Ty Montgomery
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New York Jets running back Ty Montgomery considers himself a “football player hybrid” for the team’s offense.

New York Jets running back Ty Montgomery isn’t a typical running back. He entered the league with the Green Bay Packers as a wide receiver before moving to running back during his second season due to a rash of injuries that the team suffered.

Since then, he has lined up as a utility knife, seeing time in the backfield and as a receiver. He’s one of several positionless weapons that the team employs. However, some people are unsure how to define him, so he made it easy for them. Speaking to Jim Gehman of NYJets.com, he feels that he is a “football player hybrid” for the team.

“I would describe myself as a football player hybrid. I literally believe I can do anything. If they ask me to do anything, I believe can do it. If I’m not good at it initially, I’ll get better at it and I’ll end up becoming good at it.”

For a player to be effective at both wide receiver and running back, he has to be adaptable. One thing that makes him unusual is that he wears number 88 despite lining up primarily as a running back.

“Running backs aren’t supposed to wear that number, and people who wear that number aren’t supposed to be able to play running back at a high leve. I believe I can pass protect, I can run the ball, I can catch the ball, I can run routes from the backfield, I can run routes from the receiver position. So, I see myself as a true hybrid and I believe this 88 at running back has sort of become my brand. Who is this 88 playing running back? Isn’t he a receiver? I just feel like it’s become part of my story.”

Montgomery hasn’t carved out a huge role yet, as he has only 45 yards from scrimmage through the first three games. He’s struggled to carve out a role with Le’Veon Bell being the bell cow, but he still feels that there is a role for him, just like he did in training camp. He feels the offense is very well-suited for versatile players like himself and Bell.

“This offense is a great fit for me because it is built around people being able to do lots of different things, be it running backs or receivers,” Montgomery said. “We’re lined up anywhere at any given time being asked to do anything. I think that’s one of the things that I love about (Jets head coach Adam) Gase. He doesn’t seem to put his players in a box. And when (Bell and I are) in the game together, it should be even that much more explosive, that much more dynamic. That’s the way I see it, I see it being really special. I see my role and I’m grateful for it.”

Montgomery will look to carve out a bigger role coming out of the bye week, and it would behoove the team to get him more reps considering his track record of success.

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I'm a student at Binghamton University. I'm a huge fan of the Mets, Rangers, Giants, and Jets, and will be covering them for the site, as well as fantasy hockey, football, and baseball. My twitter is @wmcine