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Jets' once-deep backfield could be raided in free agency ~ ~ ~


kelly

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With free agency approaching (March 9), we're analyzing the biggest needs on the New York Jets’ roster, examining possible upgrades:

Position: Running back

2016 cap hits of top returning players (position rank/average per year):

-- Tommy Bohanon (FB) -- $690,562 (104/126)

-- Zac Stacy -- $675,000 (86/126)

Pending free agents: Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell, Stevan Ridley.

Key stat: Since being traded to the Jets in 2013, Ivory has rushed for 2,724 yards, 10th in the league. He's third in the league in yards after contact per rush (2.14), trailing only LeGarrette Blount (2.27) and Marshawn Lynch (2.20), per ESPN Stats & Information.

Money matters: The Jets haven't poured big money into a running back since Thomas Jones (2007-09). Ivory, coming off a career year in which he rushed for an AFC-high 1,070 yards, is seeking a free-agent score at age 28. The running-back market has plummeted in recent years, so Ivory probably will have to settle for around $4 million per year, with a total guarantee of at least $7 million. The numbers aren't crazy, but the Jets could be reluctant to dole out the money for a back who has one, maybe two, peak years left. Powell, who made $2 million on a one-year deal, earned a raise after a solid season in a complementary role. Ridley is looking at a one-year contract for the minimum.

Big picture: Todd Bowles prefers to go three deep at running back, which means they're basically rebuilding from the ground floor. (Stacy, coming back from a broken leg, can't be considered a sure thing.) They have to re-sign Ivory and/or Powell -- or players like them with skill sets that complement each other. They also need some fresh blood, so it would be wise to draft a back.

Free-agent market watch: Doug Martin, Lamar Miller, Alfred Morris, Matt Forte, Ronnie Hillman, Chris Johnson, James Starks, Reggie Bush and Blount.

Also could become available: Arian Foster, DeMarco Murray, Frank Gore.

The game plan: The Jets are interested in re-signing Ivory and Powell, but that doesn't seem realistic, considering their cap restraints. If Ivory generates a bidding war, he'll be a goner. He could attract interest from his two home state teams, the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. Some teams view Powell as an under-valued player, so he, too, should have suitors. Watch out for the Buffalo Bills, who wanted him last year. A fallback option for the Jets could be Morris, a rugged back whose style is similar to that of Ivory. The knock on Morris is that he's a poor receiver. Forget about Martin; he'll be too expensive.

>    http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/58436/jets-once-deep-backfield-could-be-raided-in-free-agency

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11 minutes ago, EM31 said:

Stacy and Ridley are both additions by subtraction.

Ivory cannot stay on the field and that is not likely to get any better with another year of mileage on those tires.

 

And no matter how we downplay it, how are you proposing that we replace the AFCs leading rusher?  

Because dont downplay this, Fitz needs it

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1 hour ago, pointman said:

Get rid of Stacy, PLEASE.

Why? Young, cheap, and not terrible. 

37 minutes ago, EM31 said:

Stacy and Ridley are both additions by subtraction.

Ivory cannot stay on the field and that is not likely to get any better with another year of mileage on those tires.

 

Stacy is the only back under contract right now. He's not being subtracted. 

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11 hours ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

Why? Young, cheap, and not terrible. 

Stacy is the only back under contract right now. He's not being subtracted. 

Then he will stay and subtract 1/53rd of our roster space.  To say that he did nothing last year is an insult to nothing.

Pretty sad actually.

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16 minutes ago, EM31 said:

Then he will stay and subtract 1/53rd of our roster space.  To say that he did nothing last year is an insult to nothing.

Pretty sad actually.

Stacy looked like he had never seen a football before.  And was running in oatmeal.  Get a bag of balls for the guy and move on.

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18 minutes ago, EM31 said:

Then he will stay and subtract 1/53rd of our roster space.  To say that he did nothing last year is an insult to nothing.

Pretty sad actually.

Again, costs 675K, young, and was traded for last season. He isn't going anywhere. He broke his leg returning a kick, which he should have never been doing. He's a decent bruising running back and could be useful in short yardage.

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Biggest problem last year was Powell getting hurt early. Ivory was overused because Ridley wasn't ready & Stacy is just a short yardage, eat clock at end of game back. Bad job by Mac last year with the end of roster RBs. 

Be interesting how he goes about it this year. I would resign Powell if you can & go from there.

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1 hour ago, munchmemory said:

Stacy looked like he had never seen a football before.  And was running in oatmeal.  Get a bag of balls for the guy and move on.

properly or improperly inflated balls?

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51 minutes ago, FidelioJet said:

Powell is too slow...Ivory is too violent and by the second half of the season he's too banged up to be effective.

We need an influx of youth and speed at the RB position.

Completely agree.

 

We could lose all the running backs on our roster and have the same level of talent or better just getting backs in the late rounds of the draft.

 

Powell is becoming heavily overrated by jet fans.  

 

 

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14 hours ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

Why? Young, cheap, and not terrible. 

Stacy is the only back under contract right now. He's not being subtracted. 

He sucks and cutting him would save about a mil in cap room. A 7th round pick or rookie UFA would be similarly effective at less than half the cost

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13 minutes ago, drdetroit said:

He sucks and cutting him would save about a mil in cap room. A 7th round pick or rookie UFA would be similarly effective at less than half the cost

He makes 675K. A 7th round pick is about 500K and wouldn't nearly be as effective. Your numbers are wrong.

Point is the Jets have 1 running back under contract. If you cut him, you now need to go sign 4 more. They just traded last year's 7th for Stacy, probably for a reason. He isn't going anywhere.

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1 hour ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

He makes 675K. A 7th round pick is about 500K and wouldn't nearly be as effective. Your numbers are wrong.

Point is the Jets have 1 running back under contract. If you cut him, you now need to go sign 4 more. They just traded last year's 7th for Stacy, probably for a reason. He isn't going anywhere.

League minimum next season is $450k.  Jets would be paying $225k less for a potential significantly better player

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1 minute ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

Please name a 7th round running back who is better than Zac Stacy. 225K is nothing in savings. Stop.

Thomas Rawls wasn't even drafted and he is way better than Zac Stacy. 

 

No one thinks Stacy is good.

 

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Just now, drdetroit said:

Thomas Rawls wasn't even drafted and he is way better than Zac Stacy. 

 

No one thinks Stacy is good.

 

No one is expecting Zac Stacy to start or get important carries. There is no reason to create another hole when you have a young, cheap, and proven player at the position already. The Jets should be taking a punter in the 7th round. Not a running back.

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