The New York Jets lost Chris Ivory to the Jags today, meaning they’re in the market for a running back. Here are five possible replacements.
By Jeff Jarboe
The move shouldn’t come as much of a surpris- – the New York Daily News reported yesterday that the team was preparing to move on from Ivory as he had a number of teams expressing interest around the league, including Jacksonville.
New York simply didn’t have the cap space to re-sign Ivory in addition to Ryan Fitzpatrick and Damon Harrison, both of whom the team is still trying hard to bring back.
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Ivory’s spell back, Bilal Powell is the front-runner to replace Ivory as he won’t demand as expensive of a contract and already knows Chan Gailey’s system, but he too is an unrestricted free agent and may gain more interest around the league after a breakout 2015 campaign.
Even if the Jets bring Powell back, they’re going to need another running back or two. A Zac Stacy/Bilal Powell combo simply won’t cut it. Luckily, there’s a deep crop of veteran free agents available that Mike Maccagnan can look into.
Here are five names that come to mind:
1. Alfred Morris
ESPN’s Rich Cimini has tabbed Morris as the leading candidate among this year’s crop of free agent running backs to replace Chris Ivory, primarily because he plays with a similar north-south running style.
Morris, 27, had a bit of a down year in 2015 as he took a backseat to rookie Matt Jones and second-year running back Chris Thompson, rushing for just 751 yards and one touchdown on 202 carries (3.7 ypc), but remains an attractive option for the Jets.
Prior to last season, Morris rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons in the league, and has a career average of 4.4 yards per carry. He’s not a great receiver, but he’s durable–has not missed a game in four seasons–and has at least three or four good years of football ahead of him.
If paired with a speedy running back like Powell or whomever the Jets draft to replace Powell, Morris would be a great fit in Chan Gailey’s balanced offensive attack.
2. Matt Forte
It’s unclear how much money Forte, 30, will demand as he explores free agency for the first time in his career, but if it’s manageable for the Jets then they should do it. Forte has established himself as one of the best pass-catching running backs the NFL has seen in the last eight years, and he would be a great fit in Chan Gailey’s offense.
In just 13 games last season, Forte rushed 218 times for 898 yards (4.1 ypc) and four touchdowns, and he hauled in 44 receptions for 389 yards and three touchdowns. Sure, it was a drop off from the back-to-back 1,800+ total yards, 10 touchdown+ seasons he had in 2014 and 2013, but he played in three fewer games and was on a much worse team.
Questions remain about his durability, as they always do when a running back hits the 30-year mark, but Matt Forte is still Matt Forte. Signing him to a one-year deal similar to the deal Chris Johnson got from New York two years ago would not be a bad idea, and it would make Brandon Marshall happy, which is never a bad idea.
3. Lamar Miller
Speaking of speedy running backs, there’s one in Miami who is turning 25 and is set to hit the open market with the intent on leaving.
The Miami Dolphins and free agent running back Lamar Miller are reportedly far apart in contract negotiations and the 25-year-old running back is preparing to test the market in the coming days.
Despite the lack of touches Miller has received in his last three years as Miami’s starter (15 touches per game), he’s been fairly productive and has shown flashes of great explosiveness. After putting up over 1,300 total yards and nine total touchdowns in 2014, Miller had another productive year in 2015, rushing and receiving for 1,269 total yards and 10 touchdowns.
Because of his age and his versatility as both a runner and a receiver, Miller will garner a lot of interest from teams around the league. According to an article published in Pro Football Talk yesterday, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Media reported the Houston Texans have been working towards a deal with Miller, but nothing is official yet.
It would be difficult for Maccagnan to swoop in and steal Miller from Houston, but anything can happen in free agency.
4. Ronnie Hillman
The only reason Miller is higher than Hillman on this list is because he’s been slightly more productive in recent years, but one can argue he’s a better option and a better fit for the Jets.
Why?
First and foremost, money. Because Hillman hasn’t rushed for over 1,000 yards in a season yet and because he was surpassed by C.J. Anderson for the lead job in Denver this past season, he’s not going to be as expensive. But just because he hasn’t produced as much as Miller, doesn’t mean he doesn’t hold as much value as Miller.
Hillman (24) is younger than Miller (25), he’s going to come at a cheaper price and he’s going to bring the same skill set to the Jets offense. That is, a quick, shifty running back with pass-catching ability and the ability to run between the tackles.
If New York loses Bilal Powell in the next few days, they’re going to need a speedy running back who can catch the football to replace him. Hillman can be that running back, and he’ll be cheap enough that New York will still have ample cap space to use on other high-priority free agents.
5. Khiry Robinson
One of the primary reasons the New York Jets were able to trade for Chris Ivory three years ago during the 2013 NFL Draft, was because the New Orleans Saints had too much talent in their backfield at the time. Now, three years later, Ivory has left the Jets in favor of a fat contract and warmer weather, and another talented New Orleans Saints running back is hitting the open market–Khiry Robinson.
Robinson is the odd man out in the Saints backfield this time around as the team has elected to stick with the thunder and lightning duo of Mark Ingram and C.J. Spiller, and has elected not to bring back the 26-year-old Robinson.
At 6’0″ 220 pounds, Robinson has the build of a three-down back and will surely be an absolute steal for whichever team signs him. He’s only played in 28 career games, rushing for just 766 yards and eight touchdowns in three seasons, but he has a career average of 4.1 yards per carry and has shown flashes of greatness.
His lack of production and current identity as a back-up will bring his price tag way down, which is exactly why the New York Jets should sign him. He’s cheap, and the upside is sky high. If the top four guys elect to sign elsewhere, Robinson would not be a bad contingency plan.