Remember those awful Jets' teams of the 1990s and even worse, the average Jets' teams of the 2000s? Well, the New York Jets took a step in avoiding ever being those types of teams again with the addition of running back LaDainian Tomlinson.
The Jets have a history as one of the most disappointing franchises in sports. Bill Simmons of ESPN recently ranked them the 11th most torturous team in all of professional sports. They have not won a Super Bowl since 1968, and usually break the hearts of their fans by starting hot and falling apart at the end of the season.
During the 2000s the Jets were the definition of mediocrity. With quarterback Chad Pennington at the helm, fans figured that his high quarterback rating and pinpoint accuracy would translate into playoff wins, and it did to a certain extent, as the Jets made the playoffs three times during his time there, winning two playoff games. But the Jets organization soon realized that with a quarterback that had the arm of an eighth-grader and the fragility of a glass vase, they could never be a Super Bowl contender.
Then arguably the second most important day in Jets history took place (only behind January 12, 1969, the day the Jets won their only Super Bowl). On August 7, 2008 the New York Jets signed superstar Brett Favre.
Brett Favre was the biggest name the Jets had had since Broadway Joe Namath was quarterback. In an instant, the Jets went from being the second most popular football team in their own city to making headlines all over the sports world. With the switch from the average, weak-armed, quiet Pennington, to the strong-armed, free-wheeling, headline-making Favre, the Jets quickly became a team to beat in the AFC.
The honeymoon ended quickly though. After starting 8-3, the Jets finished 9-7 and narrowly missed the playoffs, mostly due to the incompetency of their coach "Mangenius" and the implosion of the aging star Favre.
Despite the fact that Favre's stay in New York did not pan out so well, it put the usually boring Jets on the map. Instead of having players like country boy Chad Pennington and a coach like the reserved Eric Mangini the Jets drafted the California kid Mark Sanchez and hired the boisterous Rex Ryan as their coach. Favre may have not gotten the Jets to the playoffs, but he did bring them star power, and since his arrival the Jets have been all about getting the big names in the league including the likes of Bart Scott, Braylon Edwards, Antonio Cromatie.
Yesterday, the Jets added on to that list of big names, with the addition of superstar LaDainian Tomlinson. The addition of Tomlinson comes with the departure of Thomas Jones, who rushed for over 1,400 yards last season. Jones is a better back than the Tomlinson, who rushed for just 730 yards last year, but the statistics do not tell the whole story.
The departure of Jones, opens up things for prodigy Shonn Greene, going into his second year, after some wonderful running in the playoffs of his rookie season. It does cost the Jets money however, as the Jets paid Tomlinson, now under a 2 year, $5.2 million contract, $100,000 more than Jones got with the Chiefs. The extra pay seems like it will be worth it. The Jets' two relatively young running backs Greene (24) and Leon Washington (27), have the opportunity to learn a thing or two from one of the greatest backs of all time in Tomlinson, who ranks third on the all-time touchdown list among running backs and wide receivers, and eighth on the all-time rushing list.
The Jets are poised to make another run deep into the playoffs this year. With the addition of Antonio Cromartie, one of the best defenses, if not the best defense in the league gets better, despite the loss of Kerry Rhodes. The young guys on offense such as Sanchez, Greene and Keller now have some more experience under their belt, and the addition of Tomlinson adds some leadership to the group. With one of the best offensive lines in the league totally intact from last year, the offense will be as good, if not better this year, despite the loss of Thomas Jones. The Jets, one game away from the Super Bowl last season, are looking stronger and better than they have in a long time.
Tomlinson will most likely split time with Washington on the runs to the outside, while Greene will be doing most of the running up the middle. Tomlinson is a smart guy; he knows that his role will be limited in terms of playing time, despite a well-paying contract, but his job in teaching Greene and providing the Jets with one of the most popular players in the game will be priceless.
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