San Diego Tribune: The Chargers - meaning President Dean Spanos, GM A.J. Smith,
VP Ed McGuire and HC Norv Turner - will consider four options with regard to
Ladainian Tomlinson's future with the team. Within the next month, they will
either keep him at his current salary level, approach him about a contract
renegotiation, try to trade him or release him. All four options - releasing
him or attempting to work out a new contract, or both, appear to be the most
likely scenarios - will be weighed with several factors in mind. The Chargers
likely would not want to guarantee Tomlinson too much, because of the point he
is at in his career. Plus, in regards to the salary cap, they are already on the
hook for the $2.066 million of signing bonus money from the contract he signed
in 2004. The willingness even to think about parting ways with Tomlinson is not
just because of money. There also is the fact he is going to be 30 in June and
has finished the past two seasons with serious injuries. Additionally, his
unhappiness with the offense has not gone unnoticed in the organization. Should
the team offer Tomlinson a reworked contract - and taking the $8.791 million cap
hit does not seem doable - he could reject the deal. That would essentially
force the Chargers to release or trade him.
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