After restructuring his contract earlier this week, LaDainian Tomlinson will be in San Diego for at least one more season. There was speculation that if the two sides couldn't reach an agreement, the Chargers would either trade or release him, but it never came to that. That doesn't mean LdT didn't think about the possibility of finishing his career with another team. In fact, on Thursday he appeared on the Dan Patrick Show and talked about just that. Via SI.com:
Tomlinson said he did start to think about where he might play next when things got dicey with the Chargers. The first team he mentioned was New Orleans, which he said was everyone's obvious choice. He agreed, the Saints made a lot of sense. He also thought Baltimore would be great because his former coordinator Cam Cameron is there. Also, Denver would have been a good fit.You know, Tomlinson playing for the Saints makes a lot of sense, and of the three teams mentioned, they're probably the best fit for his style. It would be similar to playing for the Chargers but with an even more explosive offense. Plus, LdT might be the type of player to best complement Reggie Bush, a 2006 second-overall pick who, frankly, has been a disappointment for most of his NFL career.
Tomlinson, a slasher who can also catch passes coming out of the backfield, is basically a bigger, more evolved version of what the Saints were hoping Bush would become. And, in theory, putting another dual-threat player in the backfield should only make Bush's job easier.
Of course, now that Tomlinson has re-worked his contract, this is all moot ... at least till next offseason, when San Diego will again have a decision to make on the team's all-time leading rusher. In the meantime, the team can concern themselves with Darren Sproles, recent recipient of the franchise tag who's looking for a long-term deal.
