New York Jets Rumors: Chris Ivory an every-down back?

Recent New York Jets rumors are surrounding a training camp battle in the backfield.

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With the coaching change, everyone is trying to impress and that includes running back Chris Ivory. The New York Jets acquired Ivory in 2013 for a fourth-round pick from the New Orleans Saints. Since joining the Jets, Ivory has been a big part of their running game, but hasn’t been an every-down back.

In 2015 under new head coach Todd Bowles, that may change.

In Ivory’s first two seasons with the Jets, he has carried the ball the most on the team, but not by a large margin. In 2013, Ivory carried the ball 182 times, but Bilal Powell carried it 176 times. In 2014, Ivory was more of the Jets’ No.1 running back, as the Chris Johnson experiment failed, but he still had over 150 carries.

Ivory has been very good at running the football, but it has mainly been his play as a receiving running back that has held him back.

“He’s as advertised,” Bowles said of Ivory Kieran Darcy of ESPN. “We knew he was tough and he could pound it up in there. But he cuts well, he’s got good vision [too].”

“He’s going to have to become a better receiver,” Bowles said to Darcy. “He has decent hands. He just needs to concentrate a little more.”

In his career, Ivory has totaled just 23 receptions, 165 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown.

Being the featured back doesn’t only mean that Ivory will have a majority of the carries, but he also has to help Geno Smith as a safety valve out of the backfield.

“For the most part I feel like I’ve been doing that,” Ivory said to Darcy. “I’m not sure how it’s gonna work out, but right now I’m just looking forward to going in and [if] my number’s called just performing, make things happen.”

The Jets have some very good depth at running back behind Ivory, as Powell is still on the roster, and they added Zac Stacy and Stevan Ridley.

“If we are running the ball well, and [Ivory’s] getting some nice runs in there, he’s getting some carries, he can easily [be an every-down back],” Bowles said to Darcy. “He’s built to do that. But we have other guys that we don’t want to wear down that we want to play also, so it will be a feel of how the game is going.”

More than likely the Jets will be using some kind of committee at running back, as they multiple talented running backs. If Ivory improves as a receiver, he could certainly carry the load as the Jets’ featured back.

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