LaDainian Tomlinson: Why He's a Perfect Fit With the Houston Texans

LaDainian Tomlinson has now become a free agent, and every team in the league is looking to see if the former MVP can help their team.

Tomlinson should come back to his home state to finish out his career, but not in the Dallas area, where his time at TCU is still a fond memory.

Signing Tomlinson would be a win-win situation for both L.T. and the Houston Texans.

Tomlinson has already said he is looking for a contender. The Texans were one game away from the playoffs last season, and are on the cusp of getting over that hump. This is a team that has been on the rise since bringing in Gary Kubiak and Matt Schaub.

From a playing standpoint, the set-up couldn’t be better for Tomlinson.

The Texans don’t need a superstar running back, ranking fourth in overall offense last season, despite having the 30^th ranked rushing attack.

Having a quarterback in Matt Schaub (who led the NFL in passing yards), arguably the best wide receiver in football with Andre Johnson, and one of the top receiving tight ends in Owen Daniels, the Texans' aerial attack is one of the top units in the league.

This means that Tomlinson could be a piece to a well-oiled machine rather than having to carry the load alone.

Houston’s backfield is not completely bare. Steve Slaton has shown an ability to be a solid NFL running back. He rushed for over 1200 yards his rookie year, averaging only 16 carries per game. Ryan Moats also showed potential by rushing for right around four yards per carry in limited duty last season.

There is question as to whether or not Tomlinson is ready to not be a starter. Houston’s backs split carries pretty evenly. Slaton only averaged four to five carries per game more than Ryan Moats. The Texan backfield offers L.T. the closest opportunity he will get to being a starter.

Many teams that use the committee approach at running back have very defined roles for each back. Tomlinson offers flexibility in that he would immediately be the best between-the-tackle runner on the team, but he can also make an impact in the passing game.

The biggest problem for the Texans has been the health of Matt Schaub. This team is completely different when he is injured, and last season was the first in Houston where Schaub has played all 16 games.

Tomlinson would be an asset in protecting Schaub as a blocker or another receiving option from the backfield. Also, Tomlinson can add more carries to cut down on the number of times Schaub drops back, after Schaub led the league with 583 attempts last season.

The Texans throw the ball nearly 60 percent of the time, and Tomlinson can help bring better balance to the offense.

This all sounds good on paper, but there are concerns on both sides of this deal.

The Texans have tried retreading an old running back with no success. Houston borrowed Ahman Green for two seasons, and got 14 total games from him.

For Tomlinson the question remains: Is Houston is close enough to winning a championship to make it worth his while?

Last year was the first winning season in franchise history, and the team has yet to make a playoff appearance. The team is big on talent, but is very young on both sides of the ball.

The New Orleans Saints showed that a mixture of solid defense and explosive offense can win a championship in today’s NFL. The Texans have that type of structure; however, their core players are young and have no postseason experience. Winning a Super Bowl may take longer than L.T. has left.