In 2015 the New York Jets had one of their best seasons in terms of rushing yards. Ryan Fitzpatrick did a better job of keeping the offense balanced as Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell along with help from Stevan Ridley and Zac Stacy all combined to have great production on the field. The improved run game was one of the reasons the Jets were improved this season. However, three of those backs are becoming free agents with no guarantees of a return.
The focus in the offseason could be the battle of Ivory and Powell to return. Ivory had an odd season while Powell was an unsung hero. Ivory did rush for a career-high 1,070 yards which ranked him fifth in the league, but his decline was steep. He started out averaging 2.73 yards per carry before contact. By Week 17, he was not a starter and only got six carries. That does not speak well for his future as Ivory will likely command a big contract while Powell might be the better bargain. Powell also had career highs in catches and receiving yards despite missing five games with an injury. Ivory admits he has no idea what the future holds while stressing he is one of the best in the league.
"Yeah, I think I have," Ivory said, via NJ.com. "Anybody that really pays attention to things that I do on the field - and that I've done - can see that. I think I've gotten better each year. [A return] would be great, man. But I think everything will speak for itself after the season."
According to ESPN's Rich Cimini, the Jets could consider a number of free agents outside of Ivory. Powell would be very cheap to bring back while Ivory sounds like a man ready to test the market in search of a big contract. Instead, the Jets could be in play for someone like Matt Forte who is expected to depart Chicago. According to Spotrac, Forte is worth a three-year deal of $7.4 million per season. His total value would be $22.3 million. With about $18 million to work with this offseason, a contract to Forte would be a stretch, but the Jets could take a chance.
There are solid running back options on the market while the draft has talent as well. Doug Martin is going to be a free agent. Lamar Miller, Alfred Morris and LeGarrette Blount will be on the market. The Jets could take a look at a number of options outside of Ivory if his contract demands are too high. They could also look to draft someone like Derrick Henry or Ezekiel Elliott and go younger at the position. The Jets plan on making the run game a focus in 2016, but that does not mean Ivory will return.
