New York Jets See Chris Ivory as Seahawks’ Marshawn Lynch

November 18, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Chris Ivory (29) runs with the ball before the start of the game against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets swung a trade with the New Orleans Saints this offseaso to acquire running back Chris Ivory, who figures to see the majority of the workload in the backfield.

That is, if he can stay healthy. Ivory has a bruising, but effective, run style similar to what Marshawn Lynch of the Seattle Seahawks employs each week. The Jets are taking the comparison to heart according to Rich Cimini of ESPN New York:

"Ivory, acquired in a draft-day trade with the Saints, is one of the keys to the Jets’ season. With Greene gone, they need Ivory to become a 15-carries-a-game back. They see him as a poor man’s Marshawn Lynch, a big, bruising runner with the ability to wear down a defense. Ivory has flashed big-time potential in small sample sizes. In 2012, his YAC (yards after contact) was an impressive 4.7 per attempt, according to Pro Football Focus. He had only 40 attempts, yet he still caused 12 missed tackles, nearly equaling Greene’s total (15) in 276 attempts, per PFF. The concern with Ivory is that he’s never done it for a full season, and that’s nothing to take lightly at the running-back position."

The Spin: Good comparison for the Jets, but there’s one major difference—Lynch’s body can actually handle the violent style. Ivory, not so much.

There’s a reason Ivory was fourth on the depth chart in New Orleans. He’s played in just six games each of the last two seasons. He’s extremely effective on the field, but Jets fans need to remember two things.

One—Ivory has never shown an ability to stay healthy. Two—Even when healthy, Ivory was seeing soft defenses thanks to a guy named Drew Brees.

The Jets may be expecting too much from Ivory.

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