Vikings or Jets, Sink or fly?

Right now LaDainian Tomlinson, the best running back of the first decade of this century, is debating between two teams:  The Minnesota Vikings of the NFC North, and the New York Jets of the AFC East.  There are a lot of analysts and experts breaking down each side, wondering which team he would be a better fit for, who he will help win a championship, and even if the “old man” has what it takes to compete at his Hall of Fame career level.  Since all the other experts are having there, say, I better chime in; ‘cause I’m an expert too, right?  Self-proclaimed, of course…

If LT wants to succeed at the highest level of his current ability and help one of these excellent teams go past their Division Championship games, he needs to pack it up and move to the East Coast.  LT will be embraced in either city, but New York has more to offer LT.  He will be a backup in either place, but in New York, he will be backing up second-year former Hawkeye Shonn Greene, who proved so productive last year that the Jets organization released Thomas Jones.  Shonn Greene produced last year, not a question about it; but he is still only a sophomore in the NFL.  He needs a seasoned backup to help teach, coach, and mentor his career.  Who better to do that than LT?  The man is a stud, and even if his stock has dropped and he no longer has the ability to start, he does have the ability to help a young player become a star.  By backing up Greene, the Jets will continue to be a top tier running offense (number 1 in the league in the 2009-10 season). 

The Jets will probably attempt to air it out a bit more this year to give Mark Sanchez a chance to further prove himself as an NFL quarterback.  LT has proven he is a running back who can make the catches and go downfield, and more importantly:  NOT FUMBLE THE BALL!  Adrian Peterson likes to drop the ball.  A lot.  He isn’t the sole reason the Vikings didn’t make the Super Bowl, but let’s face it, he didn’t help matters much by fumbling the ball three times.  The Vikings could use his sure hands more than the Jets, so if that is the case you make, LT should be backing up AP.  But does LT want to be a mentor for someone who wants to learn, or a mentor who has already made his place in the league and will not listen?  I’m sure AP respects LT, but those two have been compared since day one, and since AP has eclipsed LT in the current day (face it, AP is better than LT right now, fumbles aside), will he really listen?  He should, but he won’t.

The Jets should make this convincing argument for LT:  Wouldn’t you rather be part of a team with two sophomore high profile players (Greene and Sanchez) versus a team who is unsure who their quarterback is going to be and a running back who is already on his way to the HOF?  He will have more a leadership role with the Jets than he will with the Vikings.

LT is used to being the big man on campus.  In either case, he will take a backseat to someone.  But who would you rather take a backseat to?  A variety of players for the Jets can make the case to be the face of the team in 2010:  Greene, Sanchez, Revis, or even Rex Ryan himself.  The Vikings have Favra and Favra.  That is it.  Case closed.  If he comes back, the hype will follow, and LT will almost become an afterthought.  Even if Favra retires, all the talk through half the season will be about why Favra left, how they would be better with him, how the management failed, yaddah yaddah yaddah.  LT wants to remain at least on the border of the spotlight, and there is no better place to see that than with the Jets.

Lastly, LT wants a Championship ring.  He has not been quiet about that.  It is what every player in the NFL strives for.  When the Jets picked up Cromartie, their defense became almost impregnable.  Ryan is going to send all sorts of blitz packages while knowing he has the best cornerback tandem in the league.  If the Jets can land LT, they will arguably have the best 1-2 running back punch in the league.  They have a quarterback who played wonderfully last year, and there is no reason to suspect he won’t do the same this year.  Their passing attack should continue to excel with each game.  The Vikings have an aging quarterback (should I retire? Yes. I don’t know…), a fumbalitis running back, and a questionable defense.  I have nothing but good things to say about their receiving corps, but great receivers will not carry you to a Super Bowl victory.

The Jets probably will not be favored to win the Super Bowl over the likes of Indianapolis Colts or the New Orleans Saints; but they should at least be in the conversation.  The Jets will have the more difficult path to the big game, which will only make it more rewarding when they win. 

The draft hasn’t happened; trading isn’t complete; camps are still a ways away.  There are many opportunities to change my mind.  But March Madness is rapidly approaching, and pending on the news and player stupidity (OU QB Masoli comes to mind), football needs to take the backseat.  But for an early (and I do mean early) prediction, if the Jets can land LT, they will be dancing in Texas come February 6th, 2011.