Cowboys Sign G Laken Tomlinson To Practice Squad

A 2015 first-round pick and a former Lion, 49er, Jet, Seahawk and Texan, Tomlinson has amassed 162 starts in 173 appearances during his career. That includes a seven-season stretch (2018-24) in which the durable Tomlinson played and started in 116 straight games. He earned his lone Pro Bowl nod with the 49ers in 2021.

Unfortunately for Tomlinson, his long-running games and starts streaks ended in unceremonious fashion last year. Although the Texans brought him in on a deal worth $4.25MM, they reshuffled their offensive line midway through the season and benched Tomlinson.

After the 34-year-old made seven starts at left guard over a 10-game span, the Texans waived him in early December. Tomlinson caught on with the Ravens’ practice squad a week later, but they never elevated him to their roster. Detroit, where Tomlinson began his career, is the only team that showed reported interest in him before he agreed to a deal with Dallas.

The Cowboys will go at least four games without Smith, whom they placed on injured reserve after he underwent surgery. Smith is a premier guard, having made three straight Pro Bowls, but the Cowboys expect T.J. Bass to serve as a capable sub. Although Bass has made a mere 10 starts in 48 games, the Cowboys hold him in high regard. Concerned Bass would sign elsewhere as a restricted free agent, they placed a second-round tender on him in the offseason.

The Cowboys’ 53-man roster was light on guards entering Wednesday, so they signed Nick Leverett from their practice squad, per Archer. He and Ajani Cornelius will back up Bass and Tyler Booker. Leverett is a sixth-year man with just 11 starts and 23 appearances on his resume, while Cornelius only got into one game as a sixth-round rookie last season. If the Cowboys want someone with more experience, they could call on Tomlinson at some point.