| Andrew Perna. 3rd March, 2008 - 4:34 pm
 Michael Turner has finally stepped out from behind the shadow of LaDainian Tomlinson, but he isn’t doing so as a member of the San Diego Chargers. Turner, who has been relegated to the role of backup during his four NFL seasons, signed a six-year deal worth $34.5 million to become a member of the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday afternoon.
The agreement with Turner, which will pay the runner $15 million in guaranteed money, signified the end of the road for Warrick Dunn in Atlanta, who was released on Monday morning.
The Falcons are looking to implement the same system the Jaguars have used with Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor, with new Coach Mike Smith having been a part of the combination as a defensive coordinator in Jacksonville before leaving to take the head job in Atlanta this offseason.
Turner will play the role of Taylor in the Falcons’ offense with incumbent back Jerious Norwood possessing the type of speed that should allow the team to attack with both thunder and lightning.
Having seen a vast majority of the carries in San Diego go to Tomlinson, Turner only has 1,257 yards to his credit over the past four years. He has, however, averaged 5.5 yards per carry on 228 attempts since he was drafted in the fifth round out of Northern Illinois.
He isn’t as versatile as Tomlinson, or Dunn for that matter, in terms of catching the ball out of the backfield, but he hasn’t been used extensively enough to know if that can change either. By the same token, he has only fumbled once in his career, but, once again, he has never been the top option.
He has, however, excelled when called upon. He ran for a career-high 147 yards against the Broncos in Week Five of last season and has topped the 100-yard mark on three occasions throughout his career.
Atlanta, ranked 26th in the league in rushing last season, was in desperate need of help on the ground. Norwood is a very talented and speedy runner, but he hasn’t shown the ability to shoulder a full offensive load either. Dunn led the Falcons with 720 yards on 227 carries in 2007 while Norwood tallied 613 yards despite carrying the ball just 103 times.
Expect the carries to be more even distributed between Turner and Norwood in 2008, with both getting upwards of 160 attempts apiece. The Falcons’ passing game remains a question mark with an uncertain situation at quarterback, which could force Atlanta to run more often this fall. Only San Francisco, Kansas City, and Detroit rushed fewer times in 2007.
The Falcons will not have very high expectations heading into the season with the legal woes of Michael Vick still lingering in Atlanta. Chris Redman, who finished the season as the team’s quarterback, was re-signed quickly by the team but cannot be thought of as a steady starter in the NFL.
However, even with expectations lower than ever, the signing of Turner is a step in the right direction for Atlanta.
Grade for the Falcons: A-
You can’t fault the Chargers for allowing Turner to walk. As long as Tomlinson is on the roster, there is no need to hand out large amounts of cash for another running back. L.T. is a workhouse, and as long as he’s healthy enough, he’ll produce for the Chargers.
Grade for the Chargers: B-
The loss of Turner, who was the NFL’s best backup before Sunday’s signing, was inevitable in San Diego. Darren Sproles played well last season in spot duty (164 yards on just 37 carries) and could fill in for Turner nicely, assuming all the Chargers ask him to do is run a handful of times per game. However, it will be tough for the team to replace a reserve as talented as Turner.
Andrew Perna is a Senior Writer for RealGM.com. Feel free to contact him via e-mail (Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com) with comments or questions. |
