Does LT add something Jones couldn't?

[BAMAPHIN 22]

The New York Jets will have some explaining to do. Wooed over the past four days, free-agent running back LaDainian Tomlinson chose the Jets over the Minnesota Vikings. The future Hall of Famer signed a two-year contract, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

The Tomlinson signing is a sexy acquisition, even though he'll likely be Shonn Greene's sidekick. But how does Tomlinson look better in the Jets' backfield than Thomas Jones would have? We don't know the monetary terms of Tomlinson's contract, but it's hard to imagine a substantial discount over what Jones was asking.

Jones would've made $5.8 million for the Jets under his old contract. The Jets released him rather than pay that much. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs for two years and $5 million. He reportedly gave the Jets the option to match the offer and retain him, but they declined.

The Jets released Jones also because he'll turn 32 in August.

While he is 10 months older than Tomlinson, Jones is coming off a twice-as-productive season.

The decision to cut Jones didn't go over well with, at the very least, a majority of the offensive line.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/11568/does-l-t-add-something-jones-couldnt

 

[swityak11]

He adds a receiving option out of the backfield that the Jets didn't have with a Greene/Jones duo. They really had no one for Sanchez to check down to last year, and adding LdT and getting Leon Washington back changes the ballgame as far as what they can now do on 3rd downs. TJ is the more durable back but he still would have been a backup regardless.

I also don't think the 3.3ypc means much since SD has one of the worst rushing offensive lines in football. Even Sproles' usual gaudy ypc numbers were crap last year.

 

[KlausC]

LT isn't replacing Jones, Greene is.

For the role LT will play he is probably a better option than TJ. TJ was always a grind it out and wear the defense down with a bunch of carries type guy.

There's a reason LT had a number of playoff teams interested while TJ had only the Chiefs interested.