There is a general consensus among fans that the Jets will get the most out of LaDainian Tomlinson by limiting his touches. This is based on his fast start to the season and the Playoffs when he had rest and was fresh. During the regular season, he seemed to wear down when not rested.
Since the Jets are bringing him back, it begs the question of how the team plans to use the back. Last year Rex Ryan was pretty vocal that he viewed Tomlinson as a costarter with Shonn Greene. That did not seem like the brightest idea then. The way the season played out showed why. LT is best with a reduced role.
Do you think Brian Schottenheimer will realize this, though? He is the offensive coordinator who gave Greene and Tomlinson virtually the same number of carries, even when Greene was vastly more productive against the Bears and in the AFC Championship Game against the Steelers. It seems like a leap of faith to trust the offensive coaching staff to figure this out.
The best hope is probably the continued development of Joe McKnight. The running back from USC is dangerous. If he plays up to his potential in camp and the preseason, the coaching staff might feel itself compelled to take carries away from Tomlinson and reduce LT into a third down back role. That would probably be for the best.
Do you think the Jets will reduce LT's carries in 2011?