I usually don’t side with local newspapers when they try to sell the angle of ownership-driven personnel moves but that was the case in the Brett Favre trade and I believe it was a factor here.

LaDanian Tomlinson as a Jet is a very sexy proposition when you are trying to sell out your new stadium. That has to be a factor in this decision because Tomlinson is just not much of an upgrade over Thomas Jones.

He used to be a much more explosive runner but his burst is gone, which makes his signing questionable when you look at his production on the field. Tomlinson had his worst season as a Charger, rushing for only 730 yards on 223 carries for a 3.3-yard average. Jones ran for 1,402 on 331 carries for a 4.2 average.

He is only 10 months younger than Jones so age was not the reason.

Tomlinson is the better receiver so he does bring that extra dimension to the offense but Jones was the better leader. His presence brought out better performances from his teammates.

LT played in Brian Schottenheimer’s offense in San Diego so his transition should be an easy one.

The Jets signed Tomlinson because they project better production from him behind the Jets’ offensive line. The Chargers were without starting center Nick Hardwick and RT Jeromey Clary for most of the season and it affected their running game.

Even Darren Sproles’ numbers were down. He is normally a dynamic back but he did not have the same success as in prior years. He averaged a career-low 3.7 yards per carry compared to 4.4 and 5.4 in 2007 and 2008 respectively.

If the difference really is the offensive line than this could turn out to be a good move but at this point, I am not buying it. The Jets would have stood a better chance of having a dangerous backfield with a high pick in the draft. This year’s class has a great deal of depth and they could have brought a much younger player in for considerably less money.

Tomlinson looks to be more of a one-year rental than anything else. After coming so close to the Super Bowl, I understand why the Jets are loading up for a serious run but their situation at running back was not dire.

Even though Shonn Greene has only one year of experience he proved he could be the feature back. If the team was worried about Leon Washington’s recovery they could have held on to Jones for another year, waited to see Washington’s progress and drafted a young prospect just in case. They did not need to make a big splash at the position.

The Jets signed Tomlinson to a two-year deal but I would be surprised if he makes it past this year. His contract is reportedly worth $5.1 million with another $500,000 in escalator clauses but with Jones due a comparable amount ($5.8 million), Tomlinson’s deal does not provide much financial benefit.

This move is more about putting fans in the stands than it is about improving the team. At this point in his career, Tomlinson is not much of an upgrade over what the Jets had. He will have to have a real Renaissance for this move to make sense.