaul their entire offensive line. The Seahawks need to do the same with their interior, but Tomlinson was never in their long-term plans.
