Bassett reported earlier today that LT would be visiting the Jets facilities if he couldn’t come to an agreement with the Vikings. And after spending several hours at the Vikings facilities, the AP reports that LT is making his way to New York after no agreement could be reached between the Vikings and LT.
However Jim Trotter pointed out that LT was “wowed” by the Vikings and said the Jets would have to “bring it” if they truly wanted Tomlinson in Green and White.
AP: LaDainian Tomlinson has left the Minnesota Vikings facility without a deal in place and is on his way to New York to visit the Jets.
A person with knowledge of the negotiations tells The Associated Press that the star running back spent several hours at Vikings headquarters Thursday, but did not reach agreement on a contract. The person requested anonymity because negotiations were ongoing.
Trotter: Trotter says that, if the Jets really want Tomlinson, “they’ll have to bring it.” L.T. told Trotter that the Vikings “really wowed him,” and that he “could see himself playing there.”
It would not surprise me if Tanny took a hard look at Tomlinson. Obviously he can’t be an every down back anymore but I don’t think the Jets can afford to hand the entire backfield to Shonn Greene just yet after all he only saw a lot of time towards the end of the season so he had plenty of rest before hand. You know Tanny always looking to make a splash and I would not be surprised to see “Trader” Mike pull some strings to bring in Tomlinson (though I believe the Jets should look at the other options available).
What are your thoughts on the matter?
LT’s body has taken a beating and he is old by RB standards. The reason why TJ has not shown a decline is largely due to the fact he got little to no use early in his career first 4 yrs.
Lt will probably be asking for too much money, but it wouldn’t hurt to have future hall of fame member in the Jets back field. They need to keep Leon around too though.
stats are sometimes misleading…and he’s a year younger and im just tired of this TJ bs…he’s finished and he will prove to be finished this year coming…
@ Craig
I have… as soon as the Chargers got rid of Lorenzo Neal LT’s play began to suffer… that also corresponded with Norv transforming that team into a pass oriented offense centered around Rivers. Another thing… The Chargers O line is a pass protection oriented offense; they can’t move anyone as far as the run goes.
I think LT could really benefit from running behind our O line and T Rich.
dakar,
LJ would be an upgrade to TJ? Only if you owned a time machine and could take us back to 2005. BTW Larry Johnson had 2 good year in his career and is a major league doucher.
fact is he’s been running behind the best o-line in the leauge the past 2 years…im not saying TJ sucked…but he’s gone…enough…but then again i would still like to draft a RB…BUT IF WE SIGN lt…he will not disapoint…just my thoughts…
Question to All
who has better upside
LT
Larry Johnson
Willie Parker
I say they all have the same upside but only one Will bring us the title of coolest team in the City . I no that’s not what it’s all about but you’ve gotta admit this is a different feeling for us Jet fans. I’d still like a Rookie BEAST but if Tannys game I’m game .
TJ is gone correct. He did have 5 yrs in a row rushing for over 1000 yards. I think it was a bad move. Hopefully I am proven wrong. Fact is Shonn Greene is largely unproven and fumbles a bit. Leon is coming off a huge injury. I would like to have a reliable option going into the season as part of the rotation.
Craig
if you switched TJ & LTs teams last season LT would have ran for 1600 yards as a Jet easy , TJ would have ran fo 750 at best on SD . I watched evry last Jet game & no on can tell me otherwise ….NO ONE .. Lol .. But seriously NO ONE …
LT=Brett Farve…not into renting a guy past his prime…
not cool, foolish….what is cool is winning and this doesnt get it done.
Craig
as a matter of fact half the leages RBs coulda ran for 1600 yards if they wer on the Jets .. TJs Stats = product of OL
i agree with whatever tanny and rexy do…so far tanny has done more good for the tean then bad…
i agree…i would also love a reliable option and i believe LT WP and LJ will all be reliable…but i am with
MARVEL…i would rather get a Rookie BEAST…just my thoughtrs…
Marvel,
You are basing this on what??? Stats dont lie.
Bret Farve is a QB
LT is a RB
don’t compare ..
P.s Im not a LT supporter just a TJ basher .. It’s all friendly banter
Marvel really??? Half the backs??? TJ is worse than half the back in the league? Guy is going to rush for 10k yards plus in his career and was not used first 4 yrs. Also has not had more than 2 fumbles in a season in 5 yrs.
Craig
Ok you go by stats .. I go by the eye test .. We shall just agree to disagree
why a TJ basher? Solid rb, reliable, gets tough yards, good locker room guy etc. dont understand why no love.
Craig
never said he was worse .. That’s entrapment .. I’d like to speak to my lawyer befor continuing this convo .. Good day sir
Didn’t LT want out of SD because of chemistry issues, and we just brought one of the bigger issues from SD (cromartie). Do we know if LT is willing to take a chance playing with him again.
By the way, I’m high on the cromartie trade, and I think bringing LT in would be a major mistake. Along the lines of when farve came here. I’m tired of hearing about big name, past their prime players, and the Jets being interested in them. Every one of my favorite players on this team have all been drafted, except for big jenks (but come on, he’s a freak). I’m not against bringing in you talent via free agency or trade (as long as it makes sense, and we don’t get robbed), but not LT, sharper, westbrook… I am interested in Atogwe, and I’m suprised we haven’t heard about them looking into him.
ESPN reporting Jets re sign Dexter Carter….all is well good night.
I no what I saw .. TJ isn’t as good as you make him out to be .. He couldn’t start on my team but hey wut do I no ?
maybe cro is talking LT up to tanny rexy and shoty…
I’m also interested in seeing what happens with this poole guy, only because I’ve never heard about him. From what I read on the past thread, he’s not the type of player that las the wood. I’d like to see a player drafted that could turn into a stud (obviously, an Ed Reed type Player).
i want a ronnie lott clone…but it aint gonna happen…lol…and if LT gets signed onto the jets…he’s gonna suprise alot of people…just my thoughts…
Ronnie Lot like would work for me, in the end I don’t who he compares to, as long as he can cover and hammer recievers I’ll be happy.
Hey guys I just remembered something. Shonn Green mocked LT after he owned Weddle in that playoff game . I find that to be quite funny given the current predicament .
After reading this post and responses about signing LT its crazy cause its seems like it a 50/50 split on this site…I know one thing if woody is all about selling PSL he would sign LT because LT sells seats…I think LT will go to the VIKES due to the dome and the Vikes are a solid team but if he did decide to be a JET I think at this point and time the Positive out weigh the Negative of him being here…In my oppion I think just about any quality veteran back whether it be LT,Westbrook,Parker,even Fargas could run for atleast 1200 yards behind our quality OL.Everyone keeps saying the LT is washed up..my oppion is LT is banged up..If we signed LT to a 2 or 3 year deal at a reasonable salary he will earn his keep and then some…Quality players produce quality results and LT when healthy still can be one of the best in the game..The only real question in my mind is can he tote the rock in the cold NJ winters…
marvel
i looked at greenes jesture more like he was paying tribute to LT…LOL…
ganggreen
im sure he will find a way to stay warm…
dakar
You think like a PR rep … Lol .. But I’ll buy it …
Although, i’d love to see LT’s bulldog face mask on a jets helmet. However i’d rather see greene wearing it. Consider it greene paying another “tribute” to LT
LSU’s rb doesn’t look 2 shaby…charles scott…big dude…
he did get hurt though…broke his colar bone…
sign him n hope mays falls to us im not a huge fan but hes our best offer
I bet we offer 500K per year for 2 yrs plus incentives. Totaling 1.4mil for 2 years if all the incentives are met. Yes we are that cheap.
hey guys. TJ got 1400 yards because of our badass O-line. I believe LT could do better in a rushing offense like ours. the chargers O-line are good pass protecters not run blockers.
Here are the 2009 stats of some of the vet RBs out there now.
(I posted a less complete version of this on another thread, but added in Fargas below.)
_________________________________________
LaDainian Tomlinson :
3.3 YPC
730 yards, 223 att
12 TDs
2 Lost fumbles
20 Rec, 154 yards
_________________________________________
Willie Parker:
4.0 YPC
389 yards, 98 att
1 TD (rec)
1 Lost fumble
6 Rec, 64 yards
________________________________________
Larry Johnson:
4.4 YPC (Bengals)
2.9 YPC (Chiefs)
204 yards, 46 att (Bengals)
377 yards, 132 att (Chiefs)
0 TDs (Bengals)
0 TDs (Chiefs)
0 Lost fumbles (Bengals)
1 Lost fumble (Chiefs)
3 Rec, 4 yards (Bengals)
12 Rec, 76 yards (Chiefs)
_______________________________________
Brian Westbrook:
4.5 YPC
274 yards, 61 att
2 TDs (1 rush, 1 rec)
0 Lost fumbles
25 Rec, 181 yards
_________________________________________
Justin Fargas:
3.8 YPC
491 yards, 129 att
3 TDs
0 Lost fumbles
17 Rec, 113 yards
_________________________________________
Of the above group:
LT had the worst YPC: 3.3.
Westbrook had the best YPC: 4.5
LT had the most TDs by far: 12
Westbrook had the second highest # of TDs: 2
LT lost the most fumbles: 2 (but he had the most carries)
Johnson & Westbrook lost the least fumbles: 0
LT and Johnson each had over 175 carries
Parker & Westbrook each had less than 100 carries
_________________
LT’s low YPC worries me.
Westbrook’s history of injuries worries me.
Johnson’s history of being an a-hole worries me.
___________________
I like the number of TDs Tomlinson put up, but if we pay him the kind of money Thomas Jones got from KC (or more!), then I think I’m gonna be sick.
TJ had TWICE as many yards last year as LT:
LT: 730 yards
TJ: 1,402 yards
And TJ’s YPC was much higher than LT’s:
LT: 3.3 YPC
TJ: 4.2 YPC
You can say that TJ had a better O line than LT last year, and that’s true.
But Darren Sproles had EXACTLY the same O line as LT last year, and DS had 3.7 YPC—compared to LT’s 3.3.
And in 2007, when our own O line was crap, TJ’s YPC was exactly as high as that of Sproles: 3.7.
I don’t think Tomlinson really has much to offer the Jets. If he’s ok with being the 3rd back then give him an appropriate offer. If he refuses, tell him to move along. He doesnt really bring all that much to the table these days.
i think he knows hes going to have a reduced role especially after visiting the viking hes gonna behind peterson and farve who still likes to throw the ball
I think the Jets need to get LT for the replacement of TJ
Then we can focus on drafting a SS
if I was LT I would come to the Jets even though I hope he signs in Minn. I just think the guy is done as a player ….yes even as a 3rd down back. I think W Parker has alot more to give and compliments the RB’s we currently have…..
I also am tired of hearing how he can mentor the young guys and be a good locker room presence…..Isnt this the same guy who continually sulked on the sidelines when he was hurt or even worse threw fits when he was pulled out for the more productive Sproles in games last year? All because he wanted his redzone touches?
I also assume LT and his agent are using this as a scare tactic to the Vkings…Which is smart business.
The Jets need a short yardage back and that’s what LDT is these days (even on first and ten). I too have concerns over whether he’d be happy with and give his all to such a role.
I think the Jets will sign LT because it makes the team better and they’ll sell more tickets in the process. Also, Why would LT want to go to Minny when they already have the best RB in the league. With the Jets, he’ll get the ball way more and have a shot to be the #1 RB…
Bent-
I agree. And I like the number of TDs Tomlinson had last year (12). But a few things about LT worry me (one of which you mention above):
1. LT’s low YPC last year: 3.3.
Which is by far the lowest YPC of any of the five vet RBs profiled in my post above.
2. LT’s inability in the past to accept a reduced role.
3. The amount of money LT might demand.
Which could be as high—or higher!—than what TJ received from KC.
Goblin,
There is no chance he’d be the #1 RB, if there was any question about who that would be the team would have kept Jones.
Tanny on WFAN flat out saying he is getting more CB’s and DB’s going forward…..more than 1
Which means we will be draftinf safety and CB next month.
Also mentioned that the Rhodes money will produce 2-3 players. Pool being the 1st. i assume LT or (another RB) the 2nd
He also danced over the fact that TJ did come back to the Jets to match the deal and they declined. It sounds like they just didnt want to pay TJ the second year money.
LT in the building and with Rex and Tanny selling I am pretty sure (if he is open to coming here) he will sign if the price is close to Minn
Drew-
If Mike T is going to add a couple more DBs, do you think he meant that the Rhodes money would be spent on new DBs (including Pool)?
They saved 4.7m this year by cutting (basically) Rhodes.
Subtract Pool’s 1.3m and that leaves 3.4m for 1-2 more players. If one of them is LDT, then it sounds like they will offer him less than TJ got from the Chiefs, or at best the same.
Drew-
It annoys me that Tanny wouldn’t match what KC was giving TJ—but it would really piss me off if Mike T gives LT as much as (or more than!) what TJ got from KC.
Bent-
What I said to Drew. . .
I would assume he was saying the Rhodes money will mean Pool and (LT?) and maybe another cheap player…LB or OL backup type
He made it perfectly clear that (Rex asked) he would be adding multiple CB’s in the future to fit the system.
That’s an old picture. Brees handing the ball off? Wish that was the LDT they could get.
Some stats for the heck of it:
Other than week one (Raiders) Tomlinson NEVER surpassed 4 yards a carry last season
However, he did break off at least one run of at least ten yards in 9 of the 14 games in which he carried the ball
He had a 36 yard run in week 7 (Chiefs) but the longest run he had other than that was 21 yards
PFF ranks him as the 5th worst RB in the league last year
Thomas Jones is seventh worst though, so maybe not that much of an upgrade over Tomlinson as you might think
Missed tackles caused (ie broken or dodged tackles) – LDT 9 on 223 carries, TJ 14 on 332 carries (about the same rate). Greene 12 on 109 carries.
Still on missed tackles – Only 7 backs had more than 30 and all had over 220 carries. Peterson led the league with 50 on 315 carries.
Of all the backs who had fewer missed tackles than Jones (332 carries) only LDT and Addai (219) had more than 200 carries and of all the guys with fewer missed tackles than LDT (223 carries) only 4 had more than 100 carries and none as many as 150.
To give an idea of how far they have fallen off: In 2008, Tomlinson had 24 missed tackles on 292 carries (but was still third worst rated RB) and Jones (who was quite highly rated – 20th) had 18 on 290 carries. They didn’t chart all the games in 2007, but they had Tomlinson ranked 2nd best and Jones third worst.
Conclusion: In terms of playmaking ability to pick up extra yards, the gap between the elite and Greene might not be unbridgeable, but Jones and LDT are a long way off. Leon (6 on 71 attempts this year, 15 on 76 attempts last year) is also up there in terms of the league’s best.
Ben – Who cares what they pay him. It’s an uncapped year!
(Yes, I fully get the irony of that statement and it was a joke).
I agree, it’s difficult for them to spin if they end up giving LDT as much or more than TJ got from the Chiefs, but we don’t really know what was offered to TJ or how willing he was (or Tomlinson is) to accept the role they want for him. (Again, we can’t know the validity of the “he didn’t come back because of personal pride” or the “he was crushed to receive a reduced role and let it affect his play in the postseason” stories, so it is difficult to throw the front office under the bus or laud them for a smart move).
I’m lukewarm on the idea. Which veteran RB do you think will sell the most PSL’s though? Hmmm…
Just to add some football outsiders rankings into the mix, they have Jones and Tomlinson based on 2009 ranked very similar:
Ranking: Jones 32nd or 38th, depending which metric you use, LDT 39th on both
“Success rate”: Jones 44%, LDT 43%
In terms of pass catching, LDT scrapes into the top 50, whereas Jones is practically unranked.
If it was a straight up choice, I’d pick Jones. Factoring in the fact that LDT is a sulker makes me want Jones more. However, if Tomlinson is cheaper then that might tip the balance the other way. I fear he may not be though. I think he ends up in Minnesota because the Jets won’t offer him enough money.
i really dont understand the comparisons of jones and lt. they will have completely different roles on this team.
You cant compare TJ to LT last season. LT was the backup RB on a PASS FIRST Team behind an average run o-line while TJ was the starting RB on a RUN FIRST team with the best Running O-Line in Football.
Yeah, the only reason for the comparison (besides boredness) it to compare their comparative levels of washed-up-edness.
I’m not trying to prove anything with the numbers.