LaDainian is looking for a championship .. and right now it looks like he’s trying to decide between at least four teams, the Jets and Vikings, along with the Eagles and Saints. Tomlinson will arrive in New York today .. will the Jets let him leave without a signed contract?
LaDainian Tomlinson left Vikings headquarters Thursday without a contract and now will be wined and dined by Rex Ryan and the Jets, who are very serious about signing the future Hall of Fame running back, according to multiple league sources.
The only thing that could have short-circuited the trip to New York was an 11th-hour deal with the Vikings to back up Adrian Peterson. Barring that, Tomlinson will meet with the Jets, who want to team the former NFL MVP with Shonn Greene.
Tomlinson reportedly left Minnesota very impressed by the Vikings but wants to talk to other teams. He reportedly has visits with other teams lined up for next week and may visit the Eagles and Saints, who have former Chargers quarterback and good friend Drew Brees to recruit Tomlinson.
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Tomlinson said he would have no problem being a backup with his new team.
“I don’t (have a problem with it),” Tomlinson told the Minneapolis Star Tribune when asked about playing
While I’m sure he wants a championship, I think that money will play into it too, which is why he’s not signed with one team or another yet, and has made it clear he’s going to shop around.
Not bound by the Final Four rules because he was a cut, not a free agent, allow the Jets to sign Tomlinson to whatever kind of deal they’d like. New York City, the new stadium and new practice facility, pulling out all the stops with guys Sanchez (who I believe is getting treatment in NJ) and the Vikings the uncertainty around Favre … I expect the Jets to be a real contender for LaDainian’s services. Clearly Tomlinson isn’t what he once was, but he would be a great goal-line addition for the Jets and could take 10-15 carries a game and save some wear on Leon and Shonn.
It’s getting interesting …
Fargas isn’t but we might have a little argument with Mike Bell to bad we would have to give up picks. So technically Mike Bell is the best back out there right now but LT is a better situation.
Latern
I think Mike Bell would be perfect for the Jets…I want him over Fargas or LT2 but I heard he aint coming here cheap….
Green Lantern, please pass the dutchy to the left hand side.
Levi – No, T-Rich is still a UFA.
the reason why this is a good move is that he is a good pass catcher and leon and greene arent exactly the most durable people. The reason why greene was so good was because he was fresh and ran people over. With three solid rb’s greene and leon can stay fresh. LT WOULD BE A PLAYER ON THE JETS.
Were do u see that cromartie has been telling people of LT to the Jets and just because he is almost illiterate doesnt mean that he cdant communicate I would say he is pretty smart socially if has 7 kids and 6 women.
nyjetsman – you say “leon and greene arent exactly the most durable people.”
LT isn’t either.
That’s pretty much my only reservation about a potential deal here. If he chooses us, I want him to be healthy all season. The question is, how much is left in the tank and how are his ankles/feet?
The only player I can remember with a similar injury to Leon is Joe Theisman and the hit ended his career. Now, Theisman’s injury was not a clean break, as I remember it, the fibula was broken in two places, not just one, but both players suffered compund fractures with both bones (tibia and fibula).
Assuming LW heals properly, he may have a better outcome than Theisman because according to reports the break was clean and medical science is much better than it was in the late 80s, but it also isn’t a simple injury. LW will be lucky to get back to what he was.
“I would say he is pretty smart socially if has 7 kids and 6 women.”
Not sure I agree with that. You probably barely need to evolve beyond grunting if you’re a millionaire professional athlete and his decision making skills obviously leave a lot to be desired.
I agree it’s harsh to call him borderline illiterate, but I guess that was only repeated what others had said.
he has been a p**** at times but i believe he can effectively relieve greene and leon if something does happen to our feature backs
aka drew….NOT the same injury. Thats a major detail.
And for the record, I am okay with LT for one year only if his price is right and we draft someone to replace him this year. Keeping TJ would have been better but not at his roster bonus since his skills are beginning to diminish and I don’t think he would handle the backup role well. He would not be getting 1400 yards rushing next season with Greene stepping up if he stayed. I’m not sure even the Chiefs contract for TJ would have been beneficial for us. LTs skills are definitely diminished and his retirement is coming soon, so he is not ideal, but he could be a one year place holder at the right price.
i guess girls are running for the thrill of it
sjfalcon – draft someone to replace LT if he signs? why would we waste a draft pick on replacing a 3rd string RB? we have a #1 back on our roster already, his name is Shonn Greene. signing LT would be a move to create more options for our draft picks so we wouldn’t have to spend one on a RB
This makes no sense. Why didn’t we just keep TJ?
Sack-
You write: “I’ll be consistent here [regarding TJ & LT]. It’s not just LT’s age that bothers me, it’s his touches. . . .it’s been documented that RB’s decline after 2,800 ‘touches’ meaning career carries and receptions. . . . LT has a whopping 3,525 touches!!!!”
Just for the record, Sack:
TJ has a total of about 2,500 touches (including receptions).
That’s about 300 LESS THAN THE 2,800 CUT-OFF POINT YOU CITE.
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Drew-
I know you were an impartial observer in the Thomas Jones Wars, and I thank you for being the voice of reason here, and pointing out over and over again that THE JETS REFUSED TO MATCH THE TJ OFFER FROM KC.
It’s amusing to watch some on this thread deny this—and claim that they don’t believe the “reports” of this—even when you state very clearly that this morning on WFAN, MIKE T HIMSELF COULD NOT DENY THAT THE JETS REFUSED TO MATCH THE KC OFFER.
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So just to be clear: what would sicken me here is if Tomlinson gets paid as much money as—or more money than—TJ is getting from KC.
If that were to happen, it would mean that for the same price, or maybe even less, we could have had a back—TJ—in much better shape than LT and who last year had:
—TWICE as many yards as LT:
TJ: 1,400
LT: 730
—a much better YPC than LT:
TJ: 4.2
LT: 3.3
—more TDs than LT:
TJ: 14
LT: 12
—and much less wear-and- tear mileage than LT:
TJ: 2,500 career touches
LT: 3,500 career touches
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miketaliaferro-
You write: “Ben, let me know when the vomitorium is open… I’ll join you.”
LOL.
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I see it like this…
Scenario 1: Retain TJ at 5.8 million for this year.
– Lose Leon as the Jets would be more vulnerable to him signing a RFA contract.
- Draft a replacement for Leon, but also…
- Lose TJ the following year as a re-signing would be even more unlikely at age 33.
Scenario 2: Release TJ and free up 5.8 million.
- Sign a replacement (Tomlinson, Fargas, Parker) for 2 years at 2 million per to back up Greene. They can always cut ties after one year.
- Retain Leon with the money saved and draft a later round RB.
- Next year, you have the flexibility to decide if the rookie can take over the backup role and see if Leon has recovered enough to offer a contract.
As much as I hate to see TJ leave, scenario 2 leaves us the better options.
PSL Sucker-
As Drew has pointed out above on this thread (and as I repeated above): THE JETS REFUSED TO MATCH THE TJ OFFER FROM KC.
This morning on WFAN, MIKE T HIMSELF COULD NOT DENY THAT THE JETS REFUSED TO MATCH THE KC OFFER.
Which means that you can throw the one-year $5.8 million number out the window. The KC contract is for $3 million this year, $2 million in 2011.
And if we wind up giving that same money—or even more money!—to LT, well, then we haven’t saved a dime, have we?
And in the process we’re paying that same money for a RB who is, at this stage of his career, clearly inferior.
Ben,
That refusal to match KC’s offer is speculation. Nothing has been proven or answered directly by either side.
Brendan-
It’s not speculation when one of the participants in the negotiations—Mike T—refuses to deny it.