Jets Land RB Stevan Ridley
The New York Jets have found their replacement for Chris Johnson. Per reports, the team has agreed to terms with former New England Patriots running back Stevan Ridley. The deal is for one year and isn’t likely to include any guaranteed money, but could include various incentives.
Ridley was on the verge of yet another productive season in New England’s backfield in 2014 before suffering a torn ACL. The knee injury cut Ridley’s fourth NFL season short after just six games and left him entering the open market not knowing his future. The Patriots weren’t interested in bringing him back, likely due to Ridley’s health concerns, as well as a bad history of ball control issues. While Ridley has some red flags, he’s also still just 26 years old and should have plenty of gas left in the tank.
While Ridley didn’t quite live up to expectations over the past two seasons, he did put up an impressive 1,200+ yard and 12-touchdown year in 2012. If the Jets are getting that version of Ridley, they’ll be getting an arguable steal.
The addition of Ridley likely displays Gang Green’s key focus on offense: running the ball. Chris Johnson proved to be ineffective and expendable, while Ridley is a proven commodity that will fight for extra yardage and can be a real asset in short yardage and goal-line situations. Ridley is not the most versatile back in the world, however, as he has not proven to be an adept receiver out of the backfield to this point in his career.
New York bringing in Ridley also raises questions about what the new regime thinks of current starter, Chris Ivory. Ivory vastly out-performed Chris Johnson in 2014, putting up his second consecutive 800+ yard season. Being that Ivory and Ridley have very similar skill-sets, this move could be a sign the new coaching staff either wants to have two power backs to lead an aggressive running game, or they will compete for one spot heading into training camp. With neither Ivory or Ridley standing out as reliable passing down threats, the Jets could work to force one of them into that role, or Bilal Powell and Daryl Richardson could compete for that role.
Either way, adding Ridley is a solid move by the Jets. Backed by an elite defense and an improved arsenal on offense (traded for Brandan Marshall), the only thing keeping the Jets out of the playoffs in 2015 could be lingering issues under center.
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