I haven’t yet heard any hard numbers on the deal, but it’s probably in the lower-teens somewhere at most over the three year span.

Obviously, age wasn’t the number one issue but Jackson is 17 months younger relative to Turner.

Jackson has 2,395 carries for 10,135 yards and 56 TDs in 9 seasons. Michael Turner has only had 1,639 carries for 7,338 and 66 TDs in his nine seasons. Both backs entered the league in the 2004 NFL Draft.

The St. Louis Rams selected Jackson with the 24th overall pick in a draft that seemed thin at the position at the time. His ensuing career has seen him bulldoze opponents with his 240-pound frame while having soft hands with over 400 career receptions. Turner was not a receiving threat with only 70 career catches.

December 23, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson (39) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. St. Louis Rams defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28-13. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Turner wasn’t used much his first four years in the league with the San Diego Chargers, but the Atlanta Falcons saw his potential and signed him to a lucrative long-term deal as a free agent before the 2008 season. Turner was considered to be starting to lose his edge – that magical “30 year old running back” syndrome.

Steven Jackson would appear to be a pretty good upgrade over Michael Turner. He’s the proverbial “complete back” who looks like a fullback, runs like a halfback, and can catch like a receiver. Turner was a one-trick pony – between the tackles he went.

The Falcons wind up with a true 3-down running back who can catch out of the backfield at 240 pounds.

He has also been outstandingly durable, gaining 1,000 rushing yards or more every season after his 673-yard rookie effort at the punishing position. The Falcons are looking for probably the same or slightly less from him. He’s had 250 carries give or take each of the past 2 seasons and the acquisition buys a little time for the organization to get their act together on someone to take over as a starter.

I’m certain that Atlanta QB Matt Ryan is glad for the help. When you have a running back that you can keep in for blocking, send out to catch, and can punish the middle of the defense on the ground it makes an offense a lot less predictable.

Luke Kuechly is going to have to tackle as someone as big as he is now. And twice a year!

Ouch.

Now if you think back to April 27 when the Chris Harris – Jamar Williams trade went down, many fans disagreed with the move, saying we were trading a starter for a backup. That looks to be different now, as Williams will most likely be taking Davis’ spot at the WLB position. Williams was drafted by the Chicago Bears to take the place of pro-bowler Lance Briggs in case they couldn’t reach a new contract.

Williams only has three starts since he was drafted in 2006. While the first two starts were average-at-best, the last start against the St. Louis Rams in Week 13 of last year, he came up with a total of 18 tackles. He took the chance he had and made the most of it by tackling Steven Jackson 13 times during the game.

While Jackson still had 112 yards for the game, it wasn’t at cost of Williams. Out of the 13 plays Williams tackled Jackson, he averaged only 2.46 yards a carry. So while losing Davis for the season is no doubt a huge loss, there are still players on the roster who can fill the position and play well.

Also during today’s OTA practices, they were experimenting with the linebacking core. James Anderson stayed where he has been since mini-camp at strongside linebacker, but Jon Beason moved to weakside linebacker in place of Davis, and Dan Connor took the place of Beason at MLB. It’s good to know they will experiment to make sure they have the best at each position starting this season.

With Beason, Anderson, and Connor being the most well-known to fans besides Davis, it’s good to remember Williams will turn out to be a great acquisition in time. We also have Eric Norwood; fourth-round draft pick out of South Carolina. With those five players, there’s no doubt that John Fox and Ron Meeks will find a great solution to the injury of Davis.

This posting is property of Cat Crave and the Fansided Network.