12/21/24
March 15, 2010
Tomlinson signs 2-year deal with Jets: When LaDainian Tomlinson completed his visit with the Minnesota Vikings last Thursday, he left with a Vikings jersey in hand. On Sunday, he accepted something of far greater value from the Jets — a two-year contract to become their newest running back and perhaps complete his Hall of Fame career with them
LT ges a Jets Uniform and a Vikings blanket for his dog.
posted by irunfromclones at 02:25 PM on March 15, 2010
For the Vikings, I think losing Chester Taylor was a big deal.
I don't understand why the Vikings let him walk. For some reason, I'm under the impression that the team was using him a lot late in the season and into the playoffs. Was his price tag too high?
posted by NoMich at 07:59 PM on March 15, 2010
How much would it have cost the Jets to retain Thomas Jones? I feel that at this point Jones is a better running back than Tomlinson. Or did Jones walk on his own accord?
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 12:48 AM on March 16, 2010
The Jets would have had to pay Jones approximately 6 million for this season. They got LT for 5 million for two years. So there is a savings.
If it ends up being LT replacing Jones, I don't have an issue with it. If it ends up being LT for Jones and Leon Washington (who is talking to other clubs), then it's a bad move.
posted by cjets at 10:55 AM on March 16, 2010
The Jets would have had to pay Jones approximately 6 million for this season. They got LT for 5 million for two years. So there is a savings.
Well, they would have had to pay him 6 million if they kept his contract intact. Kansas City just signed him for 2 years at about 5 million. I don't get why the Jets didn't try harder to resign a guy who was a yard-per-carry better last year.
posted by yerfatma at 12:54 PM on March 16, 2010
I don't get why the Jets didn't try harder to resign a guy who was a yard-per-carry better last year.
Because they see Shonn Greene as their starter. Jones may not have wanted to stay as a backup to Greene. LT has already said he's comfortable as a back up to Greene. Jones clamoring for more carries could have been a distraction. LT is also better at catching passes out of the backfield.
And that's assuming Jones would have accepted that deal from the Jets. They did try and restructure his deal before cutting him but he wanted no part of it.
posted by cjets at 01:17 PM on March 16, 2010
I really like Chester Taylor and wish the Vikings had kept him, but he wanted more money and more playing time than they were willing to give him. I don't think the Vikings wanted to pay him what the Bears did, and it was too much for being Adrian Peterson's backup. It'd probably be better long-term for them to get someone younger, instead of past-their-prime guys like Tomlinson or Brian Westbrook. (Although Westbrook might be great for a one-year run.)
posted by kirkaracha at 05:14 PM on March 16, 2010
For the Vikings, I think losing Chester Taylor was a big deal.
Hanging on to him would have made more of a difference than signing LT.