After five seasons together, the Michael Turner era with the Atlanta Falcons will reportedly come to an end this offseason, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
It became apparent this season that age was beginning to affect Turner's play, as he lacked the power and explosiveness that made him one of the best running backs in the league during his first four seasons with the Falcons.
Turner was last effective in 2010 and 2011, running for a combined 2,711 yards and 23 touchdowns. He finished last season with just 800 yards on 222 carries. That was the fewest carries he has had in a season since 2009, when he only played in 11 games. It was his lowest yardage total since he was the change-of-pace back with San Diego in 2007.
Despite his struggles in the regular season, Turner did come to life in the playoffs against Seattle. He ran for 98 yards on 14 carries in the NFC divisional round.
Turner, 31, still has value around the league as a running back, as evident to how the Falcons used his bruising running style at the goal line. His 10 goal line touchdowns last season proves that he's one of the best goal-line backs in the NFL.
The Falcons do have depth at running back right now with Jacquizz Rodgers and Jason Snelling. It remains to be seen if the team will split carries between them or try to find a No. 1 back either through free agency or the draft.
