The San Diego Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles did some early spring cleaning last week when they handed out pink slips to franchise stalwarts. Star running backs Ladainian Tomlinson and Brian Westbrook were both deemed unworthy of sticking with the franchises they altered.
The moves once again remind us that for running backs playing in the National Football League, 30 is the new 40.
Tomlinson's storied career in San Diego reached a tearful conclusion on Monday. LT, as usual, didn't hide his emotions during a bon voyage press conference and says he is now squarely focused on winning a Super Bowl before he retires. Westbrook was shown the door on Tuesday and is reluctant to decide whether or not his NFL road ends here.
Tomlinson's departure from San Diego wasn't much of a shocker. There had been rumblings since the end of the 2008 season that the Chargers' front office was beginning to think LT was no longer worth his high salary. Tomlinson's 3.3 yards-per-carry in 2009 were the lowest since his rookie season and his rushing yardage ranked just 29th in the league. His steady decline, combined with the team's gradual shift to a pass-oriented offense, made Tomlinson expendable.
Leading up to the NFL draft in April 2001, everyone was convinced the Chargers, holding the No. 1 overall selection, were going to take Virginia Tech's Michael Vick. The dynamic quarterback would immediately become the new face of the NFL and make fans forget all about epic bust Ryan Leaf. The freshly signed Doug Flutie was on board as Vick's future mentor and the pick appeared to be a mere formality.
Then San Diego shook things up and opted to trade the pick to Atlanta. The Falcons landed Vick and the Chargers wound up with the Atlanta's first-rounder (fifth overall), third-rounder, 2002 second-rounder and wide receiver Tim Dwight. San Diego used the fifth pick to nab Tomlinson, who starred at Texas Christian, before using a second-round choice on the team's plan B at quarterback - Purdue's Drew Brees. The blockbuster trade paid amazing dividends for San Diego.
Tomlinson is unquestionably the greatest Charger of all time and will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. LT ranks eighth on the league's all-time rushing list and has scored more touchdowns (153) than anyone not named Emmitt Smith or Jerry Rice. You can easily make the case that his first seven years as a Charger were as a good a run that any NFL back has ever had. From 2002-2007, Tomlinson never ran for fewer than 1,335 yards in a season. During his nine-year career, Tomlinson has missed only three games. He had 100 receptions in 2003 and totaled over 2,300 yards in 2003 and 2006, the year he scored an NFL-record 31 touchdowns. Three seasons removed from the best year of his football life, Tomlinson is unemployed.
For all the gaudy statistics and individual accomplishments, Tomlinson's legacy in San Diego will always be marred by his team's repeated failure to reach the Super Bowl. He's been the equivalent of pre-2009 Alex Rodriguez - a superstar who always puts up amazing numbers while leading his team to the postseason, only to lose his mojo each time he gets there.
Tomlinson has averaged nearly 40 fewer yards per game in the playoffs than during the regular season. Personally, I will never shake the image of him sitting on the bench injured with his helmet on during San Diego's 2008 AFC Championship loss at New England. A dark visor kept his face hidden from view but it wasn't hard to imagine him fighting back tears during the defeat. That was the closest Tomlinson would get to a Super Bowl appearance during his stay in SoCal. He changed the culture of a reeling franchise, but the Chargers were just 3-5 in the playoffs with Tomlinson at running back.
Westbrook won seven postseason games with the Eagles and caught a touchdown in Philadelphia's 24-21 loss to New England in Super Bowl XXXIX. Though he didn't claim a Lombardi Trophy for the championship-starved franchise, fans never viewed Westbrook as one of the main culprits behind the team's consistent postseason shortcomings (that King Kong-sized monkey sits squarely on the backs of Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid). The running back is beloved in the city he's played in since his freshman year of college at Villanova.
Westbrook is Philadelphia's all-time leader in total yards. I would argue that he revitalized the west coast offense, which was becoming stale and predictable. His rare blend of superior speed, strength and pass-catching ability allowed Reid to develop a new dimension in his game plan. Reid and McNabb used the shovel pass and quick screen to give Westbrook the ball in open space time and time again.
When Philly drafted Westbrook in the third round of the 2002 NFL draft, the team wasn't quite sure what to do with him. Duce Staley was the Eagles' starting running back and one of the team's top performers. Philadelphia also had invested a 2001 fourth-round draft pick in promising back Correll Buckhalter. Westbrook initially found his niche as an electric punt returner, but by 2004 both Staley and Buckhalter's careers had been sidetracked by injuries.
The man affectionately known as B-West became a major factor in the Eagles' offensive attack. His touches per game steadily rose until a breakout 2006 season, in which Westbrook came just short of 2,000 total yards and found the end zone 11 times. He followed that up with an MVP-caliber year in 2007, when Westbrook led the NFL with 2,104 total yards from scrimmage, caught 90 passes (a franchise record) and scored 12 touchdowns.
Since that sensational 2007 season, he has missed 10 regular season games. Last year was a nightmare for Westbrook, who carried the ball just 61 times and endured two concussions. Like so many great running backs before him, B-West went from sizzle to fizzle in the blink of an eye.
Westbrook has played the game of football far longer than most expected. Snubbed by the big dogs of collegiate football, he went to Villanova with a chip on his shoulder. "Experts" said his diminutive stature would never allow him to take on the workload that the running back position demands. Philadelphia's pass-heavy offense was a perfect fit, as it allowed him to line up outside the tackle box and create plays with quickness and agility. It was practically impossible for a linebacker to cover him on a route.
Westbrook was never the prototypical franchise running back - he never averaged more than 18 carries per game and was often non-existent in short yardage goal line situations - but for a few seasons, he was the game's ultimate X-factor. Defenses always had to be aware of where Westbrook was located and Reid often used short passes to him as an extension of the Eagles' running game. He also provided Philadelphia with one of its greatest highlight plays. Westbrook, then in his second year with the team, took a game-winning punt return back 84 yards against the New York Giants with just over a minute to go in the fourth quarter of a pivotal 2003 divisional matchup. With that return, Westbrook arrived on the scene in Philly. On Tuesday, he was suddenly gone.
Now two stars that have called only one city home as pro football players, are at an awkward stage in an NFL running back's career. The 30-year-olds are presented with three options. Westbrook and Tomlinson can either:
A) Pursue a starting job with a desperate team (Emmitt Smith and Edgerrin James both withered away in Arizona).
B) Accept a reduced role with a team capable of winning (Corey Dillon to New England comes to mind.)
Or C) Decide the time is right to retire (much like Marshall Faulk did in St. Louis following the emergence of Stephen Jackson).
Tomlinson appears hungry to play at least one more season and he will have suitors. New England, Chicago and Houston could offer him the opportunity to contribute on a playoff-caliber team, but only if he's willing to accept the fact that his days of getting the ball 20-plus times a game are history. The Texans make the most sense considering Tomlinson is a native of Waco, TX.
Westbrook's future is slightly more muddled. He is noncommittal about returning to the NFL next season and will likely take some time to determine what's best for his health. I'd say the odds are about 50-50 right now but I think some head coach will convince the veteran that he can be a productive role player with their team. Baltimore's Jim Harbaugh has already expressed interest and the New York Giants could make a play for the man who broke their hearts on numerous occasions over the years.
Both Westbrook and Tomlinson have made a living bringing tremendous joy to fans and constant embarrassment to defenders. Neither have won a championship, but it's hard to hold that against them considering former greats Barry Sanders, Jim Brown and Eric Dickerson are all ringless.
Three years ago, every executive in the league would have jumped out of their seats for the chance to acquire Westbrook or Tomlinson. Today, it's not clear whether either will have a roster spot in September.
The morale of the story is this: Enjoy watching Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice, Stephen Jackson and company while they last because NFL running backs are a lot like U.S. presidents. The most you can hope for is eight productive years and a happy send-off.
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