RB dept. ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

This is the second installment of our position-by-position breakdown for theNew York Jets as we head to the April 28-30 draft :

Position : Running back

Current personnel : Matt Forte (signed through 2019), Bilal Powell (2018),Tommy Bohanon (2016), Zac Stacy (2016), Khiry Robinson (2016), Dri Archer(2016), Dominique Williams (2017)

Key newcomers : Forte, Robinson

Departures : Chris Ivory (free agent/Jaguars); Stevan Ridley (free agent/Lions)

Projected starters : Forte, Bohanon (FB)

Overview : The top priority in the early stage of free agency was rebuilding the backfield, and they did a nice job of reacting to Ivory's departure. Without Ivory, there will be less power and fewer broken tackles, but Forte's versatility can add an element to the passing game. Powell is a jack-of-all-trades and Robinson projects as the power back. Not drafting a running back wouldn't kill the Jets this season, but they could look to add a developmental player -- ideally, a back with speed. This position lacks a true burner.

The last running back drafted : Bohanon, a fullback, was a seventh-round pick in 2013. The last true running back was Terrance Ganaway, a sixth-round choice in 2012. He never made it out of training camp. This has been a free agency-fueled position in recent years.

Potential targets (projected round)

 

• Kenyan Drake, Alabama (fourth to sixth round) : Overshadowed by Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry, Drake made his share of big plays for the Crimson Tide. His 95-yard kickoff return was one of the key plays in the CFP championship game. You may have heard, the Jets need a kickoff returner. Drake doesn't have much wiggle, but he's a big back (6-foot-1, 210 pounds) with excellent straight-line speed. He can also catch, as he averaged 12.5 yards per reception over his career. Durability is a concern; he suffered a broken arm and leg in college.

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• Josh Ferguson, Illinois (fourth to sixth round) : The Jets don't have a proven guy like him -- a 5-9, 198-yard scat back with outstanding short-area quickness. He's intriguing because of his productivity in the passing game -- 168 catches in his career.

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• Darius Jackson, Eastern Michigan (seventh round) : He put on a show at his pro day, running a sub-4.4 time in the 40 at 6-foot, 221 pounds. He was a one-year wonder in college (1,088 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns last season), but he piqued the Jets' interest enough to earn a pre-draft visit.

Need factor (based on a scale of 1 to 10) : 3

>   http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/59645/jets-backfield-loses-thunder-chris-ivory-could-use-some-lightning

[kelly]

since the Jets signed Matt Forte, I have thought the move was as much about adding a number three option to the passing game as it was about adding a number one back. The proof might be in the production of the man the Jets re-signed as the number two back behind Forte, Bilal Powell.

Over a six game stretch near the end of the season, Powell came to life as a receiving option out of the backfield. He averaged over 5 catches and just shy of 50 yards per game. The Jets won five of the six games. Then Powell suffered an injury and missed the finale against Buffalo, a rough defeat. They could have used him that day.

When we look at the six game stretch where Powell came to life, it is notable how much more diverse the targets got in the passing game. Here are how the targets were distributed for the top options on the team outside that stretch by percentage.

Marshall	35.3
Decker	22.8
Kerley	8.1
Enunwa	6.6
Ivory	6.6

 

With Powell as the third option in the passing game, the targets became much less centralized behind the top two receivers.

Marshall	25.3
Decker	24.1
Powell	18.3
Enunwa	10.4
Ivory	6.7

 

You might notice that it was Brandon Marshall's share of the targets that seemed to go down. You might think Powell's emergence came at Marshall's expense, but the Pro Bowl receiver was actually more productive once Powell became a weapon. He averaged 103.8 receiving yards per game during this stretch opposed to 87.9 outside of it.

 

For the sake of the passing game, having an outlet out of the backfield led the Jets to have an average per attempt of 7.2 for this six game stretch against 6.7 for the rest of the season.I think this might partially explain the team's thinking in letting Chris Ivory go and bringing in Forte. They saw the impact Powell had. This made them bring back Powell, but they did not stop there. If a back like Powell could make such a difference, what can a pass catcher with Forte's resume mean for the offense?

Hopefully for the Jets, it will mean a lot.

>        http://www.ganggreennation.com/2016/6/28/12047960/how-much-of-an-impact-will-matt-fortes-receiving-skills-have-for-the