Aaron Banks now has a Clear Path to Start at Left Guard for the 49ers

With Laken Tomlinson departing, there is now a starting position at left guard staring Aaron Banks in the face.

The first free agent departure from the 49ers is now official.

Laken Tomlinson will not be returning to the 49ers as he is a signing a three-year deal with the Jets worth up to $41.2 million, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Tomlinson leaving is not a surprise as it was always expected that he would have priced himself out of the range that the 49ers are comfortable with. And while the guarantees are yet to emerge from his deal, that is a lot of cash to be spending on a guard. The 49ers made the right move by making no move in over pursuing him.

Besides, this now gives Aaron Banks a clear path to start at left guard.

The former 2021 second-round pick basically took a redshirt year his rookie season. I sincerely doubt that was the plan for the 49ers as injuries changed things and the fact that drafting a guard so high in the second-round signifies starter capabilities. Now, Banks has a shot again to start in 2022. This time it is at his natural position at left and not right guard with Tomlinson gone.

Not overspending on Tomlinson largely, if not at least partly had to do with Banks. The 49ers invested in some hefty draft capital in Banks by taking him in the second round. And since he did much of nothing last season, now is the time for the 49ers to start getting some return on investment with him. I'm sure the 49ers have him penciled in to be the starter come training camp.

However, that does not mean they are just going to hand it to him. 

They will have him compete for it to get him to raise his game. By getting him in the groove during camp at a high level, it makes for the optimal setup that he will be more prepared for the season. "Iron sharpens iron" as the saying goes, which the 49ers are sure to keep dangling the starting job in front of Banks to see how badly he wants it.

The job will be his for the taking unless the 49ers end up signing an immediate starter in free agency. Which if that is the case, doesn't spell much confidence in Banks. 

Until then, he needs to understand what is at stake for him when the season nears.