http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/nfl/03/30/chargers.turner.ap/index.html Apparently the Chargers really wanted to trade Turner when they tagged him. They made the mistake of putting the high tender on him and it has turned people off because they cannot just sign him and give up their first. AJ Smith has now been talking for a week about how a 1st and a 3rd is not necessarily required in a trade. Well, if that's the case why did you tag him that way? The high tender caused a number of teams to proactively resolve their running back issues in trades during the free agent period. Now the Chargers are reduced to waiting and hoping that somebody, anybody, comes to them with a palatable offer. Any 1st round pick or combination of value approximating a 1st round pick will do. This is the opposite of the Laveranues Coles error in 2003. Many people believe that Bradway actually wanted to trade Coles for a 1st round pick that year. This despite the fact that good young starting receivers verging on stardom generally command more than that. By tagging Coles with just a 1st round tender Bradway guaranteed the Jets would lose him for less than he was worth. AJ Smith has now gone the other direction, tagging Turner for more value than a good young running back is generally worth. So he is unable to get the 1st he's dying to have.
this sucks cuz i would rather have turner in the long run than jones...younger, faster and less mileage on him...but trading for jones and getting him cheap was a great move
Thomas Jones, despite being 28, doesn't have all that much tread on his tires. Truthfully, I'm happier with getting Jones, a superbowl back who's already a proven commodity, for moving down a few spots in the 2nd round, than giving up a 1 and 3 for Turner, who's never had more than 100 carries in a season...
mcgahee was had for about the VALUE of a mid to late 2nd round pick thomas jones was had for the value of an early 3rd... and they still think they can get a 1st...for an unproven back ......maybe the packers or titans will get desperate on draft day and send a 2nd round pick their way no way he deserves that value though
One of the universal truths in the NFL is that you can always find a decent RB, and the relatively cheap prices for proven backs like McGahee and Jones prove this. The Chargers screwed this up very badly.
well...i dont think they have screwed it up yet, b/c if they can trick someone into giving them a mid 2nd rounder for turner (packers/titans/bills) then they actually did the best of all the teams in moving their rb i still dont think turner is worth a 2nd though and if betts or portis hit the market...turner's value takes another hit
I highly doubt he's getting desperate. He just wants value for him before he loses him next offseason for nothing. If anything, he stays on the team and they have the best tandem in the league for one last season.
Regardless of whether he's desperate or not, that was a moronic tender. Whatever the equivalent cash is, he's going to have to pay it to a backup. If he were smart, he could have given him JUST a first round tender. There are teams dumb and desperate enough to give up a one for an unproven backup(on a team where backups have excelled over the last five years). My only guess is that he's concerned about Tomlinson breaking down after last season's insane workload. Bottom line, no team is stupid enough to give up THAT much for a running back, and Smith DOES NOT want to pay Turner that much money. By setting the bar way too high, Smith is going to make himself look like an ass. -X-
Couple minor things: 1. Smith is a very good judge of talent. 2. It's pretty obvious the league thinks Turner is a pretty damn good RB prospect. 3. Tomlinson has had a ridiculous workload his whole career (check out football prospectus, he's usually up there). It's nice to see the Chargers finally taking notice.
I agree. Wherever Turner ends up I think he will be one of the top 5 backs in the league. So is that worth a number 1 pick? Depends on what you currently have and where you are drafting.
AJ Smith has a history of just letting talent go without compension ie Drew breeze They want to win now so think they taking the approach that 2 solid backs for 1 year is as good as someones 1st rounder. Turner walks away next year chargers will get nothing for him
I doubt he'll get 1st round value for him either... The most he can hope for an unproven RB like Turner, is 2nd round value.
Great that they took notice, but that doesn't justify paying a backup 2.35 million dollars. That's a ridiculous insurance policy if I ever saw one. Moreover, he's not going to get anything when Turner walks next year. Smith should have thought this out a bit more. -X-
Smith is definately getting desperate. The league is filled with decent running backs and more teams are taking the running back by committee approach. It's not like any running back was traded for higher than a second for the passed couple of years.
He has probably thought it out. There was no harm in trying to get as much as he could knowing he can always make any deal he wants when the time is right which is probably the days leading up to the draft or on draft day itself. It's not like there is no interest.
What has Turner proven that you would put him in the elite class of RBs such as LT, Shaun Alexander, Frank Gore, and Larry Johnson?
Reading comp. He said he thinks that if Turner was a starter, he'd be up there with them. What had LT, Alexander, Gore, and Johnson proven before they got their chance? Hell, did you expect FRANK GORE, the guy who ran like a 4.6 at the combine, had blown out his knee, and looked out of shape coming into the league, to become one of footballs best backs? He was a steal on draft day cause everyone knew if he put himself together he'd beast it, but for a while it seemed so unlikely. Wasn't Larry Johnson barely the backup to the best RB in the game at that time?
