DanFouts
Footballguy
Just saw this on Chargers.com.....that they are taking Turner off the market......as a Charger fan, I feel a little safer this season....
http://www.chargers.com/news/headlines/smith-turner-will.htm
The morning after the NFL Draft, phones are usually pretty quiet in team offices as a 48-hour period of wheeling and dealing has just concluded. That wasn’t the case with A.J. Smith Monday as the Chargers’ General Manager is telling teams around the League there’s no reason to keep calling concerning his backup running back.
“Michael Turner will be a Charger in 2007,” Smith said. “There’s been a lot of activity concerning Michael over the last several months and continued all the way through the draft. We could have entertained offers all the way through October. But Norv Turner andI just got out of a personnel meeting and we made the decision that our football team is built for 2007 and Michael Turner will be a part of it. I’m calling teams that were interested and telling them that we’re no longer going to entertain offers. Michael is here.”
Turner entered the offseason as a restricted free agent. The Chargers placed the highest possible tender on him, meaning the Bolts had the right to either match any contract offer Turner signed or receive both a first- and third-round draft pick from the team who signed him.
Smith said all along that he was flexible with what he might take for Turner but he was also more than comfortable with Turner remaining in San Diego next season unless the right deal came along. That deal never came, and Smith made the decision to close any further conversations.
“The bottom line is that we have a value on our players,” Smith said. “Whatever we do, we have a value. Other teams have their values. If they come together with our values, deals and contracts are struck. It’s quite obvious that our value on Michael was higher than the value other teams had on him, so we’re thrilled that he’ll be a Charger for another year.”
In three seasons with the Chargers, Turner has proved to be more than dependable backup for Tomlinson as well as a solid contributor on special teams. He’s averaged 6.0 yards per carry in his first three years, including 502 yards and two touchdowns last season. He also averaged 26.5 yards on kickoffs last year.
“There’s no question in my mind that Michael gives us the best one-two backfield in the League,” Head Coach Norv Turner said. “We have the best back in the League in LaDainian and the two of those guys together give us great options.”
Around the NFL, more and more teams are using two running backs to share the load. The Chargers find themselves in a unique situation because Tomlinson handles the majority of the work, but the luxury of having two backs with special skills has the Bolts’ head coach excited about what the duo can do together.
“It’s great to have two,” Norv Turner said. “I think the trend in the NFL is where you see two guys splitting time. That’s not where we’re at, but we certainly have two guys that are as good as any pair in the League. We have some packages together where we can do some unique things with LT and Michael on the field together. That’s something we’ll continue to explore.”
http://www.chargers.com/news/headlines/smith-turner-will.htm
The morning after the NFL Draft, phones are usually pretty quiet in team offices as a 48-hour period of wheeling and dealing has just concluded. That wasn’t the case with A.J. Smith Monday as the Chargers’ General Manager is telling teams around the League there’s no reason to keep calling concerning his backup running back.
“Michael Turner will be a Charger in 2007,” Smith said. “There’s been a lot of activity concerning Michael over the last several months and continued all the way through the draft. We could have entertained offers all the way through October. But Norv Turner andI just got out of a personnel meeting and we made the decision that our football team is built for 2007 and Michael Turner will be a part of it. I’m calling teams that were interested and telling them that we’re no longer going to entertain offers. Michael is here.”
Turner entered the offseason as a restricted free agent. The Chargers placed the highest possible tender on him, meaning the Bolts had the right to either match any contract offer Turner signed or receive both a first- and third-round draft pick from the team who signed him.
Smith said all along that he was flexible with what he might take for Turner but he was also more than comfortable with Turner remaining in San Diego next season unless the right deal came along. That deal never came, and Smith made the decision to close any further conversations.
“The bottom line is that we have a value on our players,” Smith said. “Whatever we do, we have a value. Other teams have their values. If they come together with our values, deals and contracts are struck. It’s quite obvious that our value on Michael was higher than the value other teams had on him, so we’re thrilled that he’ll be a Charger for another year.”
In three seasons with the Chargers, Turner has proved to be more than dependable backup for Tomlinson as well as a solid contributor on special teams. He’s averaged 6.0 yards per carry in his first three years, including 502 yards and two touchdowns last season. He also averaged 26.5 yards on kickoffs last year.
“There’s no question in my mind that Michael gives us the best one-two backfield in the League,” Head Coach Norv Turner said. “We have the best back in the League in LaDainian and the two of those guys together give us great options.”
Around the NFL, more and more teams are using two running backs to share the load. The Chargers find themselves in a unique situation because Tomlinson handles the majority of the work, but the luxury of having two backs with special skills has the Bolts’ head coach excited about what the duo can do together.
“It’s great to have two,” Norv Turner said. “I think the trend in the NFL is where you see two guys splitting time. That’s not where we’re at, but we certainly have two guys that are as good as any pair in the League. We have some packages together where we can do some unique things with LT and Michael on the field together. That’s something we’ll continue to explore.”
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