GREEN BAY – The Packers are bringing in reinforcements on the offensive line, and they're also determined to get the linemen they have playing better.
On Monday, Green Bay signed veteran guard Laken Tomlinson to the 53-man roster and added another veteran, Mekhi Becton Sr., to the practice squad. Both are former first-round draft picks who have bounced around to different teams in recent years.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur didn't say both would step in to play immediately – Becton would have to be elevated from the practice squad to do so – but he didn't rule it out, either.
"Potentially," LaFleur said when asked if they might help right away. "I mean, we haven't been on the field with them yet, so it's tough to say. But I think as we progress through the week, we'll have a better indication of that."
Tomlinson has played the bulk of his career at left guard while Becton has played right guard the past two seasons after switching from tackle earlier in his career.
The Packers have dealt with health issues, lineup shuffling and subpar performance up front through the first three games, and nothing is certain as to when starting left guard Aaron Banks can return from his knee and toe injuries.
Tomlinson, a 12th-year vet, arrives from the Cowboys' practice squad with 169 career starts, including playoffs, to his credit. His five seasons in San Francisco (2017-21) playing for coach Kyle Shanahan bring a lot of familiarity with the style of offense LaFleur and the Packers run. Part of his time with the 49ers was spent with Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich as his assistant offensive line coach as well.
So he's not only excited about the opportunity in front of him, but he claims he'll be ready to go whenever needed.
"I feel like I can come in and provide some stability, some toughness, some leadership, as well," Tomlinson said when he spoke to the media Monday. "Obviously going into Year 12, I've played a lot of ball. I feel like still got a lot left in the tank. I feel like I can bring a lot to the team."
Tomlinson has been incredibly durable throughout his career, and he feels great about the work he put in this offseason after his release from the Texans last December. He's been determined to continue his long career, which has featured one Pro Bowl selection (2021).
He happens to know Becton, too, having been his teammate with the Jets for two seasons (2022-23).
"Mekhi is a big guy; big, physical guy," he said. "I'm sure his style of ball – he's a people-mover. He's a physical freak. Definitely excited to have him on the squad."
LaFleur stressed it will take a lot of meetings with the coaches to get the new additions up to speed.
In the meantime, the team's current linemen will be drilling all the basics in both run blocking and pass protection because progress is needed "across the board." Through three games, the Packers' run game minus bell-cow back Josh Jacobs has been unproductive and QB Jordan Love has taken way too many hits from pass rushers.
"Fundamentally, it's we've got to get better," LaFleur said. "I think that's where the majority of our focus will lie in terms of our pass sets and how we're passing off twists, how we punch, all that stuff. It's got to improve in a hurry."
He also emphasized it will take a greater commitment to the run game from him as the play-caller to bring any semblance of balance back to the offense. Last Thursday against Atlanta, Love finished with 53 pass attempts while the offense had just nine rushes for 17 yards despite a scoring margin of 10 points or less until late in the third quarter.
The ground game also can help the pass protection for Love, even if it isn't churning out big chunks of yards.
"Sometimes you've got to stick with it, and sometimes early in games it may not be working to the level that you would like to in terms of the run efficiency, but I think they're like body blows in a boxing match," LaFleur said. "You've just got to keep throwing them, and there's a lot of things that play off the run game. So we got to do a better job. I got to do a better job with that.
"Not every run has to be an explosive gain. Sometimes you've just got to go hit it and get three yards, and it's three yards and a cloud of dust just to kind of stay on schedule and set yourself up for some more manageable third downs."
