Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
It took half a season for Laken Tomlinson to become comfortable with the 49ers playbook
Jul 30, 2018 at 6:54 AM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
Laken Tomlinson was pretty much thrown into the fire when the San Francisco 49ers traded for him before last season. The offensive lineman already had 24 starts' worth of experience when his plane landed in the Bay Area. None of it, however, was in a system quite like head coach Kyle Shanahan's.
"The job description for us is different from anywhere else I've been," Tomlinson told team reporter Joe Fann on the
49ers Studios Podcast.
Tomlinson knew he had to get his body into shape to handle the workload demanded of Shanahan and he had to do it while starting 15 games at left guard for the 49ers.
What does Shanahan expect from his guards?
"You've got to be able to move, win on linebackers, you've got to be able to pass protect," Tomlinson answered. "It's a lot of moving, a lot of agile guys."
After being thrown into the starting role while learning on the fly, Tomlinson gradually improved as the season progressed. His play elevated as he absorbed information and became more comfortable. The 49ers noticed and rewarded him with a
three-year extension in June.
"For Laken to improve that much throughout the year as an O-lineman in a totally different scheme than he's ever done was very encouraging to us," Shanahan said on Friday. "We saw the same thing throughout the offseason. We thought he had a very good OTAs. That's why we were extremely excited to get him locked up here for a little bit before we got started."
Tomlinson finally had a full offseason to get up to speed. He didn't start feeling comfortable with the 49ers playbook last year until the second half of the season, he revealed. That's when things began to improve for the offensive lineman.
"I wasn't really second guessing myself," Tomlinson said. "I found myself more comfortable and confident. Once I felt that and I had confidence in my knowledge of the playbook and my body as well, I just let it go."
Click here to listen to Fann's entire interview with Tomlinson.
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Brock Purdy hopes Kyle Shanahan makes addition to 49ers playbook
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for a franchise-record 4,280 yards last season, leading the team to the Super Bowl and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He held onto the football 39 times on the ground, rushing for 144 yards and scoring twice. This marked a significant improvement over his rookie 2022 campaign when he had 22 carries for 13 yards and a score.
Purdy further displayed his athleticism during the 49ers' playoff game against the Detroit Lions last season, helping engineer a comeback victory while rushing for 48 yards on five carries.
On Tuesday morning, Purdy joined the "Pat McAfee Show," acknowledging that he believes he can contribute more rushing yards if called upon. However, that decision rests with head coach Kyle Shanahan,
49ers sign WR Trent Taylor, reuniting with former draft pick
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
Draft Watch: Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley visiting 49ers on Wednesday
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Rapoport: 49ers send clear message to teams inquiring about Brandon Aiyuk
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
