Based on the comments made during his farewell press conference in San Diego two weeks ago, it was unclear whether running back LaDainian Tomlinson would embrace anything other than the top position on a team’s depth chart.
As it turns out, he will.
Asked by Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star Tribune whether he’d accept the role of third-down tailback in the Vikings’ offense, Tomlinson said, “I don’t [have a problem with it]. I know I can catch
the ball really well out of the backfield, can run routes and that’s
something that I’ve always looked for as I got older in my career.
Being able to fall back on that. Not having to carry the ball as much.
I think that’s what was lost in San Diego because I was the only guy
that could really carry the ball 20 times. So my third-down role was
reduced. So now I’m looking for that. It’s something I can do and I can
fit in well.”
(It’s unknown whether Tomlinson also welcomes a possible “twelfth man on the field” role.)
Tomlinson also pointed out that he had been a third-down back in San Diego every year but 2009, when Darren Sproles took over that role.
L.T.’s comments came after a Wednesday night dinner with coach Brad Childress, V.P. of player personnel Rick Spielman, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, running backs coach Eric Bieniermy, director of player personnel George Paton, and defensive tackle Pat Williams, whose gout likely did not keep him from having seconds. Or thirds.
Tomlinson also is attracted by the possibility of winning a Super Bowl. “That’s the thing I love most because this is a team that’s right there,” Tomlinson said. “It has the veterans and the young guys that fit in together. It’s a
very talented team with a great coaching staff. It’s a very supportive
[environment]. That’s what you want.”
He also pointed out that he views the opportunity to play with Brett Favre as “unbelievable, incredible.”
But not so unbelievable or incredible to keep him from keeping his options open. He acknowledged that he has another possibly visit lined up, but he declined to name the team.
Still, it sounds as if he won’t be taking another trip.
“”I think it’s a feel that you have to have,” Tomlinson said. “It’s not necessarily
anything you’re going to hear because I’ve heard what I like to hear. I
have a role on this team. I think it’s a feel that you have to have.”
In other words, it’s time to order the dark purple visor.
Come to Philly LT! Midnight green looks much better than purple.
Mike, your cute little comments should put you on Saturday Night Live since being a lawyer did not get the job done.
Q. What’s your feeling after getting a chance to sit down for a few hours at dinner?
A. “I think it’s great. I obviously really enjoy Coach Childress, E.B., GUYS THAT I’M GOING TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME AROUND. Even Pat, just getting a chance to really sit down with him. It was light. The mood was light and that’s what you ask for.”
————————————————–
Gee, he didn’t just say something there did he?
Why the gratuitous shot at Pat Williams? Totally unnecessary. And if the money were right, I could have seen LT with my Colts. But wouldn’t ever happen.
Welcome LT!
One thing beyond the Xs & Os that every team can’t get enough of is great people. LT has always been a great teammate and member of his community.
Like most Vikings fans I hated to lose Taylor, but for this year at least LT is probably going to be an upgrade.
This deal is happening. He came to Minny first. He is saying what they want to hear. He wants to be here. The guy has a reputation as a good guy in the locker room. As long as he doesn’t ask for too much money you can add another hall of famer to the roster.
Not as exciting as the Favre signing but this is still pretty dang sweet.
I know it doesn’t have the usual “bang” to it that you require for a headline to make it blog material, but:
“Report: Seahawks Eyeing Kolb, Not McNabb”
Thanks for keeping the DNabb trade rumors mongering…..(not that I’m sure that’s even a word).
Great another article related to the vikings. By posting this I am just feeding the issue that I am bringing up, but why is it that every article that has anything to do with these no talent ass clowns ends up on the most commented list. To many trailer parks with wi-fi access in Minnesota……
He is picking the right time to join the Vikes. The lease is expiring on the Dome. The Vikes want a new stadium as does the league. A superbowl would help get the state of Minnesota to pay for it. The league helped Indy win a championship and got a statium deal out of it. Maybe it could work again.
Smoke and Mirrors people. Ziggy’s just trying to ring the money out of the cheap Viking fans before he heads to LA.
Adrian Peterson = Me
Chilly= My wife
L.T. = My friend Bob
AP fumbles,Chilly gets mad, L.T. comes to help out.
I drop my load too fast, my wife starts screaming at me, Bob comes in to finish her off.
It all works out wonderfully!!!
the Queenies are getting OLD fast …. gonna be signing a washed up RB nobody else even wants who has seen his better days …. a nimrod of a coach who is clueless …. trying to buy themselves a championship team with old duffers usually doesn’t work …. this team will be a complete mess in a year or two thanks to childo …. AND not only can’t the Queenie brass count to 12 they don’t have a clue as to the days of the week …. LT’s coming to town Thursday ?? …. well last night was Wednesday
next up – Randy Moss
and after that Brett Favre will even turn up for training camp!
He will be a Minnesota Viking before the end of the day.
Hardest part for a guy like LT is to lose that feeling of usefullness that he had in the early part of his career.
If he feels he’s going to be more useful in MN than anywhere else, he’s going to come here, if not, he will head elsewhere. I doubt its an issue of money other than feeling he should be paid what he’s worth.
What is with all of the “Moss” talk?
Of course he has plenty left in the tank. He is still young!
Brett
blitzed look at the players the Vikings have drafted since Chilly has been there. He is visiting the complex Thursday. You’re dumb
He’s banking on hope that when AP has a stretch of fumblitis, there’ll be a clamoring to put LT in.
His claim to want to embrace a role as 3rd down back rings about as true as Favre’s coming back to football “because he loves the game.”
The posters that think their so smart…….are so obvious with their “sarcasam” that it becomes obvious to anyone with a half of brain that they are only trying ot hide their jealousy of the moves the Vikings are making. I’m a Chargers fan and I can tell you this, LT has plenty left in the tank. What happened in Chargerland the past couple of years is Turner was bound and determined to remake the Chargers into a passing team………ala the Colts. OL has slowly been transformed into a pass o-line that couldn’t open a running lane for anyone. The Vikings have a fantastic mix of young guys (S.Rice, Harvin, AP, Shiancoe etc.) with great veterans ….be a fan of whoever you want, but the Vikes are one of these best run teams in the league.
embrace the role of a 3rd down back ??….that’s odd he was pouting last year when he was replaced and summoned to the bench for 3rd downs and even at the goal line at times
Lmao you pathetic fux are getting scurred why else would you keep comming to the LT2/Vikings thread?? just so you worthless packer fans can re-hash everything you’ve been saying since favre came to town LOL! its hilarious the vikings bring in a future H.O.F runningback and the packers bring in a WR from the arena football league or was it the XFL? either way the packer fans are once again the laughing stock of the off-season. GO GET THOSE 7TH ROUNDERS TEDDY BWAHAHA
Funny…brett still gets hate and yet he still dont give a shyt. so whose the bigger man? Lol sure as hell aint you minimum wage morons who post on here.
This is NOT the way to go about building your team!! My goodness they are going to be awful in a couple of years!!!! What Tomlinson said when he left SD is what matters once play commences in September! WAKE UP VIKINGS!!!!!!!! Or don’t. Doesn’t matter.
‘His claim to want to embrace a role as 3rd down back rings about as true as Favre’s coming back to football “because he loves the game.”‘
Favre may love the game… but he’s not ‘unretiring’ till he can p’iss clean.
Jabroni : AP fell in their lap as everyone passed on him …. Rice sucked til Favre gave his career a boost last year and when he leaves he will suck again …. Greenway slightly above avg lb(the fat boys in the middle help him) who can’t pass cover …. what else ?? …. nothing to special bunch of guys not on the Queenies roster or anyones for that matter …. great drafting …..nothing different than any other NFL team ….. your really stupid …just like childo …. how about all the free agent signings that suck …. other than “crybaby his way onto the team” BETTY
PurpleIsForGays says:
March 11, 2010 8:36 AM
Great another article related to the vikings. By posting this I am just feeding the issue that I am bringing up, but why is it that every article that has anything to do with these no talent ass clowns ends up on the most commented list. To many trailer parks with wi-fi access in Minnesota……
====================================
Turd:
It is BECAUSE of people like you that it is the most commented. I’d say 50% of the comments if not more, are from stupid ass Packer fans “trying” to rip on anything Viking.
You are an idiot.
Well, any news that gets the whiny Packer fans in hear throwing a tizzy usually means good news for the Vikings. Man they are obsessed with our club.
The LT deal is as good as done. Just like Brett did, LT is already referring to guys here as team mates and guys he’ll be spending time around.
We are happy and excited to have you on board LT! I hope this team gives you the opportunity to prove those saying you are washed up wrong. Worked for Brett.
Gotta Love the HATERS!
I still think Florio should require an IQ test before people are allowed to post….”Vikings getting old”, “fans will be clamoring for LT if AP keeps fumbling”, “Ziggy moving Vikes to LA”, “BF is playing for something other than his love for the game” etc………..we are all that much “dumber” for having read such nonsense. Instead of seeing LT as a Viking for the simple reason that the Vikes lost Chester Taylor and need a 3rd down back who will fill the role admirably (LT) and if they sign him will have added yet another piece to an already talent loaded team. Most of these idiotic posters can only wish that their team would have an owner who not only spends money but does it wisely. You can have the Danny Snyder’s of the NFL but Wilf has added real talent, Hutchinson, J. Allen, Berrian, and yes BF, Shinacoe etc. as well as drafting as well as any team in the league, Harvin, AP, S. Rice, Greenway, Loadholt etc. Since Childress took over, the Vikings have improved by 2 wins each season and how any idiotic poster can’t see the forest for the trees, shouldn’t be allowed to post. Damn morons.
This will be huge if they pull it off. This is the best fit for LT and the Vikings looking for a RB.
LT will be huge, and might only rack up 500 yards on the ground and 300 in the air. But I guarantee you those yards are all going to be for key first downs, TD’s, and game winning plays.
this is a siutation that will be HEAVY on intangibles and that’s kickass!
Mike Flubio wrote:
Sheesh Mike. That all you got? Typical attempt at a slam or humor. These days I can’t tell the difference from you. Maybe you should start writing for the comic strips. Sigh……
I think LT is a slight downgrade from Chester Taylor… at least at this point in his career. Still, the Vikings need depth at RB because all they have at the position behind AD is a talented but raw Ian Johnson and a guy who is an over-achiever but who doesn’t have the wheels to start at this level, Albert Young, who will be lucky to make the team this year.
$0.02,
–Z
What, is there a vacation day for 6th graders in Wisconsin today? Let em trash the dopey coach and the talentless players that kicked their asses twice last season, actually won a playoff game, make an effort in free agency, and have outdrafted them the last 3 years.
What I’m more interested in is the size of the steak and number of spuds that it took to fill up Phat Pat at Manny’s.
Professor, you are an idiot. Win now approach? They were in the NFC Championship game… not really what I would call a win now approach. They lost Chester Taylor, so why not bring in a 3rd down back and insurance for Peterson? Other than the QB position, where do you see the Vikings as losing anything within the 2-3 year timeframe you suggest? And as a third down back, LT can play for at least that long. The Vikings are not a rebuilding team; rather they are on the brink of being super. And in order to win the big game, adding pieces to the puzzle to get there is not what I consider dire. Giving up the farm for a guy like Herschel Walker was a mistake, but signing LT off free agency isnt nearly the same thing. Not even close. Favre may be old, but he had a better year statistically than 90% of the rest of the quarterbacks in the league. And in his first year wearing purple, he was an overtime coin toss away from the Super Bowl. So get your head out of your ass and see that Wilf is doing everything right… building through the draft and signing/trading key players to round out a good roster. As for them moving, I will bet every dollar I have at a racino/lottery that they wont be leaving the state. Rednecks? Far from it. Nice try at ridicule.
Supersuckers says “this is NOT the way to build a team”??! You mean signing an aging RB who would work on only 3rd downs? Ahman Green anyone? I can tell you one thing, L.T. is better than any running back that Green Bay has…
Mr Humble;
You can go on for hours and days posting about the Vikings making the right moves, but as long as youre replying to these asshat Fudgepacker fans, your wasting your breath. Chickenragnar is right, at least 50% of the posts on here are from those morons. We should really expect no less, what else do they have to do in Wisconsin besides cheer for the Packers? You dont see then cheering for the Brewers do you? I guess they could sit around and watch the cars rust. Truth is, they are all deeply scarred by their beloved hero Brett’s coming to play for their arch rival. So anything positive coming out of Minnesota just adds salt to the wounds. Theres a reason why there are so many posts about the Vikings on this website….people want to read about them. Nobody gives a fat rats ass about the fudgepackers. They can talk all they want about the Vikings moving to LA, if that were to ever happen, it would be devastating to them. Im impressed that most of them can even log on a computer, much less visit a website and figure out how to register an account so they can even leave a reply. A wise man once said, its better to remain silent and appear stupid than to be a Packer fan posting to a Vikings thread and remove all doubt. Packer fans…LT is coming to Minny…suck it!!
Supersuckers says:
March 11, 2010 9:49 AM
This is NOT the way to go about building your team!! My goodness they are going to be awful in a couple of years!!!! What Tomlinson said when he left SD is what matters once play commences in September! WAKE UP VIKINGS!!!!!!!! Or don’t. Doesn’t matter.
==================================
Super, self professed know nothing.
Are you still trying to wash the tast of TT out of your mouth?
ChuckForeskinsays:
“We should really expect no less, what else do they have to do in Wisconsin besides cheer for the Packers? You dont see then cheering for the Brewers do you?”
——
2009 Milwaukee Brewers Attendance avg 37,499 (losing record)
2009 Minnesota Twins Attendance avg 29,466 (pennant race and division winner)
I will not quote your own post but reread the bottom of it. Then be embarrased.
Of course he does. This guys washed up. Listen people if he wasn’t, he’d still be a charger. This guy wants a pay check right?
chickenragnar says:
March 11, 2010 12:38 PM
Supersuckers says:
March 11, 2010 9:49 AM
This is NOT the way to go about building your team!! My goodness they are going to be awful in a couple of years!!!! What Tomlinson said when he left SD is what matters once play commences in September! WAKE UP VIKINGS!!!!!!!! Or don’t. Doesn’t matter.
==================================
Super, self professed know nothing.
Are you still trying to wash the tast of TT out of your mouth?
———–
We are ALL know nothings. But ask Daniel Snyder how much on field success he has had. Wait you dont even have to ask him because it is right before our eyes. That i do know!
Supersuckone;
Thanks for proving my point.
Blitzed and a few others:
Most Vikings fans expected Rice to have the kind of year he had before Favre joined the team. He was drafted when he was 20 years old and injured his first two years. Go look at Dailynorseman.com and look at posts from this time last year regarding trading for Boldin or signin T.J. Housh.
Chad Greenway, Cedric Griffin, Ray Edwards, Sidney Rice, Adrian Peterson, Tyrell Johnson, John Sullivan, Jasper Brinkley, Phil Loadholt, Percy Harvin: You ask yourself what all these names are? 10 players that have been drafted since Childress came to town and started for the vikes in 09. They pretty much drafted Jared Allen by trading those picks for him as well.
Aundrea Allison, Brian Robinson, Jaymar Johnson, Letroy Guion, Jamarca Sanford, Asher Allen: Players that have been drafted that contributed through special teams or rotational roles.
Now I know what you are thinking; all these guys suck or are sup-par. You probably think AP is the 5th or 6th best rb in the league as well. So since you are a genius answer this question, how does a team with an awful coach and only a bunch of average starters go 12-4, earn a first round bye, destroy America’s team, and outplay the superbowl champion Saints in one of the top two or three toughest places to play in the NFL?
Jabroni says:
March 11, 2010 2:25 PM
Blitzed and a few others:
Most Vikings fans expected Rice to have the kind of year he had before Favre joined the team. He was drafted when he was 20 years old and injured his first two years. Go look at Dailynorseman.com and look at posts from this time last year regarding trading for Boldin or signin T.J. Housh.
Chad Greenway, Cedric Griffin, Ray Edwards, Sidney Rice, Adrian Peterson, Tyrell Johnson, John Sullivan, Jasper Brinkley, Phil Loadholt, Percy Harvin: You ask yourself what all these names are? 10 players that have been drafted since Childress came to town and started for the vikes in 09. They pretty much drafted Jared Allen by trading those picks for him as well.
Aundrea Allison, Brian Robinson, Jaymar Johnson, Letroy Guion, Jamarca Sanford, Asher Allen: Players that have been drafted that contributed through special teams or rotational roles.
Now I know what you are thinking; all these guys suck or are sup-par. You probably think AP is the 5th or 6th best rb in the league as well. So since you are a genius answer this question, how does a team with an awful coach and only a bunch of average starters go 12-4, earn a first round bye, destroy America’s team, and outplay the superbowl champion Saints in one of the top two or three toughest places to play in the NFL?
—————-
I think we have a majik sighting here! Give me back, give me back, give me back my bullet do do do do…
ChickenChokingPoleSmoker:
Good one, your rips on people are so educated and witty I just sit here in awe…..
You are by far the toughest, most intimidating person that I have ever met, because the maniacle, strong armed, threats that you make on the internet make me fear the day I ever meet you in public.
Gag me, your tough ass antics are impressing anyone. Your insecurity is honestly laughable, the fact that you sit down naked in your lazy boy, with a bud light, and go to town ripping on people, makes you feel so tough. Do me and the rest of the country a favor…. Track down old PervyHarvin, and both of you blow your fkin brains out.
PurpleIsForGays says:
March 11, 2010 4:26 PM
ChickenChokingPoleSmoker:
Good one, your rips on people are so educated and witty I just sit here in awe…..
You are by far the toughest, most intimidating person that I have ever met, because the maniacle, strong armed, threats that you make on the internet make me fear the day I ever meet you in public.
Gag me, your tough ass antics are impressing anyone. Your insecurity is honestly laughable, the fact that you sit down naked in your lazy boy, with a bud light, and go to town ripping on people, makes you feel so tough. Do me and the rest of the country a favor…. Track down old PervyHarvin, and both of you blow your fkin brains out.
====================================
Obviously i touched a nerve.
What, are you new?
Ripping on each other is what this site is all about.
If you can’t take it, and from your lame response, you obviously can’t.
I suggest you take your screen name and go home.