Plenty of teams across the NFL are preparing for the start of the 2024 NFL free agency period. Some teams are restructuring contracts, while others are shedding contracts by releasing players before their money is guaranteed for the upcoming 2024-25 season. And that is exactly what the New York Jets did on Monday when they released guard Laken Tomlinson.
According to ESPN NFL analyst Jeremy Fowler, New York is releasing the veteran interior offensive lineman in a move that is projected to save them a healthy amount of money heading into free agency.
“The #Jets are releasing guard Laken Tomlinson, per source. [The] move saves around $8.1M on the cap. [He’s an] Incredibly durable player. Has started 114 straight games,” said Fowler via X.
Tomlinson was a first round pick of the Detroit Lions in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Duke. The nine-year veteran is two years removed from making the Pro Bowl as a Jet in 2021. With Tomlinson being released, he has the opportunity to sign with an NFL franchise of his choosing once free agency begins in March.
More on the 2024 NFL offseason, free agency
The NFL 2024 calendar year begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 13. At that time, contracts running through 2023 officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 5. Beginning March 11 through March 13 teams can enter into a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.
In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 19 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 24, the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets hits. Following the restricted free agent deadline follows the 2024 NFL Draft, which runs from April 25-27.
More on restricted, exclusive rights free agents
Players with only three years of accredited NFL experience become restricted free agents. Their original team will have the option to apply first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-fight-of-first-refusal tenders on players at escalating price tags. The higher the round, the more expensive the tender amount; however, if a separate team does offer a contract and the original team does not match that round pick will be conveyed from the new team to the original team. Right of first refusal only gives a team the option to match or not. If they don’t match, they get nothing in return. An original-round tender would send a draft pick from whatever round the player was drafted back to the original team if they chose not to match. The original team will have five days to match once a player signs an offer sheet from a new team.
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