Falcons Nab Turner the Burner With 6-Year $34.5 Million Contract

After a run of bad luck, poor planning, and poor performances in 2007, the tide may be starting to turn for the Atlanta Falcons, who today signed unrestricted free agent running back Michael Turner to a 6-year $34.5 million contract. The deal reportedly includes $15 million in guaranteed money, although no signing bonus figures have yet been released/leaked. All of the Atlanta brass allegedly put the full court press on Turner during the wooing period, including a grandiose dinner with GM Tom Dimitroff, owner Arthur Blank, and head coach Mike Smith.

Turner was a 5th round pick out of Northern Illinois in the 2005 draft for the San Diego Chargers, and in limited duty has shown flashes of brilliance, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Generally regarded as the best free agent running back in this year's thin class, Turner has only carried the ball 228 times for 1257 yards and 6 touchdowns in his 4-year career, but has shown the ability to run inside between the tackles, an explosive burst in space, and the ability to break tackles.

The arrival of Turner the Burner likely means that the Falcons will cut ties with aging running back Warrick Dunn, and will pair Turner with young complementary back Jerious Norwood, who has also shown flashes of brilliance in limited duty with Atlanta. The Falcons stand to gain about $3 million against this year's salary cap of $116 million with a potential release of Dunn. The signing and loss of Turner also means San Diego will receive a compensatory draft pick in next year's NFL Draft, likely to be a 3rd rounder based on playing time and the contract signed by Turner. Chargers general manager AJ Smith rebuffed offers for Turner around last year's draft, knowing he would receive a high compensatory pick this year, and he valued Turner as a good insurance policy in case LaDainian Tomlinson suffered an injury during a potential Super Bowl run. The Chargers will now look to Darren Sproles to backup LT, and may draft another running back in the mid to late rounds of this year's NFL Draft.