Minnesota Vikings linked to Pro Bowl offensive lineman by ESPN

After spending 2021 with the San Francisco 49ers, offensive guard Laken Tomlinson will be a free agent this year, and he could sign with the Minnesota Vikings.

Before he was hired as the new general manager of the Minnesota Vikings this past January, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was previously a part of the front offices for both the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers.

So given Adofo-Mensah’s past, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that 49ers guard Laken Tomlinson was recently linked to the Vikings by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. He will likely be one of many former Browns and 49ers players that will be linked to Minnesota this offseason.

Tomlinson will be a free agent this year, and with the Vikings currently in need of improving the interior of their offensive line, they could target the veteran blocker when free agency kicks off later this month.

If he leaves the San Francisco 49ers, Laken Tomlinson would be a great addition to the Minnesota Vikings

When it comes to the guards that will be available in free agency this year, Tomlinson is one of the best. PFF ranked him as the 13th-best guard in the NFL last season, and in 2020, PFF ranked him eighth.

PFF projects Tomlinson to earn a contract in free agency this year that could pay him around $9 million per season. So he’s not exactly going to be a bargain, but he’s not expected to be the most expensive guard on the market this year either.

If Minnesota does end up convincing Tomlinson to sign with them this offseason, they’ll need to do some shuffling on their offensive line to make room for him. He has spent the majority of his NFL career as a left guard and that’s where Ezra Cleveland lined up for the Vikings in 2021.

Minnesota could move Cleveland over to be their new starting right guard or they could even shift him to the bench to improve the overall depth of their offensive line.

Either way, landing Tomlinson would certainly be a great way for Adofo-Mensah to start off his tenure as the new general manager of the Vikings.