The Charges let LaDainian Tomlinson go; releasing their franchise running back after nine seasons. Should Seattle take a run at signing Tomlinson? A lot of teams are probably asking themselves that very same question before free agency and the NFL Draft. On paper and reputation along, absolutely, go ahead and sign L.T.! But sometimes pulling the trigger on a deal based on those two factors isn’t always the best move (Courtesy: AP Photo/Denis Poroy).
The cons against signing L.T. might might very well outweigh the pros at this stage of his career. Tomlinson is a stud, but he’s going to be 31 years old at the start of the 2010 season. The older a running back gets, regardless of how good they have been, they have a tendency to break down. Last year, he rushed for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns (I’m sure the Seahawks would have taken that kind of production out of the backfield last year). Seattle, the fans, and the entire league for that matter knows the Seahawks need to upgrade at running back after last seasons woes.
Utlimately, how teams see Tomlinson will determine how much value they place on signing him. Most people would agree, L.T. is no longer a “carry the load” type back; he is more like a complimentary back. In Seattle’s case, L.T. could be a great “stop gap” type back. The team could bring him in, draft a stud running back to pair with him. Justin Forsett figures to be in the mix some how next year also. I know the Seahawks already tried this with Edgerrin James and it was clear that did not work out for the old regime.
Bottom Line: If the price is right, sign Tomlinson. He’ll have a chip on his shoulder to prove the Chargers made a mistake by releasing him. He’s a class act and from all accounts he is also a great locker room guy. Plus, what better running back for the young guys to learn from than one of the greats in the business.
