Does LT Have Anthing Left?

With early reports coming out of Jets camp stating that newly acquired Running Back, Ladainian Tomlinson has been less than impressive, one question comes quickly to mind. Is it better to continue to do what you love doing while at a diminished level thus weakening your legacy or retire while you're still on top only to be left with the questions of 'what if'? This generation's "LT" has consistently been at the top of every relevant statistical category for most of the decade, but in the past couple of years has seen his numbers dip to the point where career lows in both yardage and yards per rush were achieved last year. Many of Ladainian's supporters pointed to lingering foot and knee injuries as the reason for the disappointing season, but many league insiders instead blamed his decline on his age and his becoming a member of the "wrong side of 30" club. As any football fan knows, the running back position is a very difficult position to play as your body is expected to endure hit after hit while continuing to push forward. Multiply this daily routine by 16, and in Ladainian's case, sometimes 17 or 18 and you've got yourself a couple of aches and bruises. Also working against Ladainian is the fact that he was such an important part of his team's offense that he not only touched the ball on rushing downs but he was also a major part of their passing game. The latter meaning he caught many balls out of the backfield, and even threw a few when called upon. An NFL GM was recently quoted as saying "LT has nothing left", but after reviewing his workload over the past 9 years who could ask of him any more? LT has long been considered one of the leagues biggest attractions, and is a favorite among league circles. This unwavering support for LT gave many the idea that he was in a way exempt from the historical fact that has plagued running backs for decades. Very rarely will you see a running back continue to contribute in the same way past that dreaded year of 30. Emphasis being on "contribute in the same way" because I am of the opinion that LT can still bring something to the New York Jets. Will he be that dominant back that we saw break the touchdown record in 2006? No, but he doesn't have to be as the Jets have a talented young back named Shonn Greene who'll take a bulk of the carries. Very few backs in the league can claim the vision of LT, and none can claim the resume. I don't see how being able to call that guy your teammate can EVER be a bad thing. In closing, nobody could have said it better than LT himself, as he did so in 06 after a playoff loss to the Patriots…"I'm a classy guy". You are LT, and to answer my earlier question, if you want to continue to write your legacy even if it may damage it then so be it, it's yours.