Jacksonville Jaguars: What’s next for T.J. Yeldon?
By Nick Ziegler
The Jacksonville Jaguars are having a great offseason so far, as they are spending their money to hopefully turn the team into a playoff contender in 2016.
Despite having a 5-11 record last season, the Jaguars are certainly heading in the right direction after finally finding their franchise quarterback. Blake Bortles led one of the most exciting offenses in the NFL last season, as along with his talented duo at wide receiver with Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, the Jaguars were an entertaining offense to watch.
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In the year’s NFL Draft, the Jaguars attempted to improve the running game for Bortles and the offense, as they selected T.J. Yeldon in the second-round. In three seasons at Alabama, Yeldon totaled 3,332 rushing yards, 37 rushing touchdowns, and a 5.6 yards per carry average. While Yeldon didn’t have a poor rookie season, it was a bit below the expectations of the Jaguars.
In his rookie season, Yeldon totaled 740 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and a 4.0 yards per carry average. Yeldon was expected to carry the majority of the workload for the Jaguars, but he did miss four games.
When free agency began, the Jaguars wasted little time shocking us with a big signing, as they agreed to terms with running back Chris Ivory. It was a career-year for Ivory in 2015 with the New York Jets, as he carried the load for them on the ground. Last season, Ivory led the AFC in rushing, as he totaled 1,079 rushing yards, which was also fifth-best in NFL. Ivory had some monster games for the Jets last season, as he totaled 166 rushing yards against the Miami Dolphins, and then 146 rushing yards against the Washington Redskins two weeks later.
In addition to leading the AFC in rushing, Ivory totaled seven rushing touchdowns and a 4.3 yards per carry average. While Ivory is a very good runner, he doesn’t pose much of a threat in the passing game. Last season was also a career-high in receptions and receiving yards for Ivory, but he wasn’t feared by many defenses as a pass-catcher.
The Jaguars have now invested a lot into the running back position, as Ivory was one of the best free agent running backs available this offseason, and a second-round pick last season in Yeldon is also a significant piece. The signing of Ivory is an indication that the Jaguars may not be all that confident in Yeldon heading into next season, as Ivory will look to be the workhorse in the backfield.
The durability of Ivory will be the biggest question mark for him in Jacksonville, as he dealt with a lot of injuries with the New Orleans Saints, and also battled a few minor injuries with the Jets in three seasons.
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The Jaguars will likely be a pass-heavy offense in 2016 with an emerging quarterback in Bortles, and it will be interesting to see how carries are divided between Yeldon and Ivory. Competition is a good thing at any position, but the signing of Ivory isn’t a good sign for Yeldon in Jacksonville.