New York Jets Lose Chris Ivory To Jacksonville Jaguars
The New York Jets lost their first free agent Tuesday night, as running back Chris Ivory agreed to a contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The New York Jets knew that it would be tough to retain all of their free agents last season. After spending so much last season, the front office knew that tough decisions would have to be made this time around as the cap space was not as readily available. We saw the first causality to the cap space crunch tonight, and it was running back Chris Ivory.
More from Empire Writes Back
- Caesars New York Promo Code: Win $250 Bonus GUARANTEED on ANY Bet!
- Last Chance Caesars Promo: Claim $1,250 Bonus for ANY MLB Bet!
- Caesars New York Promo Code Gives TWO Chances to Win Betting on Your Yankees!
- PointsBet New York Promo: FIVE $100 Bonus Bets to Back the Yankees or Mets!
- Caesars NY Promo: $1,250 Bonus to Celebrate the Return of Judge!
It was always going to be tough for the Jets to retain Ivory, as there was just not enough cap space to go around. With other players, such as Muhammad Wilkerson, who was franchise tagged, Damon Harrison and Ryan Fitzpatrick also free agents, Ivory was not high on the Jets priority list. Because of that, he was able to hit the open market and he cashed in.
According to The Score, Ivory has agreed to a contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Ivory is the latest addition to the Jaguars, who have a ton of cap space that they need to spend. Ivory is the second player they have reportedly agreed to a contract with, following the massive contract they gave defensive lineman Malik Jackson earlier in the day.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the signing of Ivory with the Jaguars, while NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has reported that the deal will net Ivory at least $6 million per season.
Former Jets' RB Chris Ivory is expected to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars when new league year begins, per league source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2016
The #Jaguars are signing RB Chris Ivory to a deal that's believed to be well above $6M per year.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2016
Ivory picked a good time to make his first Pro Bowl, as he turned in an excellent season as the Jets featured back in 2015. He was a big reason for the team’s success, as they got back to the ground and pound, relying on the running game with their strong defense to win games. Ivory finished the season with a career-highs in yards and touchdowns with 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns on 247 carries, averaging 4.3 yards per carry.
With the Jaguars, Ivory is expected to compliment second year player T.J. Yeldon. Yeldon had 740 yards on 182 carries with two touchdowns, adding 279 yards as a receiver with one more touchdown on 36 receptions. Yeldon should continue functioning as the Jaguars passing game back, with Ivory taking over on early downs. It will be similar to the role that Ivory filled with the Jets this season alongside Bilal Powell.
More ny sports: Who are the five-best QBs in franchise history?
With Ivory now coming aboard, the Jaguars are expected to release veteran running back Toby Gerhart, who did not pan out as a free agent signing two seasons ago.