The Detroit Lions had seen enough from Laken Tomlinson in two years to know that he wasn't going to be a part of their future, and so they said goodbye to their 2015 first-round pick before their fourth exhibition game Thursday.
The Lions traded Tomlinson to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2019 fifth-round pick. The move was first reported by the NFL Network.
Tomlinson rejoins former Lions general manager Martin Mayhew in San Francisco.
Mayhew, a senior personnel executive with the 49ers, made Tomlinson the 28th pick of the 2015 draft, after a trade down with the Denver Broncos.
Tomlinson started 24 games at offensive guard in his two seasons with the Lions, but he lost his starting job to rookie Graham Glasgow early last season and had tumbled down the depth chart this year to the point he was in danger of being waived when teams cut to 53-man rosters on Saturday.
Glasgow and T.J. Lang will start at left and right guard for the Lions this fall, and Joe Dahl, who can play every position from center to tackle, will serve as the team's top interior backup.
Tomlinson is the second offensive lineman taken in the first round in 2015 to be traded in as many days.
On Wednesday, the Cleveland Browns sent Cam Erving to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2018 fifth-round choice.
After trading Tomlinson, the Lions have more than $12 million in cap space and are in position to add a pass rusher to help their depleted defensive line at some point this weekend, either through trade, waivers or in free agency.
