Like many Jet fans today, I was pretty excited about the prospect of LaDainian Tomlinson wearing the Jets Green. When I first read the news last night, my thoughts immediately went to the Jets signing Curtis Martin in 1998 to replace Adrian Murrell. I started to wonder though if that was the right comparison.
Curtis Martin came to the Jets in 1998, when he was 25 years old and still in the prime of his career. Tomlinson will be 31 in June and even if he finds his second wind with the Jets, recapturing young glory is not easy for a running back. That said though, LT has said he would need to alter his game by catching more passes out of the backfield, especially on 3rd downs. If he shows a level of practicality not normally seen in a star athlete in any sport, he may be capable of providing the Jets the leadership they need. Thomas Jones was known as a leader in his years with the Jets and Curtis Martin is considered one of the best locker room presences ever, especially with his tutelage of LaMont Jordan, who coincidentally came into the NFL in the same season as LT.
Also, Curtis Martin's best rushing season came at age 31, when he led the NFL with 1,697 yards rushing. Tomlinson won't be expected to carry the kind of load Curtis Martin did that season with Shonn Greene (out of the University of Iowa) and, hopefully, Leon Washington sharing the backfield. And with a two-year contract, he is low risk with a potential for much higher reward.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see...
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