Nfl Workhorse

Nfl Workhorse

New York Jets Tickets - Lt Should Be A Good Fit With The Jets

The New York Jets recently added future hall-of-fame running back Ladainian Tomlinson to their roster, inking him to a two-year deal worth $5.1 million.  After releasing Thomas Jones, who came off a 1,400-yard season, Tomlinson will bring veteran leadership to a young backfield that will be running behind one of the most dominant offensive lines in the league.  Backed by an improving young quarterback in Mark Sanchez, who gained confidence down the stretch last season, the Jets have high expectations of challenging the New England Patriots in the AFC East, assuring that <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/new-york-jets-tickets/">New York Jets tickets</a> will be as popular as ever in the Big Apple.

Following up their 9-7 regular season record and impressive performance in the playoffs, where they won two games despite being heavy underdogs, the Jets have been very busy in the offseason.  Instead of paying Jones a big roster bonus, the Jets cut the veteran running back – even with Jones coming off a career year in 2009.  Though the Jets already had one of the best defensive units in the league, they then landed cornerback Antonio Cromartie in a trade with the Chargers, bringing him over to play opposite standout cover corner Darrelle Revis, whom many consider to be the best defensive back in the game.

Now the Jets have added Tomlinson to play alongside second-year back Shonn Greene, who comes off a strong rookie year and a breakout performance in the playoffs.  While Jones was the workhorse for the Jets in 2009, the team instead will turn to Greene to carry the load in 2010 and will likely use LT in third-down and short yardage situations.  Anything beyond short-yardage pickups and catches out of the backfield will be a bonus for the Jets, considering that Tomlinson comes off career lows in every major statistical category.

Just a few seasons ago, though, LT was the unquestioned best back in the NFL.  In 2006, Tomlinson won the NFL MVP, rushing for more than 1,800 yards and scoring 28 rushing touchdowns.  Always the duel threat, LT added another 500 yards receiving and three receiving touchdowns.  He even threw for two more.  But following nagging injuries in 2007 and 2008, Tomlinson eroded quickly in the 2009 season, managing just 3.3 yards per carry and rushing for only 730 total yards.  As the Chargers cut him, in a move that was a guarantee with him set to earn a big roster bonus, he quickly became the poster boy for how quickly NFL running backs can fall from prominence.

With such a dramatic drop-off in production, Tomlinson now heads to New York to assume a backup role, even with a career resume as impressive as nearly any running back in history.  The move reunites LT not only with Cromartie but also former Chargers coach Brian Schottenheimer, who was the quarterbacks coach for much of his run with the Bolts.  Considering his overall versatility, even on veteran legs, Tomlinson could prove to be as valuable in the passing game as in the running game, with Schottenheimer sure to stress Tomlinson's pass-catching abilities with a second-year quarterback.

Though the days of dominance are clearly over for LT, the Jets seem to be a very good fit.  Not only do they boast one of the top offensive lines in the league – one that propelled the Jets to become the top rushing team in 2009 – the Jets play in a division that could very well be up for grabs.  Within the division, the Jets get to play the Buffalo Bills twice a year, a team that has had one of the worst rushing defenses in the NFL in recent years and have been torched by the Jets.  Even if Tomlinson is mainly a role player in 2010, which seems likely, he will still be in the middle of a playoff hunt and it won't be surprising if he has two or three breakout games behind such a strong line.  Tomlinson, who has always been touted as one of the most complete backs in the league, should also be a strong influence on young backs like Greene and Leon Washington, particularly with his ability to run routes out of the backfield and pick up blitzes.

Tomlinson now moves into an unpredictable latter portion of his career with hopes of returning to the playoffs, where he struggled to stay on the field during his tenure with the Bolts.  If Tomlinson can edify Greene and Washington on some of the finer parts of the position and provide tough, goal line running, he will be well worth the price of the contract for the Jets as they move into a 2010 season with high expectations of competing for a title.

About the Author

This article was written by David James, sponsored by <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/">StubHub</a>. For all the best sports tickets like <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/new-york-jets-tickets/">New York Jets tickets</a>, concert tickets, theatre tickets or special events tickets, the best place to look is StubHub.com.

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