Three years ago, could any football fan have imagined the day when LaDainian Tomlinson and Brian Westbrook were released? The fact that both received their walking papers this week speaks to the fact that the NFL is a cruel business. When players have outlived their usefulness to one team, no matter what they've done in their careers, they are expendable.
Tomlinson was the NFL's leading rusher in 2006 and '07, with 1,815 and 1,474 yards, respectively. He scored a combined 46 touchdowns for the Chargers in those two seasons and was named league MVP in '06.
Westbrook never was and never will be in Tomlinson's class, but for a few years, he was the Eagles' best player. He ran for 1,217 yards (the league's 10th-leading rusher) and seven touchdowns and caught 77 passes for 699 yards in 2006. That's 1,916 yards from scrimmage, folks. And he outdid himself in '07, establishing career highs with 1,333 yards rushing and 771 receiving yards on 90 catches for a grand total of 2,104 yards from scrimmage.
Two years later, both of these guys are unemployed.
Granted, that won't last. Both Tomlinson and Westbrook, especially Tomlinson, will have jobs come summertime. Neither is the stud he used to be, but they can contribute in a multi-back system.
Both Tomlinson and Westbrook were due huge roster bonuses in March, which obviously was a key factor in their release. Above all, the NFL, like other pro sports leagues, is a business, and the smart business decision for the Chargers and Eagles was to dump these guys.
It's just difficult to believe that these two former superstars have so quickly fallen from grace.
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4 comments:
It reminds me of Shaun Alexander, who was seemingly on top of the NFL world one season, and out on his butt the next.
The same can be said for Edgerrin James. These days, 8-10 seasons is all a featured back can take before the breakdown begins. And as we've seen, that breakdown is swift.
Those mean heartless bastards Norv Turner and Andy Reid!...Tomlinson and Westbrook were cornerstones of their teams!...They should have been treated with more respect!...........(that's the way the media acts whenever Belichick cuts a veteran player)
Hey, where have you been, Anonymous? We've missed your always-witty banter.
Anyway, I think what Josh was tryign to say that it's hard to believe, not that these players shouldn't have been released.
don't be so sensitive....it wasn't meant as an attack on Josh....just sayin', when Belichick cuts or doesn't re-sign a veteran player he's looked upon as some kind of heartless dictator by alot of people in the media (Sportscenter, PTI etc..etc..)....other coaches do it and you don't hear a peep out of them
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