3 free agent signings the NY Jets wish they could undo

1. Laken Tomlinson, OG, NY Jets

The most notable and expensive signing of the 2022 offseason for the Jets was the addition of Pro Bowl offensive guard Laken Tomlinson. Tomlinson was signed to a hefty three-year, $40 million contract worth over $13 million per season in March of last year.

The Jets believed they were landing a Pro Bowl-caliber guard who could serve as a cornerstone of the team's offensive line. That didn't exactly prove to be the case.

While Tomlinson stayed healthy — a rarity for a Jets offensive lineman in 2022 — his performance was well below standard. He finished with a PFF grade of 56.8 that ranked 58th out of 77 qualified guards. His woeful 46.9 PFF run-block grade ranked 69th out of 75 qualifiers.

Tomlinson was a below-average starting guard, at best, in 2022, despite being one of the team's highest-paid players. Some of that can be attributed to the rotating series of offensive linemen he was forced to play alongside, but that can't be used as an excuse.

The Jets need Tomlinson to be better this season — it's that simple. The team swung big in free agency last offseason with the expectation that Tomlinson would prove to be a massive addition. In reality, he was essentially a replacement-caliber offensive lineman.

Like with Whitehead, there's still time for Tomlinson to turn things around, but if he doesn't show signs of improvement, this signing will go down as one of the Jets' more notable free-agent misses in recent years.