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San Diego poster boy Ladanian Tomlinson was let go by the Chargers yesterday. Did the Chargers franchise make the right decision or was this something they will regret?. What would spur the Chargers to give the  2006 MVP award winner the boot before the end of his contract? There is no doubt that Tomlinson’s productivity and speed are not what they used to be. However, no rational team owner should assume a that 30 year old man could perform as well as he did when he was only 22 years old.

Despite all of this, I think it was a serious mistake for San Diego to release LaDainian Tomlinson. Hiss statistics in terms of rush yards and touchdowns may have taken a hit, but his knowledge of the fundamentals remain. A player does not win an NFL MVP award by talent alone. Talent is the natural ability to perform, but skill is the necessary component to succeed. Learning how to turn talent into a skill is what Ladanian Tomlinson could have provided the Chargers with. It would have been an ideal situation to have Tomlinson paired up with a talented young back who Tomlinson could mentor and the rookie running back could have learned the ropes from Tomlinson

Everything else aside, Tomlinson may still have some fire left in him. Other notable running backs who played into their thirties were Walter Payton and Emmit Smith, two of the greatest running backs to have ever played in the National Football League. In fact, Emmit Smith had one of his best seasons  well after his thirtieth birthday. I prdict this decision by San Diego leading to a burning desire for Tomlinson to make the franchise regret their decision to expel him. Expect at least one great season from Tomlinson before he decides to call it quits and leave on top.

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