Sign Turner, sentence fans to 6 more years of wondering what Michael Turner could do if he had a chance.
Gut reaction is to ask why you throw franchise type money ($34.5 million over the next 6 seasons) at a guy who’s never been the primary rock tower. But then I guess Turner has proven himself about as much as one could playing behind the best back in football. Turner has 6 Td’s, 1,257 yards, and has averaged 5.5 per carry in his 4 seasons with the Tomlinson led Chargers. More than solid obviously under the circumstances.
Of course, Jerious Norwood’s 3 TD’s, 1,246, and 6.2 per carry in his first two NFL seasons, backing up departing cap casualty Warrick Dunn, look surprisingly comparable, especially considering the relative state of the Falcons’ offensive line. Head scratcher?
Turner and Norwood could certainly provide a nice one-two punch for the Falcons. . .if they can get some blocking. And that’s a big if. Let’s just hope Turner’s agent slipped in a clause requiring the Dirty Birds draft Jake “Banana Hands” Long, or at least the guy from Boise St. If not they better start lobbying the Falcons to make some more moves for offensive linemen. Otherwise Turner’s years as a Falcon could look eerily like his tenure with the Chargers.
