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New York Jets Trade For Running Back Zac Stacy From St. Louis Rams

By Kenneth Teape

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New York Jets Add To Their RB, Acquire Zac Stacy From St. Louis Rams

Armed with multiple seventh round picks because of the Brandon Marshall trade earlier in the offseason with the Chicago Bears, the New York Jets decided to make a trade as the 2015 NFL Draft wore on towards the end. The Jets decided to trade the 224th overall pick to the St. Luis Rams in exchange for running back Zac Stacy. The Rams would then use the 224th pick on Bryce Hager, a linebacker out of Baylor. For the Jets, the acquiring of Stacy is a bit of a head scratcher.

Coming into the draft, the Jets did have a need for a running back, but one that could be a game-breaker out of the backfield. With Chris Johnson moving on, the Jets lacked a big play running back on the roster, someone that could break one on any given play. Also, if they could contribute on passing downs that would be a bonus, as Bilal Powell is serviceable on third-down and on passing downs, but is someone the Jets could upgrade on. That is what makes the acquiring of Stacy a suspect one.

Stacy fits more in the mold of an early down banger, which the Jets already have two of. Chris Ivory has been good for the Jets the past two seasons, and then they signed former New England Patriots running back Stevan Ridley this offseason. It was expected that both would potentially be playing for one roster spot, as they do not ideally fit into the scheme of new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, but there is a role for one of them, not two.

Now Stacy will be added into the mix, putting the roster spot Ridley currently holds in real jeopardy, which may not be a bad thing. Ridley had one good season with the Patriots, rushing for 1,263 yards in 2012 with 12 touchdowns. He hasn’t been able to get near that since though, as he has battled injuries and fumbling problems. His most recent injury was an ACL tear, which he is currently recovering from. That alone put his roster spot in jeopardy, but now with Stacy in the fold the writing seems to be on the wall.

For Stacy, he may move ahead of Ridley in the pecking order but it would be hard to imagine him unseating Ivory. Stacy came on out of nowhere in 2013 as a fifth-round pick, rushing for 973 with seven touchdowns. The problem with Stacy is that he is as plodding as they come, averaging only 3.9 yards per carry. If he is not getting volume touches, he really is not very effective.

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He also doesn’t offer too much in the way of the passing game or game-changing speed. He has only 44 career receptions in two seasons, with his longest receptions being 25 and 17 yards in 2013 and 2014. His rushing longs aren’t much more impressive, as his long in 2013 was 40 and in 2014 it was only 16 yards.

Those numbers do not scream athletic, which is what the Jets needed. If they decide to keep Stacy and have him eat into the carries of Ivory, they are making a mistake. Ivory had his lowest YPC of his career in 2014, finishing at 4.1 but has a career average of 4.7. But, it was also the most carries that Ivory received in a season, so expect those numbers to jump back up now that he is acclimated to being the lead back of a team.

While a seventh round pick isn’t a steep price to pay, the acquisition of Stacy makes little sense as it basically duplicates what the Jets already had on the roster.

Next: Was drafting Williams a safe pick?

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