Jacksonville Jaguars: Will RB Chris Ivory Make Huge Impact?
The Jacksonville Jaguars appear primed to sign free agent RB Chris Ivory as soon as free agency officially opens on Wednesday afternoon. Will he be able to come in and make a significant impact in the Jaguars’ offense?
The Jacksonville Jaguars enter the 2016 NFL free agency period with the most cap space in the entire NFL (nearly $82 million available according to Spotrac.com). They have already flashed their cash, with the apparent agreement with running back Chris Ivory being the latest in a series of moves.
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According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Jaguars are expected to sign Ivory when free agency officially begins on Wednesday afternoon. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport adds that the deal will go for the next five seasons, and will cost the Jaguars more than $6 million per season. Undoubtedly a hefty contract for a running back.
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
For the #Jaguars and RB Chris Ivory, it's a 5-year deal that's well north of $6M per year.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2016
Ivory’s 2015 season was the best of his career, as he finished with an AFC-high 1,070 yards on 247 carries (4.3 yards per carry average) and seven touchdowns for the New York Jets. Ivory started the 2015 season on fire, before starting to fade down the stretch with the Jets.
He is an extremely powerful back who will always step up and get the tough yardage, however Ivory’s physical running style has gotten him in trouble with injuries in the past. He was able to stay relatively healthy last season, but Ivory always seems to be dealing with some sort of nagging injury.
His combination of obvious raw power and quickness makes him a dangerous back on the field, but his longevity and durability is a real concern. The Jaguars are about to commit five years to Ivory, and that is a relatively scary thought. That being said, he certainly brings massive upside to the running game.
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The addition of Ivory will mean a likely even split between the veteran free agent addition and second-year back T.J. Yeldon, who the Jaguars took early in the second round of last year’s draft. Yeldon is a talented player, but he is far from a sure thing at the NFL level. If Blake Bortles continues to improve this season, and the Jaguars steps up and plays well, this team could quickly become competitive.
Yeldon is a talented back with legitimate upside, but Ivory has proven the ability to produce at the NFL level. Together, the two should represent a legitimately dangerous backfield for the Jaguars.
Will Ivory come in and dominate for the Jaguars? Probably not. But he is a talented player who brings a certain security to the Jaguars’ backfield that has clearly been missing. This past season, only five teams in the league ran for fewer yards than Jacksonville, which averaged a mere 92.1 yards per game rushing.
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Seeing how they spread out the playing time in the backfield will be interesting, but Ivory is going to be a significant part of the Jaguars’ offense.