Vikings court Tomlinson; Jets are next, today

Associated Press

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.

The Minnesota Vikings wined and dined LaDainian Tomlinson on Wednesday night, then spent much of Thursday meeting with the star running back in hopes of pairing him with Adrian Peterson in what would be a big-name backfield.

Tomlinson emerged from Vikings headquarters on Thursday evening with a purple Vikings jersey in hand, but pulled away in a black limousine without a deal in place.

Tomlinson declined to comment to reporters before the limo drove away, but several people with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that the two sides had yet to reach a deal and Tomlinson was headed to the New York Jets for a visit on Friday. Those people spoke anonymously because talks are ongoing with Tomlinson.

That doesn’t mean the Vikings have lost out on their first choice to replace the departed Chester Taylor as the third-down back behind Peterson. But it does show that Tomlinson is being deliberate and thorough in his first foray into free agency after nine mostly brilliant seasons with the San Diego Chargers.

As Tomlinson chases the Super Bowl appearance that has eluded him so far, he has set his sights early on two teams that advanced to the conference championship games in January and also place an emphasis on the running game.

After visiting the Vikings, who lost to the Saints in the NFC title game, Tomlinson will now visit Rex Ryan and the Jets, who fell to the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC title game.

With the Jets, Tomlinson would back up Shonn Greene, who emerged in his rookie season and helped make Thomas Jones expendable in New York. Jones signed with the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this week.

Minnesota lost the dependable Taylor to the Chicago Bears, so it needs an experienced, versatile player behind the All-Pro Peterson. Tomlinson’s ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and fill in as a capable pass blocker makes him an ideal fit.

Tomlinson was released by the Chargers in February. After being drafted in 2001, he skyrocketed to stardom and helped put the Chargers back on the map. He ranks eighth on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 12,490 yards. His 138 career touchdowns rushing rank second, and his 153 total touchdowns rank third.