49ers free agent No. 1: Left guard Laken Tomlinson
Easily San Francisco’s best pending free agent, Pro Bowl left guard Laken Tomlinson is going to cash in on his first-ever NFL free agency period, having never hit the open market after being extended not too long after the 49ers traded for him back in 2017.
He picked a good year to make it to the Pro Bowl, too, as that’ll drive his asking price up a lot this offseason. And with a number of teams in desperate need of interior help for their offensive lines, combined with a lackluster free-agent market for guards and centers, Tomlinson is sure to garner a lot of attention.
True, there are reasons why the Niners may be poised to move on from Tomlinson this offseason. For starters, if he asks for close to $10 million annually, San Francisco probably won’t be able to afford it.
Want your voice heard? Join the Niner Noise team!
On top of that, the 49ers may be looking to push their second-round draft pick from a year ago, Aaron Banks, into the left guard spot despite Banks seeing only five regular-season snaps last season.
Again, though, the fact the Niners are ready to win now still applies here. Tomlinson, for the mainstay he is now, is a vastly better option than the unknown Banks currently is. San Francisco having to rely on Banks next year might not be the wisest of choices for a team with nothing short of a Super Bowl in sight.
The 49ers need to do their best to re-sign Tomlinson, not simply let him walk away without a serious offer.