4 free agents who could reunite with Robert Saleh and the NY Jets

1. NY Jets target: Laken Tomlinson, OG

It's difficult to find good offensive linemen in free agency. Teams typically just don't let players like that walk. That's why someone like Laken Tomlinson should be a hot commodity this offseason if he's allowed to test.

Tomlinson has been a good starting guard for most of his career, but he's taken his game to a new level over the last two years. A former second-round pick of the Detroit Lions, Tomlinson has been the 49ers' starting left guard in each of the last five seasons.

He put together a career year in 2020 finishing as Pro Football Focus' eighth-ranked guard in the entire NFL with a career-high 78.8 grade. And in 2021, he proved that career year was no fluke.

Tomlinson finished the 2021 season with a 73.6 PFF grade that ranked 13th among qualified guards en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance. At age 30, Tomlinson has been a bit of a late bloomer.

However, it's clear that he's playing the best football of his career, and he realistically has plenty of years still left in the tank. On top of that, he's been an absolute model of stability and durability.

Tomlinson has missed a grand total of one game in his entire seven-year NFL career, that coming in 2017 when he was held out for the season opener following his trade from the Lions. That absence wasn't even injury-related.

The Jets would probably have to move Tomlinson to right guard, a position he hasn't really played during his time in the NFL, but if he's open to it, there are few (if any) better options on the free-agent market.

Robert Saleh connection aside, Laken Tomlinson should be one of the Jets' top targets this offseason.