One of the chief priorities of the Seattle Seahawks in the offseason heading into the 2024 NFL campaign is addressing their offensive line. With a new head coach in Mike Mcdonald coming in to succeed Pete Carroll on the sidelines, Seattle is looking to deliver answers on a key unit of their offense that ranked just 22nd in the 2023 NFL season with 322.9 total yards allowed per outing.

The Seahawks have already made some moves to add depth to their offensive line, but they don't seem to be content with what they have done thus far in that regard, with the team said to have taken looks in the direction of free agent offensive linemen Laken Tomlinson and Cody Whitehair, according to
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

“The Seahawks have shown interest in Tomlinson, and they’ve discussed bringing Whitehair in for a free agent visit. Several established guards on their radar,” Fowler posted on X (formerly Twitter) to jump off of the note made by Brady Henderson (also of ESPN) last week about the “sense is that the Seahawks will sign a veteran guard.”

All this points back to what Seahawks general manager John Schneider said late last March about the team's outlook on the offensive line amid the NFL free agency in the offseason.

“We're going to be bringing a couple of veteran offensive linemen through in this second phase of free agency, and then comparing that what the draft looks like,” Schneider said (h/t John Boyle of the Seahawks' official website).  That is a need on our team right now, I think it's fairly obvious.”

Schneider made that comment despite the Seahawks adding the pair of Nick Harris and Tremayne Anchrum to their offensive line.

Seahawks continue to think about improving offensive line

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald speaks to the media during the NFL annual league meetings at the JW Marriott.
Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Tomlinson and Whitehair are both on the wrong side of 30, but could still play effective roles in the guard positions. The 32-year-old offensive lineman last played in the NFL for the New York Jets in the 2023 season but got released earlier in the offseason to allow the AFC East division franchise to save over $8 million.

One thing about the left guard is that he does come across as a durable asset. Selected 28th overall in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, Tomlinson has not missed a game over the last three seasons and has played at least 15 games every year in the NFL so far in his pro career. Tomlinson also is a former Pro Bowler, getting his first and only nod to date in 2021 — his last year with Seahawks' NFC West rivals, San Francisco 49ers. In 2023, Tomlinson got a 55.0 overall rating from Pro Football Focus

Whitehair, on the other hand, has only played for the Chicago Bears in his NFL career, to date. Turning 32 in July, Whitehair was also a cap-saving causality in the offseason, with the Bears deciding to let him go in February to clear over $9.1 million of cap space. He was taken off the board in the 20216 NFL Draft by the Bears in the second round as the 56th overall selection.

Like Tomlinson, Whitehair is a one-time Pro Bowler (2018). The veteran has mostly played the left guard position in his career but has also seen action on the field as a center and right guard. He played center during his Pro Bowl season.