It's hard to see a path where the Seattle Seahawks field an improved offensive line in 2025. The team watched its top free agent target — former Indianapolis Colts guard Will Fries — join the Minnesota Vikings instead as the interior offensive line market continues to be bought up.
Now, one of its own was poached from Seattle's roster as left guard Laken Tomlinson signed a one-year, $4.25 million deal with the Houston Texans on Tuesday. Tomlinson started all 17 games for the Seahawks last season, playing 100 percent of his team's snaps for the sixth-straight season.
Though Tomlinson was available on gamedays, he was far from a premium starter. It's unlikely the Seahawks planned to re-sign him, but it's one less option the team has to fill its ever-opening holes up front.
Since the beginning of the free agency negotiation period on Monday, the Seahawks have signed just one offensive lineman: former Baltimore Ravens versatile blocker Josh Jones. It would be surprising if Seattle planned a starting role for Jones, who has never found a full-time home in any NFL position.
Jones has started just 24 career games since being a third-round pick in 2020. He's most frequently played right guard and left tackle, mostly with the Arizona Cardinals from 2021-22. Only 27 years old, Seattle may see an expanded role for Jones, but he certainly isn't the proven veteran in his prime-type player the team was looking to sign.
Seattle's options are dwindling, as they may now need to bring in a proven talent nearing the end of their career. Detroit Lions guard Kevin Zeitler, 35, or Jacksonville Jaguars guard Brandon Scherff, 33, are the best of that bunch but both are past their primes.
Chicago Bears guard Teven Jenkins, 27, is another decent option for the team, but he's had issues staying on the field during his four years in the league. At this point, there's no guarantee the Seahawks will get better up front from free agency — once again turning the franchise back to the draft, where they've struggled to select and develop top-end prospects.
It's taken a miraculously long time for Seattle to rebuild its offensive line, and it's partially because the team — general manager John Schneider, specifically — has refused to hand out premium contracts to free agents.
With all the weapons Seattle's offense lost this offseason, there is no clear path to being improved in the trenches next season. Now is the time to act, or Sam Darnold could be doomed to even worse protection than Geno Smith had during his three seasons as Seattle's starting quarterback.
