After losing Matt Forte to retirement, the Jets reloaded at running back via free agency. On Tuesday, the Jets agreed to sign ex-Browns running back Isaiah Crowell to a three-year deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The Jets, who also re-signed Josh McCown to a one-year, $10 million deal on Tuesday, are getting a player who has held plenty of promise for a couple of seasons now, but hasn't developed into the star that some (me) thought he'd become. In four seasons with the Browns, Crowell never missed a game and averaged 779.5 rushing yards, 972 yards from scrimmage, and 5.5 touchdowns per year. In 2016, Crowell finished 11th in Pro Football Focus' elusive rating, which measures missed tackles, and led the league in breakaway percentage with 47.5 percent of his yards coming on runs of 15-plus yards.
He's efficient.
Crowell is one of only six NFL backs with at least 150 carries in each of the last two seasons to average 4.0 yards or more per carry, joining Devonta Freeman, Jordan Howard, Ezekiel Elliott, Mark Ingram and Le'Veon Bell. #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 13, 2018
In New York, Crowell's top competition for reps will be Bilal Powell and Elijah McGuire. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Jets distribute carries among a couple backs, but Crowell should become the team's primary ball carrier. Powell might the odd man out considering he's 29 years old (McGuire is 23) and the Jets are still in the primary stages of their rebuild.
Usually, signing free-agent running backs can only lead to trouble, but the Jets did well to get themselves a younger back with upside rather than signing an older back whose best days are behind him (cough cough Giants cough cough). Now, they just need to figure out who'll be handing the ball to Crowell. Free agency began with the Jets missing on Kirk Cousins and it's clear that McCown isn't their long-term answer at the position.
Luckily, seeing that he's coming from Cleveland, Crowell is more than used to playing on an offense without a quarterback.
