Tomlinson has signed with the New York Jets for around $5.5 million.  This is a huge signing for both the Jets and Ladainian Tomlinson.  The Jets were #1 in the NFL with over 170 yards rushing per game.  That is the best rushing we’ve seen in years in the NFL and it catapulted them into the AFC championship game against the Colts.  The Jets cut their #1 running back from last year, Thomas Jones, who rushed for 1402 yards and 14 TDs.

Now, Tomlinson isn’t the same rusher that Thomas Jones is.  He’s less of a straight downhill rusher and more of a quick pass catching back.  LT won’t be asked what Jones was last year but will split carries with Shonn Greene and immensely help Mark Sanchez out of the backfield, as LT is one of the best pass catching backs in NFL history.  Lets focus on the Pro’s of this deal and ignore the very few cons (high salary, bad production for LT last year, age):

Pros for the New York Jets:

• Tomlinson is going to sell a ton of jerseys. There is a lot of money in the New York area and every fan always like having the hottest players jersey.  They will make up the salary in jersey sales alone.
• NYJ lost their #1 rusher (by choice) and needed a replacement.  They upgraded the position with Shonn Greene having an entire off-season and confidence and bring in LT.
• NEW 1.6 BILLION Stadium.  The new Meadowlands Stadium to be shared by the Jets and Giants needs to fill the stands with expensive seats.  Tomlinson will attract a great deal of interest along with last year’s playoff success.
• LT is pissed. Hes pissed, hes motivated, he wants to prove people wrong.  He also has always been driven by legacy, not money.  His career goals have always been to beat the top rushing records, and that kind of publicity can make the Jets a lot of money (See Alex Rodriguez contract with Yankees based on record breaking).

Pros for Ladainian Tomlinson:

• Records: The touchdown record is well within reach for LT.  He is 2nd all-time in rushing TD’s (138) to Emmitt Smith (164) by only 26 TD’s.  Hell get 11 TD’s this year.  LT is a redzone commodity.
• He is 8th all time in rushing yards with 12,490 yards.  He doesn’t have much of a chance of beating Emmitt for this one, but if he revitalizes his career somehow in NY, anythings possible with LT’s drive.
• Money: He’s making $6 million this year.  That’s a lot.  Not quite as much as Jake Delhomme is getting (wow!), but it’s a good take for a 30+ year old running back.  Apparently the Vikings offered more money but not by much.
• Play Time: Tomlinson will split time with Shonn Greene, who will get the bulk of the carries.  LT will see a lot of screen passes and routes from Sanchez and will get a good # of rushes.  He will rush for a whole lot more than 3.3 yards per carry this year.  If he had gone to the Vikings he and his career would have been overshadowed by Peterson’s physical dominance and epic runs.

Only time will tell how well LT does with the Jets and how much further his career can go.  I think hell surprise a lot of people this year.  And he’ll continue to get opportunities in the league after his time with the Jets.

So Tomlinson has finally been released by the Chargers, which has been expected by both the media and Ladainian who has spoken about it on numerous occasions.  Now there are multiple RB free agents this offseason, none who really stand out.  Many of the guys are hitting the dreaded age of 30 for running backs.  You’ve got Larry Johnson, Willie Parker, Reggie Bush (should be waived for salary reasons), Pierre Thomas, Ronnie Brown, Chester Taylor and Derron Sproles.  I expect Sproles, Brown and Pierre Thomas to be resigned by their own teams unless the GM’s are just plain stupid. That leaves Parker, Bush, LJ, and LT.  Bush is still young and still has that incredible potential that will likely never be realized.  But where might Tomlinson end up?

LT may think for some reason he deserves some sort of absurd 3 year contract with all of the records he is coming up on.  But let’s assume his agent has the ability to talk some sense into the guy and he’ll get around a 2 yr $12 million deal.  Who wants him?  Well several teams could use his speed and experience.  LT also probably wants to be the premier back of his team.  But Tomlinson is going to have to share carries no matter where he ends up.  Here’s my list of the best possible fits for LT and the corresponding franchise.

1. Steelers: The Steelers lose Willie Parker and are left with Mendenhall (1100 yds, 7TD) and Moore.  I don’t think the Steelers are confortable with these RB options and LT splitting carries with Mendenhall in one of the best rushing O-Lines could be very strong.  Also, LT will like this team with its championship potential and ability for numerous carries.
2. Lions: The Lions are looking to need a second capable running back to share carries with Kevin Smith.  Detroit has seen a lot of Chester Taylor over the years and he may be a better fit for them.  Also adding LT’s price tag in a dying city may not be the best idea.
3. Vikings: What?? Yes, they are losing Chester Taylor, who has been a HUGE part of the Vikings success in recent years.  For some reason Peterson can’t catch, making Taylor the go to back on 3rd downs.  Tomlinson fits the Vikings team very well, and could be a huge resource for Favre(?) or McNabb(?) or even, god forbid, Tavaris Jackson.  Tomlinson would love the championship potential but wouldn’t like being overshadowed by AP.
4. Broncos:  Paint it payback, but I think LT would love to make the Chargers pay another 4 times in his career for not keeping him on.  The Broncos also need some RB help.  They no longer have Shannahan who could get a pop warner kid 1000 yards rushing, Tomlinson could help McDaniels do whatever he thinks hes building in Denver.
5. Chiefs:  Share carries with Charles and be their short yardage back.  No one wants to play on the Chiefs, lets be honest.  But Kansas City may be dumb enough to pay him more than any other team is willing.
6. Seahawks:  Now this one seems like a no-brainer for both sides.  Pete Carroll needs some rushing help since Seattle probably couldn’t gain 100 yards rushing on last year’s USC Trojans.  Tomlinson would get a lot of carries, Carroll knows his game well from watching him since they’ve both been in southern California for a long while.  But if Bush is available, look for Carroll to throw a bunch of money at him and have that reunion in the NFL this time.
7. Colts:  The colts need to pick someone up like LT or Reggie Bush, because Addai was just horrible the last 2 seasons.  But the Colts never pony up the cash to free agents since they have to pay their top stars so much.  But in an uncapped year, maybe the Colts will do something risky and bring on one of those two guys.
8. Browns:  He’d fit in well but they’ve expressed little interest.
9. Texans:  They originally said they had no interest but that may have changed.  Good fit, but hell get less than 40% of the carries since Slaton is a budding star.  However, Slaton does need to share carries.
10. Patriots:  Best fit in the NFL, and the franchise most likely to sign an aging free agent and make the absolute best out of their talents and abilities.  Tomlinson would break all of Emmit Smiths records and have a good last 2-3 years if he went with NE.  BUT, Tomlinson has openly expressed his dislike of Belichick, and Belichick forgets nothing.

So Tomlinson may have options, albeit not at the salary he may be looking for.  But LT has been a star in the league and can still put up decent numbers and the occasional big run.  The next month or two will be an interesting ride to see where he lands.