8 free agent interior linemen the Steelers must sign in 2022
By Andrew Falce
Steelers should sign Tomlinson
An example of the wrong team derailing his career, the Lions made Laken Tomlinson their top choice in the draft back in 2015. His career started off pretty slow, which most expected from the Duke player. The Lions cut bait with him after just two seasons of mediocre play, trading him to the 49ers for a future fifth-round pick.
His success there wasn’t instantaneous either, but within a few seasons, he finally developed into a top guard. No, he is set to enter free agency for the first time and the Steelers have to have the guard as one of their top prospects. He is still under the age of 30, meaning he should have quite a few seasons of good play ahead of him, and he was just nominated to his first Pro Bowl.
The only issue, outside of his potential cost, would be Tomlinson’s position versatility, or lack thereof. He is exclusively a left guard, which happens to be Kevin Dotson’s spot on the roster. That said, Dotson was a right guard in school, so he could potentially move back to the right side next season. Tomlinson would be a great addition to the team, even if it meant spending a good chunk of money to bring him in.