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Yesterday, the New York Jets signed free agent running back Matt Forte to a four-year deal. Today, they are bringing back their own free agent running back, Bilal Powell.
Powell will team with Forte to give the Jets a very versatile backfield, capable of running the football and catching it as well. Both caught over 40 passes last season. Powell had 47 catches for 388 yards and two touchdowns, while Forte had 44 catches for 389 yards and three touchdowns. It should be noted that Forte did have 102 catches out of the backfield for 808 yards and four scores in 2014.
Powell averaged 4.5 yards per carry last year, providing the Jets with a capable change of pace back late in games. Of his 70 rushes in 11 games he had 18 first downs. As for Forte, he played in 13 games, averaged 4.1 yards per carry and accumulated 898 yards and four scores.
Forte will turn 31 late in the season so his days as a feature back might be numbered. He still showed that he is capable of running the football and being a safety net out of the backfield. Having Powell around to split time with Forte will allow the Jets to keep both backs fresh down the stretch and also give the Jets a more versatile offense. In fact, the duo of Powell and Forte, if they can stay healthy, could be one of the best backfields in the game given their versatility.
The Jets are geared to contend right now. They are an older team that has the talent to make the playoffs as their 10 wins last season indicate. Their window to win is small, but having a backfield that features Forte and Powell should allow the Jets to keep moving the chains on a consistent basis and also prevent defenses from cheating on Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker.
The Jets needed to bring Powell back, as he was getting quite a bit of interest around the NFL. Now that he is back, the Jets can focus on locking up Ryan Fitzpatrick and improving upon last season’s 10-win total.
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