A Falcons’ nightmare: Tomlinson to the Saints?
Wonder how happy the Falcons' Michael Turner will be if his team has to go against Tomlinson twice a season. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
The great thing about an athlete having a Twitter account is it’s like having him sit next to you in a bar. Maybe he’s drunk. Maybe he isn’t. But either way, there’s a pretty good chance that at some point he’s going to say something that hasn’t passed through the usual filter that sanitizes thoughts before they reach the public.
Like this: “I would love to get L.T. in the black and gold.”
That was a message New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees sent out on his Twitter page. The L.T. stands for LaDainian Tomlinson, his former San Diego teammate who was released by the Chargers.
Brees then sent a followup Tweet, saying: “OK, due to popular demand, I am asking the question….who thinks LT should be a Saint?”
Now, personally, I think this would be a great move by the Saints. Tomlinson isn’t an every down back any more but he’s still one of the top running backs in the NFL. Putting him in that offense would be, like, sick, especially given his motivation level will be at an all-time high next season.
And if I’m Falcons coach Mike Smith, my first thought would be: “Oy.”
But Brees’ comment, even if it was delivered as a friend of L.T.’s, could not have gone over well with: 1) Pierre Thomas; 2) Reggie Bush; 3) Mike Bell. Those are the current Saints running backs. The reason NFL teams always have PR lieutenants standing next to media members during interviews now is to monitor stuff like this and remind players to watch what they’re saying.
If Kim Kardashian Tweets something on Reggie’s behalf, I’ll let you know. But the last thing I saw from her was: “Leggings killed velour sweat suits.”
It wouldn’t shock me if L.T. ends up with the Saints. Thomas and Bell are restricted free agents. There’s a chance the team signs both, but certainly Thomas isn’t going anywhere. He led the Saints in rushing and is a favorite of coach Sean Payton. The wild card here is Bush. He’s scheduled to make $8 million next season, and New Orleans can sign Tomlinson for a lot less.
After he was dumped by San Diego, Tomlinson told SI.com his primary goal “is to try to win a championship.” Could there be a better place than the defending Super Bowl champions, who also happen to have the league’s top offense and play indoors?
So Falcons’ fans: How would you feel about having to face Brees and Tomlinson twice a year in the NFC South?
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134 comments Add your comment
gt
February 24th, 2010
6:12 pm
LT is toast. He probably paid you to write about him talking about PR. Quarterback might find something in the tank but not RBs.
F Troop
February 24th, 2010
6:27 pm
LT is washed up. If he couldn’t run in the SD fun n’ gun offense with the spread running lanes, etc. , then he’s done. Send him to the Saints. Please do. Reggie Bush is much much more of a threat to break open a long run than LT. And Pierre Thomas is a much more difficult-to-tackle RB than LT now is.
dane
February 24th, 2010
6:58 pm
the only reason why lt wasnt good this year is because stupid norv turner kept running him up the middle hes not good at that run him around the defense
hiramsaint
February 24th, 2010
6:59 pm
i’d sign LT and give him smitty’s job therefore providing the falcant’s with a coach who actually knows how to play the game instead of one who saw a game while buffing king arthurs shoes
Singletary
February 24th, 2010
7:16 pm
I don’t think you risk a big FA signing if your QB found 19 people within the current offense to “utilize” the ball in 2009. Pushing Reggie out the door is bound to burn some bridges within the team, not just with Reggie.
To the Writer and others who now have USE FEVER, please note the objection of female Falcons fans who sit near me and who seem to know what they are talking about most of the time. Use can have a very negative connotation as in “use the slave”/”use the tavern wench.” Whereas, utilize offers a more mechanical/less pejorative overlay to essentially the same verb. So Smitty using Brent Grimes talents isn’t as impersonal and utilitarian as Smitty utilizing Brent Grimes in the nickel, for example. Finally, in a world with the Internet that is highly mechanical, I don’t think the anchor is parading his or her intelligence.
DOLPHINS FAN
February 24th, 2010
7:47 pm
reggie bush didnt do anything for the saints anyways. LT always hurt. saints dont even have a running game.
MEMJ23
February 24th, 2010
8:27 pm
I think LT would be a good fit in New Orleans, Just ask the Chargers How Good a guy named Drew Brees is in New Orleans, They should sign him cause he comes from the Chargers, and we all kno the History of Chargers players going in New Orleans, if LT comes to New Orleans and Wins a Superbowl with Brees imagen how the Chargers will Feel, But id rather have Westbrook,
MEMJ23
February 24th, 2010
8:29 pm
Dolphins Fan, I Belive the Saints do have a Running game, i belive they were ranked 6th in rushing, ur Dolphins got no passing game,
dan
February 24th, 2010
9:49 pm
Honestly I would like to see the Falcons go after Westbrook. He’s a bit injury prone but then again so is Norwood and I think Westbrook brings more upside not to mention valuable playoff experience.
And I think LT has more in the tank than most folks think. But I don’t see him going to the Saints, who are pretty set at RB with Bush and Pierre Thomas.
Jesse Richardson
February 24th, 2010
10:42 pm
I think you’re making much to do about nothing, LT isn’t the player he use to be and has lost a step or three, and is fragile as seen via the many injuries he’s had. A few years back when he got hurt 3 or 4 games before the end of the season, his team made it to the Super Bowl, but he wasn’t able to play. He was somewhat of a non factor with the 11 straight wins they had this past season. I don’t believe there is room for another all purpose back in the Big Easy. If we can get the Falcons all healthy, we have a damn good team ourselves and will be a contender for the NFC South.
A Falcons’ nightmare: Tomlinson to the Saints? | Jeff Schultz | Portal site of Second Life and metaverse"MetaLog-meta log"
February 25th, 2010
12:03 am
[...] LMAO!!!!! you still talking luck after we spanked the whole league this year in dominating fashion. … [...]
Hamad Meander
February 25th, 2010
12:34 am
The Falcons RB roster: Michael Turner (240+ lbs bruising back), Jerious Norwood (4.3 speedster), and Jason Snelling (240+ lbs bruiser). I don’t think the Falcons need Tomlinson, nor do I think the Saints are better with LT over Bush. If the Falcons keep all three healthy, I’m perfectly happy with our rotation. I’d say let’s lighten Turner’s load a bit with Snelling.
Timex
February 25th, 2010
9:10 am
falcons need to stop worrying about just filling their roster and get some REAL playmakers. they need to get rid of jenkins and norwood on offense jamal anderson and houston on defense
Timex
February 25th, 2010
9:12 am
we need to draft someone like spiller to help on offense and special teams
SirReal
February 25th, 2010
11:41 am
Wow…that would make that offense even MORE prolific. Brian Van Gorder (who’s already mediocre to me) wouldnt know what to do. For all the doofuses out there claiming L.T. has nothing left, you’ve got to be kidding me. No back in SD averaged more than 3-4. They are a PASSING offense. In the right situation, L.T. will resurge. 31 is not ancient people. I could see if he was 35-36…then there’d be more of an argument.
jarvis
February 25th, 2010
3:22 pm
This would be a great move for the Saints if it was 2007. Unfortunately it’s not.
jarvis
February 25th, 2010
3:26 pm
SirReal….there have been less than 15 RB’s in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards over age 30.
Obviously, on the other side of that, hundreds under 30 have accomlished that feat.
30 IS ancient when it comes to backs.
raider hater
February 25th, 2010
3:49 pm
we need him “not ” we have demarcous russel
JKA
February 25th, 2010
6:35 pm
LT was a warrior for years and is definite future HOFer, but from watching him the past few years out here in SoCal, there’s no doubt he’s on the decline – the quickness and explosion that used to characterize his play just aren’t there any more…… He would only be useful to a team if he accepted a reduced role i.e., third-down specialist, but great players often fail to make the realization that they no longer can be the main guy….Marcus Allen in KC was one of the few that have done it. As regards, the Saints….it would be great if he went there. because any touches he gets would be at the expense of Thomas, Bush or Bell….who are all better players right now…..
Michael L
February 25th, 2010
6:37 pm
He is washed ne way who really cares
Martin
February 25th, 2010
8:49 pm
As a super bowl winning saints fan, we don’t need or want l.t. We are set at the running back postion. The saints have alrady tender a offer to Pierre Thomas. He along with bush will resign with the saints, they know and undestand that the saints has the players in place to make another run at the super bowl. For you failed cants fans who think other wise you guys are crazy. All the saints need to do is to get another player to help out with that run defense and they will be off and running towad another super bowl, unlke the failed cants aka falcons. So keep talkng about how lucky the saints were last year. 31 other NFL teams wish they were that lucky. Hopefully one of these years your failed cants, with a little luck will get a chance to party with the lombardi like we did.
JS
February 25th, 2010
9:47 pm
Wait, so the Saints beat Warner, Favre and Manning in succession and you idiots think they should be scared of “Matty Ice”?
AhAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Awesome.
SeenThisB4
February 26th, 2010
9:10 am
Saints haven’t tendered an offer to Mike Bell…yet. Could they be considering, or perhaps even negotiating with L.T.? They said that Darren Sharper was old and washed up too, that’s how the Saints got him for a bargain last year. Maybe, just maybe, L.T. has one good year left. He wants a ring before he retires. Maybe, just maybe he has enough to be an impact player……
falconidiot
February 26th, 2010
6:14 pm
It would be a good move for LT to have the confidence of his old QB, but I wouldn’t fear him any more than the backs they already have. They are a spread the field pass blocking offense much like the one he is leaving.
Dirty Old Bird
February 26th, 2010
7:12 pm
If our defense steps up (and our offense gets in sync) I could care less if we faced them twice a year or four times a year.
Reginald Day
February 26th, 2010
7:13 pm
When LT gets on with the Saints I will be buying my championship shirt,and hat for the 2010 season.I just received my championship hat and shirt a week ago.Now I am waiting on my jacket to come.Think I’m playing? Try me. Go for it Breeze.Do the thing.Reggie from ATL.Falsons.
BirdDawg
February 27th, 2010
3:45 am
The Saints should get LT and drop Reggie Bush since they can get him for a lot less. Then the Falcons should sign Bush for what he’s worth and let him take over Jerious Norwood’s role. Bush is just as fast as Norwood, but with better control and vision. Neither are top level backs in the league, but I think Bush would add more to the offense than Norwood.
hiramsaint
February 27th, 2010
10:50 pm
dirty old bird- IF is a small word yet has planetoid size when used the way you put it. hard to believe you don’t care about two or four losses in a season but as long as they’re 9-7 winning seasons who cares
tjmartin
February 28th, 2010
11:55 am
Fell cants can stop talking about getting bush, coach payton said that they will keep bush, no matter what it cost. The saints have something special here. Their thinking is that they are not just happy with winning one super bowl, they want to win another one back to back, with that said, I think they are going to resign as many of their players as possible. The saints only weekness as I see it is to tighten up their run defense a little more, and they will and can be a team that will party with the lombardi in 20111 again.
collegedude
February 28th, 2010
1:45 pm
Falcons nightmare, AJC sportwriters dream. Maybe we can get more AJC newspapers at the Saint’s/Falcons game at the GA Dome with GEAUX SAINTS signs printed in them.
Matt "Choke" Ryan
February 28th, 2010
3:26 pm
JS
February 25th, 2010
9:47 pm
Wait, so the Saints beat Warner, Favre and Manning in succession and you idiots think they should be scared of “Matty Ice”?
AhAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Awesome.
“That’s funny”
CHOKE couldn’t win a playoff game if the other team misses the kickoff
JS
March 1st, 2010
12:58 pm
Matt – “CHOKE couldn’t win a playoff game if the other team misses the kickoff”
Irrelevant. Did win all playoff games. You lost to us twice.
Maxwell
March 4th, 2010
3:59 pm
LT to the Saints a nightmare? Please. Washed up old running backs are always hyped well beyond their worth. I’d take Snelling over LT at this point without hesitation.
tw3a
March 4th, 2010
4:20 pm
This would not be a nightmare, But it does look like the Saints are already looking over their shoulder as the Falcons close the gap