Le’Veon Bell, Frank Gore were among NFL’s least successful running backs in 2019

Le’Veon Bell and Frank Gore were two of the least effective rushers in 2019 and will need to improve in 2020 for the Jets to be successful.

The Jets will enter the 2020 season with one of the most experienced backfields in franchise history. Between Le’Veon Bell and the newly-signed Frank Gore, New York will have more than 20 combined years of NFL experience running the football.

However, that experience didn’t help either last season. Bell and Gore were, separately, among the least successful rushers in football.

Bell finished his first season in New York with an abysmal 42.4 percent success rate, per NFL Next Gen Stats, meaning his rushing attempts resulted in a positive play less than half the time. That ranked 28th out of 29 running backs with a minimum of 150 rushing attempts. Gore, meanwhile, finished only slightly better than Bell despite playing less than half as many snaps. Gore ended his season in Buffalo with a 44 percent success rate, which ranked 27th.

The numbers look even worse when you dive deeper into the more metrics.

Gore and Bell ranked 43rd and 44th, respectively, in Defensive-adjusted Yards Above Replacement out of 45 rushers with a minimum of 100 carries, per Football Outsiders. In Defense-adjusted Value Over Average, Gore and Bell finished 42nd and 44th out of 45, respectively.

This isn’t to say Bell and Gore are bad running backs. Rather, they were clearly used incorrectly and/or played behind suspect offensive lines. This was obviously the case with Bell, as the Jets finished 31st in Football Outsiders’ Adjusted Line Yards, which takes rushing attempts and assigns responsibility to the offensive line. The Jets also finished with a 21 percent stuff rate – the percentage of runs stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage – which ranked 25th in the league.

As for Gore, a lot of it has to do with situation and age. Gore turned 36 in 2019 and saw his third-fewest single-season rush attempts in his 16-year career year. He also played in the fewest snaps of his career and ran mostly on 1st and10 plays. The Bills offensive line ranked middle-of-the-pack in 2019, but there’s no question Gore looked like he lost a bit of his power as the season progressed.

Bell’s and Gore’s 2019 seasons aren’t necessarily an indication of their 2020 potential, though. The most successful rushers this past season played behind the best offensive lines, and Joe Douglas did as much as he could to upgrade the Jets’ line by signing Connor McGovern George Fant, Greg Van Roten and Alex Lewis and drafting Mekhi Becton in the first round. Those five should all play roles on the offensive line this season, and all are better than their 2019 counterparts.

The Jets will also be healthier and denser at pass-catcher this season with a healthy Chris Herndon and by bringing in receivers Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims. Another season with Gase should also help Sam Darnold better command the offense and understand how to alter his protection. All of these improvements help running backs.

There’s no telling how Gase will use the duo of Bell and Gore this season – with a sprinkling of fourth-round rookie La’Mical Perine, too – but the running backs figure to play key roles in the Jets offense early on in the season. Gase said he expects Bell and Gore to “do some damage together,” but gave no indication as to how. Bell is a better pass-catching rusher who thrives on finesse, while Gore is a more powerful runner great in short-yardage rushing situations. Gore ran well the last time he played for Gase when both were in Miami in 2018, but Gore is two years older now with a lot more tread on his tires.

Either way, both Bell and Gore will need to be better than they were in 2019 if the Jets are to compete this season. The Jets have done a lot to ensure the potential for that future this upcoming season, but it’s on Bell and Gore to play up to that level.

Adam Gase hopes to lessen the load for Le’Veon Bell in 2020

Adam Gase wants to ease the workload of Le’Veon Bell with a running back by committee. He also wants to utilize other options on offense.

Adam Gase wants to change the way the Jets utilize their running game in 2020.

Gase was on ESPN’s Rich Cimini’s “Flight Deck” podcast and explained how he wants to take some of the pressure off Le’Veon Bell’s shoulders. Instead of trying to maximize Bell’s usage, Gase prefers using a committee of running backs to ease the workload of the 28-year-old. It’s all part of Gase’s “less is more” style of running.

“I do think we have some guys that can help maybe lessen the load on [Bell] to where it’s not all on him,” Gase said. “Hopefully, we can get some of the younger backs to where we can make a good one-two punch to where we can really excel instead of feeling like it’s just all on him all the time.”

Despite what many think, Gase used Bell a lot last season. Between rushing attempts and receptions, Bell had 311 touches. It wasn’t nearly the amount he got in Pittsburgh, but keep in mind it was Bell’s first season back after taking a year off in 2018. Gase couldn’t just throw him into the fire and expect 400 touches out of him. The Jets would’ve run him into the ground had they done that.

While Gase says they want to have a committee of running backs, there isn’t much depth after Bell. Fourth-round pick La’Mical Perine figures to be second on the depth chart, but after that, it’s a collection of unproven rushers in Kenneth Dixon, Josh Adams and Trenton Cannon.

What should help Bell next season is an improved offensive line and more playmakers in the offense. The Jets might have five new starters on the offensive line next season. Meanwhile, they added some weapons in Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims. They’ll also get Chris Herndon and Ryan Griffin back.

Those players should help open up the offense more. Last season, Bell was facing a loaded box on 36.3 percent of his runs. It’s hard to have success as a running back when opposing defenses know what’s coming. So Gase thinks Bell should see fewer players in the box because of the other threats the Jets have.

“If you have the vertical threats like I think we’re going to have with the wide receivers now, hey, maybe we’ll start seeing two-high zone instead of them just focusing on one guy in the receiving corps,” Gase said.

Does Sam Darnold have enough to work with now?

The Jets didn’t give Darnold more weapons, but a fortified offensive line should be enough to make them competitive.

Sam Darnold heads into his third season after seeing some positive developments in 2019. His completion percentage, passing yards and touchdown-to-interception ratio all improved despite a three-game absence earlier in the year because of mono. In turn, he won three more games than he did his rookie season.

Now would be the time to load up on offensive weapons and fuel Darnold’s exponential rise as an NFL quarterback, right? Especially a year after the Jets finished 31st in points scored and 32nd in yards. Well, the Jets didn’t exactly do that during the 2020 offseason, but they laid the groundwork to give Darnold the tools to succeed without relying on the talent around him. Is that enough to elevate his game? Only time – and the offensive line – will tell.

The Jets don’t have any proven skill position players on the roster with the exception of Le’Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder. None of their starting wide receivers have eclipsed 900 yards in a season. What the Jets do have, though, is a collection of players who have flashed enough ability to become valuable weapons if Darnold can utilize them properly.

Crowder is an adept slot receiver who will be Darnold’s safety net in 2020. Chris Herndon should be a bruising, big-bodied target. Quincy Enunwa, if healthy, can be a reliable weapon in the middle of the field. The newest pass-catchers – free-agent Breshad Perriman and rookie Denzel Mims – have the requisite physical attributes to become potent weapons on the outside and down the field. Out of the backfield, Bell is as versatile as they come for running backs and has the experience to become dangerous again.

All of these players, in theory, should be enough for Darnold. But they’re all mostly unproven and need Darnold more than Darnold needs them. Outside of Perriman and Mims, it’s almost the same offense from last year.

On its surface, Darnold doesn’t have enough around him to become a truly great quarterback. A more proven outside receiver would be nice, as would a second running back or more dangerous tight end. Those are all hard to come by, though, unless you have the capital to pay up for one in free agency or on the trade market or the competence to draft one. At this point, there aren’t many players available that would drastically improve the Jets’ current weapons, though.

But even if the Jets had better offensive weapons for Darnold, none of it will matter if the offensive line fails him again. Darnold proved throughout his first two seasons in the league he can make high-caliber throws and win games despite an absence of top-tier talent. But when he didn’t have time to throw, he crumbled. Whether that was with an ill-advised throw or sack or interception, Darnold couldn’t perform in spite of the offensive line in front of him.

Joe Douglas did an admirable job trying to stabilize that line this offseason. First-round pick Mekhi Becton is a mauler in the trenches who should provide substantial run-blocking support and develop into a nice pass-blocker as well. Connor McGovern is a huge improvement over the Jets’ most recent centers. George Fant could be solid at tackle and the return of Alex Lewis rounds out a solid core for the Jets offensive line.

If that group keeps Darnold upright, maintains a solid pocket and opens up running lanes for Bell, the Jets have enough to be competitive in 2020. The collection of skill position players, while lacking a true star outside of Bell, gives Darnold a number of options on offense. But if the line breaks, like it did for much of 2019, the Jets will see a repeat of the past two seasons, and Douglas will look back and wonder what more he could have done for Darnold.

Jabari Zuniga has chance to make biggest impact of any Jets rookie in 2020

Jets Wire breaks down why Jabari Zuniga could wind up being New York’s most impactful rookie in 2020.

Every so often there is a middle or late-round draft pick that comes out of nowhere to make an instant impact for his team.

For the Jets, that rookie might be outside linebacker Jabari Zuniga.

Zuniga’s career at Florida was hampered by constant injuries and questionable usage. In four seasons with the Gators, he missed 11 games, eight of which came in his senior year. Thirty-nine games played out of a possible 50 might not seem like the worst statistic in the world considering a large chunk of missed games came in one season, but Zuniga often played through injuries which hindered his ability to produce as he normally would.

When healthy, Zuniga’s raw talent was on display. As a junior, he recorded 11.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. However, Florida’s coaching staff frequently made the head-scratching decision to line him up as an inside linebacker. Zuniga still produced while playing inside, but he was rarely able to show off his skills coming off the edge.

The injuries and misuse caused Zuniga to slide down many draft boards even though his talent was abundantly clear on film. Zuniga’s Florida tape and a strong NFL combine in February were all the Jets needed to see, though, as general manager Joe Douglas felt comfortable enough to select Zuniga in the third round.

Zuniga now has an opportunity to not only slide into New York’s starting lineup, but become an impactful pass rusher right off the bat. Tarrell Basham came on strong at the end of last season, but other than him, there is little quality competition for the starting outside linebacker spot opposite Jordan Jenkins.

Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is known for coaching young players up and getting the most out of them as early as possible. As long as he can stay healthy, there is no reason why Zuniga cannot become the latest Williams protege to evolve into a menace rushing the passer sooner rather than later.

Saying Zuniga could make the biggest impact of any Jets rookie in 2020 is a bold claim — especially since first-round pick Mekhi Becton is a lock to start at left tackle and second-round pick Denzel Mims has a very good chance to open the season as a starter at wide receiver. However, Becton is still raw and it remains to be seen if he can consistently contain NFL pass rushers as a rookie. As for Mims, if he wins a starting job in training camp, he will have to share targets with Jamison Crowder, Breshad Perriman, Quincy Enunwa, Ryan Griffin, Chris Herndon and others.

If Zuniga wins a starting job, the only player standing in his way on the road to production is himself.

Zuniga has a lot of work to do in the coming months to develop into a starting-caliber NFL edge rusher, but the potential for him to do so is certainly there. As long as he progresses as expected and avoids the injury bug, don’t discount the possibility of Zuniga becoming New York’s most productive rookie this upcoming season.

Free agent WR Marqise Lee a perfect fit for Jets

The Jets need all the help they can get at receiver and the former Jaguars pass-catcher would be the perfect fit for Adam Gase.

Former 2014 second-round pick Marqise Lee could be a simple solution to the Jets’ wide receiver woes and might make their draft decisions a little easier.

Wide receiver remains one of the biggest question marks on the Jets roster even with a depth chart that includes Jamison Crowder, Breshad Perriman and Quincy Enunwa as its starters. Lee, who the Jaguars released Monday, would be a perfect fit in Adam Gase’s offense given his experience, size and skillset, but it’s hard to buy into a player who’s only played 16 games in the past two seasons.

The Jets have their big-play threat, slot receiver and big-bodied targets in Perriman, Crowder, Enunwa and tight end Chris Herndon, but they’re lacking a receiver who excels in the middle of the field on short-to-intermediate passing yard situations. Lee is that missing piece on the offense and proved he can be that with Jaguars over the past six years. At 6-foot-1, 196 pounds, Lee could become for the Jets offense what Jarvis Landy and Danny Amendola were for Gase during his time with the Dolphins.

Lee was one of the better receivers on targets of nine yards or less from 2016-2017, the best two years of his career. On those plays, he tallied 9.7 yards per reception, 5.7 yards after the catch, forced a missed tackle rate of 18.6 percent and had an explosive play rate of 14.8 percent. He caught 119 receptions for 1,553 yards and six touchdowns in 30 games.

Lee isn’t known as a deep-ball pass catcher – he finished as one of the worst receivers on passes of at least 20 yards – but he excelled in the middle of the field, particularly on crossing routes. Almost a quarter of Lee’s targets and 31.5 percent of his yards between 2016-2017 came on crossing routes, where he caught 80 percent of those targets.

This bodes well for a Jets offense that thrives on short passes. Darnold threw short passes on 78.45 percent of his passing attempts in 2019, while 77.63 percent of Lee’s targets came on short passing attempts. Both Darnold and Lee favored the right side of the field for passes as well. If Lee joins the Jets, he’ll have a role that fits his skill set perfectly, as long as he can stay on the field.

The biggest worry with Lee is his health. He missed all of 2018 and most of 2019 with severe knee injuries and missed time at other points in his career due to shoulder, foot, ankle and hamstring ailments. The talent is there, it’s just a matter of durability that might keep Lee from seeing action.

That shouldn’t stop the Jets from taking a flier on Lee, though, and it shouldn’t change Douglas’ draft strategy with finding a receiver. If anything, signing Lee alleviates the pressure on the Jets to find a starting receiver with one of their early-round picks. The Jets would be able to focus on other positions of need like offensive tackle, cornerback or edge rusher earlier on rather than wideout if they sign or plan to sign Lee. Douglas should absolutely still look at taking a receiver as early as the second round, but the pressure to draft at that position with a premium pick is lessened when you have a roster littered with experienced pass-catchers.

Douglas already said the Jets will be buyers in free agency again once the draft is over and that could very well mean adding a starting-caliber wide receiver like Lee.

Todd McShay: Sam Darnold more talented than other recent college QBs

ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay said Sam Darnold was more talented than other elite college quarterbacks when he entered the NFL.

Jets quarterback Sam Darnold has not had much to work with in his two seasons in the NFL.

Throughout his rookie season, Darnold’s only consistent target was Robby Anderson. No. 2 receiver Quincy Enunwa missed five games due to injury. Jermaine Kearse regressed after a strong 2017 campaign. Free agent signing Terrell Pryor contributed next to nothing before being released. Chris Herndon performed relatively well, but still caught only 39 passes as he learned the ropes in his rookie year.

In 2019, the Jets made an effort to surround Darnold with some weapons by signing Le’Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder. Crowder developed chemistry with Darnold, but Bell failed to contribute much of anything due to pitiful offensive line play. Enunwa and Herndon appeared in one game each, forcing Darnold to work without one of his starting receivers and a budding tight end.

Darnold has caught plenty of heat for his turnover-prone play in his first two years with the Jets. Some have questioned his ability to read NFL defenses, while others have questioned his arm talent. Throughout all of this, the lack of talent the USC product has been surrounded with frequently flies under the radar.

On Monday, ESPN’s Todd McShay shined a light on the subject. Not only did McShay emphasize that Darnold needs help from his skill position players, but he went as far as saying he was better coming out of college than other recent signal callers that have either entered the NFL in recent years or are preparing to do so in the 2020 draft.

“Sam Darnold was more talented than Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Joe Burrow coming out of college,” McShay said. “Darnold just needs people around him.”

Many will argue against McShay’s opinion, but his tenure as a veteran draft analyst gives his words some credence. The jury is still out on Burrow and Murray, but Mayfield had Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry and David Njoku to throw to last season, yet failed to lead the Browns to more wins than Darnold accumulated with the Jets while working with a motley crew of wideouts.

Regardless of McShay’s words, it looks like Darnold will be forced to make due with less yet again in 2020. Bell returns at running back, but it remains to be seen what he can bring to the table in his second year with the Jets. Anderson departed in free agency and his replacement, Breshad Perriman, still has to prove he can consistently produce for a whole season.

On the bright side, Darnold still has Crowder to work with in the slot and the Jets will feature a solid tight end duo in Ryan Griffin and Herndon. Enunwa could return, although it is unclear what kind of impact he can make after a second neck injury. It’s not the most electric group of skill position players in the league, but one that can get open and catch passes.

Could year three be the year Darnold breaks out and separates himself from the quarterbacks he has been compared to for years? Only time will tell. Until then, let the record show that any evaluation of Darnold’s play must take into account how little he has had to work with throughout his professional career.

Jets exercise 2021 option on TE Ryan Griffin

On Saturday, the New York Jets preemptively exercised their 2021 option on TE Ryan Griffin, even though he is under team control until 2022.

The Jets must really want Ryan Griffin to stick around, as New York preemptively exercised its 2021 option on the tight end, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

Griffin signed a three-year extension with the Jets last November that can earn him up to $10.8 million with incentives, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The deal also includes $4 million in guaranteed money.

Making a strong impression in the 13 games he started last season, Griffin had 34 catches for 320 yards and five touchdowns before ankle surgery landed him on injured reserve for the remaining three games.

The Jets took a chance on Griffin last July, two months after the Texans cut him due to an arrest that stemmed from Houston taking another tight end in the 2019 NFL Draft.

With Chris Herndon suspended for the first four games of the 2019 season, the Jets needed to find Sam Darnold a security blanket and Griffin quickly became one of the young quarterback’s favorite targets.

With Griffin, Herndon and Trevon Wesco manning the tight end room, the Jets have one less position group to worry about for the foreseeable future.

Jets ink TE Daniel Brown to one-year extension

On Thursday night, the Jets announced that they signed Daniel Brown to a one-year extension for the 2020 season, adding more depth at TE.

Daniel Brown will be back with the Jets. The team announced Thursday that the tight end signed a one-year extension for an undisclosed amount.

Brown is the second Jets tight end to sign an extension under Joe Douglas. Back in November, Ryan Griffin signed a three-year deal with the Jets worth $10.8 million with $4 million guaranteed. Brown and Griffin complete the tight end room that includes Chris Herndon, Trevon Wesco and Ross Travis.

In 2019, Brown played in all 16 games, starting five of them for Gang Green. He totaled seven receptions for 72 yards and a score. In addition, he finished third on the Jets with 11 special teams tackles.

The fifth-year tight end out of James Madison University now has 389 yards, 42 catches and two touchdowns for his career.

Primarily utilized as a blocking tight end, Brown will compete with Wesco for playing time once OTAs roll around.

Ryan Griffin eager to team up with Chris Herndon in 2020

Jets tight end Ryan Griffin is looking forward to teaming up with Chris Herndon next season.

The Jets were never at full strength at the tight end position in 2019, but Ryan Griffin believes big things await him and Chris Herndon next season.

The Jets didn’t get to see much of the duo last season. They only played in one game together in 2019, which came in Week 10 of the regular season. As both players battle back from injuries, Griffin is eager to see what New York’s offense could do with both of them in the lineup.

“I’m excited for Chris to get back,” Griffin told the team’s website. “He’s very versatile and can do a lot of things very well in this league, and he’s a young kid. I’m looking forward to him getting a full season under his belt and under the system as well. When we’re both out there I think it opens up the playbook that much more for Coach Gase. I’m really looking forward to seeing what this offense can do with everybody healthy and no nagging injuries, no sicknesses, no illnesses with everybody on the same page.”

Griffin was signed late last offseason after Herndon received a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance of abuse policy. Griffin played in 13 games, making 34 catches for 320 yards and five touchdowns.

The Jets rewarded Griffin’s strong season with a three-year extension worth $10.8 million with $4 million guaranteed, but his season ended prematurely after he went down with an ankle injury and was placed on injured reserve.

Herndon, meanwhile, pulled a hamstring that caused him to miss an additional four games following his suspension. Then, in his first game back against the Giants, Herndon broke his rib and was ruled out for the rest of the season.

Sam Darnold had great chemistry with Herndon in his rookie season and with Griffin this past season. Darnold more than anybody would like to see what this offense can do when both are healthy. If the two can produce the way they have in their limited time with the Jets, then this could be a lethal duo at tight end.

The biggest disappointments from the Jets’ 2019 season

Here are the most disappointing players and coaches for the Jets in 2019.

After much anticipation heading into the 2019 season, it ended in typical Jets fashion: a losing record and another year without making the playoffs.

The Jets signed multiple marquee free agents in the offseason and drafted some highly-touted rookies to add to their core of players. However, it all never came to fruition as the Jets put themselves in a deep hole with a 1-7 record. They finished the year at 7-9.

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest disappointments the Jets had in 2019.

Le’Veon Bell

The Jets signed Le’Veon Bell to a massive four-year $52.5 million deal with the expectation that he would be one of the best running backs in football. Instead, he had the worst season of his pro career.

Bell rushed for 789 yards this season, his lowest since 2015. It was also the fewest rushing attempts (245) Bell had in a full season’s worth of work since his rookie year. In the passing game, Bell was expected to be a safety net for Sam Darnold, but that wasn’t the case. He only had 461 receiving yards, which was his lowest dating back to his rookie season.

Now the question remains if Bell will be back next season. His name swirled around during the trade deadline, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he is dealt in the offseason. If 2019 was Bell’s only season with Gang Green, it will go down as another bad free agent signing for the Jets.

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