Tag: Jets running backs

Jets RB Michael Carter a willing blocker: ‘I’m not scared of anybody’

New Jets running back Michael Carter thinks blocking is a “strength” of his game and is “more than willing” to do it.

New Jets running back Michael Carter is not afraid to get down and dirty to make a block.

Carter was taken in the fourth round out of North Carolina by the Jets in the 2021 NFL draft. He’s only 5-foot-9 and 200 pounds and is known more for his explosiveness as a ball carrier, but he does have the ability to block. When asked about it, Carter said blocking is a “strength” of his game.

“I’m more than willing to put my nose in there and block,” Carter said, per SNY. “I’m not scared of anybody.”

That’s the kind of toughness the Jets are looking for at the running back position. Not every running back is willing to put their body in front of a big defender to make a block. Some are strictly ball carriers, so Carter is bringing a well-rounded skillset to New York. 

Carter’s main job, though, will be running with the football, and he did a great job of that at UNC. The Tar Heels used a running back by committee in 2020, and Carter was the No. 2 back behind Broncos draftee Javonte Williams. Carter still ran for 1,245 yards and nine touchdowns.

For Carter’s entire college career, he totaled 3,404 rushing yards, 22 touchdowns, 656 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns. He also added 650 kickoff return yards.

Carter will once again join a running back committee with the Jets. They have five running backs on the roster now, including La’Mical Perine, Ty Johnson, Tevin Coleman, Josh Adams and Carter. The Jets probably won’t go into the 2021 season with all five on the 53-man roster, though.

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Jets re-signing RB Josh Adams to 1-year deal

Josh Adams is returning to the Jets in 2021.

Josh Adams is returning to the Jets in 2021.

According to The Athletic’s Connor Hughes, the Jets are re-signing Adams to a one-year deal. Adams was a restricted free agent this offseason, but the Jets chose not to tender him.

Adams has been with the Jets since 2019 and has primarily been on the practice squad. He’s appeared in 11 games over two years and rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Adams also had 29 receiving yards.

Adams was signed as a free agent by the Eagles after going undrafted out of Notre Dame in 2018. He played in 14 games with five starts in his rookie season. Adams rushed for 511 yards, three touchdowns and had 58 receiving yards.

With Adams back in the fold, the Jets have four running backs on the roster. The other three are La’Mical Perine, Ty Johnson and Pete Guerriero.

Jets rookie follows Le’Veon Bell’s Twitter lead after Adam Gase’s odd explanation of minimal use

Adam Gase doesn’t want to stunt the growth of La’Mical Perine after he saw zero offensive snaps on Sunday against the Cardinals.

La’Mical Perine isn’t playing for his own good. At least that’s the way Adam Gase explained the rookie running back’s minimal usage.

Perine got zero offensive snaps in the Jets’ 30-10 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday. He only saw six snaps total for the game, all of which came on special teams. When Gase was asked on Monday why Perine didn’t see the field on offense, the coach’s response was that he doesn’t want to put “too much” on Perine’s shoulders and “stunt his growth,” per The Athletic’s Connor Hughes.

In total, Perine has received just 40 offensive snaps on the year. Compared to other Jets running backs, Perine is second-to-last in offensive snaps. Frank Gore leads all Jets running backs with 137 offensive snaps, followed by Le’Veon Bell with 78 offensive snaps. Kalen Ballage, who is no longer with the Jets, is third with 57.

Perine clearly wasn’t happy about not seeing the field on Sunday or with Gase’s explanation, as he liked a tweet that criticized his head coach’s reasoning.

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Bell did something similar on Sunday, liking tweets about getting traded and not getting the ball enough in the passing game. Bell was only targeted once by Joe Flacco on Sunday. Gase said he would prefer that Bell take his complaints directly to him, but that didn’t stop Perine from expressing his own frustrations in the same way.

It’s doesn’t make much sense that the Jets are using Perine so scarcely — or not at all. Now 0-5 and uncompetitive in every game they’ve played, the Jets should be seeing what a young player like Perine has to offer. Now is the time to find out if he can be part of the team’s future, even if that future doesn’t involve Gase.

Bell and Gore are not going to be a part of that future, either. So there’s no reason why a 22-year-old running back, who the Jets used a third-round pick on, should not see the field at least once on offense.

Frank Gore a ‘proud papa’ after his son scores first collegiate touchdown

Frank Gore is proud of his son, Frank Gore Jr., for scoring his first college touchdown.

Frank Gore Jr. is carrying on the family name at Southern Mississippi.

Gore Jr., a running back, scored his first collegiate touchdown on Saturday against North Texas. That left his father, one of the greatest rushers of all-time, feeling proud.

Through four games at Southern Mississippi, Gore Jr. has 46 rushing attempts for 208 yards to go along with 26 receiving yards. The best game of his career was this past week, as he ran for a career-high 130 yards.

Following his son’s standout performance, the older Gore felt a little extra motivation before his Sunday morning workout.

Gore Jr. played a role in Gore coming back for his 16th NFL season. He told his father that he thought he still had another season in him despite being 37 years old.

So Gore decided to sign with the Jets on a one-year deal. Gore has since assumed the starting role after Le’Veon Bell went down with a hamstring injury in Week 1. He has rushed for 174 yards through a quarter of the season. Gore will go back to being the No. 2 running back when Bell makes his expected return this week against the Cardinals.

Report: Jets RB Le’Veon Bell hopes to return Week 5 vs. Cardinals

Le’Veon Bell has his eyes set on Week 5 to return from his hamstring injury.

Le’Veon Bell wants to play as soon he’s eligible to come off of short-term injured reserve.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Bell would like to return to the Jets’ lineup in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals. Bell is eligible to be removed from short-term IR and rejoin the Jets’ active roster in Week 5.

Bell injured his hamstring in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills. He went out for a pass and slipped, causing him to injure his hamstring late in the first half. Bell came back out for the second half; Adam Gase decided to pull the plug on him in the third quarter. After the game, Gase said he wished he had not put Bell back in the game.

The 28-year-old running back was highly motivated entering the 2020 season. He felt this year was going to be the best year of his career. Bell used the entire offseason to get his body in better shape after he admitted that he didn’t feel great in 2019.

The Jets desperately need some playmakers on offense. While Bell isn’t nearly the same player he once was, he’s still better than what the Jets have been running out there over the past couple of weeks. Frank Gore has been carrying the load in Bell’s absence, but there’s only so much a 37-year-old running back can do at this point in his career.

So if Bell does indeed return in Week 5, it should be a big boost to the Jets offense.

Frank Gore kept quiet in matchup against his former team

Frank Gore didn’t get all wrapped up in facing his old team heading into Sunday’s game.

Frank Gore didn’t get all wrapped up in facing his old team heading into Sunday’s game, but the 49ers did keep him relatively quiet in a 31-13 win over the Jets.

Gore had 21 carries for 63 yards, an average of three yards per carry. In the passing game, Gore was targeted twice but failed to make a reception. Adam Gase certainly made utilizing Gore a point of emphasis, as it was his most rushes in a game since Week 17 in 2017. However, San Francisco has a strong defensive front that kept him at bay.

A lot of talk entering Sunday’s game had to do with Gore going up against his former team for only the second time since he departed San Francisco following the 2014 season. Gore spent 10 seasons in the Bay Area and is viewed as one of the best players in the history of the 49ers franchise. He also said this week that he plans on retiring as a 49er once he decides to call it a career.

“You got to understand, coming out of college: two ACLs, two shoulder [injuries],” Gore said, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. “Everybody wrote me off and wouldn’t draft me. They took the chance.”

Before Gore can do that though, he still has to finish this season with the Jets. While his first game back as a starting running back WITH nEW yORK didn’t go as planned, he’ll get at least two more cracks before Le’Veon Bell returns from injured reserve.

Jets injury report: Le’Veon Bell, Blake Cashman likely out ‘a couple of weeks’

Le’Veon Bell and Blake Cashman are probably out for the next couple of weeks due to injuries.

The Jets didn’t get any encouraging news from their training staff following injuries to Le’Veon Bell and Blake Cashman in Sunday’s game against the Bills.

Adam Gase said MOnday that Bell (hamstring) and Cashman (groin) will likely be out for “a couple of weeks.” Gase didn’t want to put a definitive timetable on either player’s return.

Pertaining to Bell, Gase did say he’s in fantastic shape so he wouldn’t be surprised if he came back sooner rather than later.

Bell injured his hamstring late in the first half after he went out for a pass and slipped. He finished the first half and even came back out for the second half until the coaching staff decided to pull him from the game. Gase said afterward that he was mad at himself for putting Bell back in the game.

Bell’s injury leaves the Jets with two healthy running backs at the moment in Frank Gore and Josh Adams. La’Mical Perine is probably still not ready to return from his ankle injury. So the Jets may have to go out and sign a running back in free agency.

As for Cashman, he went down early in the first quarter with a groin injury and didn’t return. His injury left the Jets with Neville Hewitt and Harvey Langi at inside linebacker. Avery Williamson’s (hamstring) status for Week 2 is unknown, so the Jets could be looking for some help at inside linebacker, too.

They do have Alec Ogletree on the practice squad, who has played under Gregg Williams before and has starting experience.

Jets sign Mike White to active roster, promote Josh Adams and Josh Malone from practice squad

The Jets signed Mike White to the active roster and promoted Josh Adams, Josh Malone from the practice squad to the active roster.

The Jets have themselves a new No. 2 quarterback — for now.

On Saturday, New York signed Mike White to its active roster for Week 1. Despite having no regular season experience, White got the nod over David Fales, who remains on the practice squad, while Joe Flacco continues to work his way back from offseason neck surgery.  He will serve as Sam Darnold’s backup until Flacco returns to action. Rookie James Morgan will be the Jets’ third-string quarterback.

The Jets also addressed two offensive skill positions leading up to their season opener, promoting running back Josh Adams and wide receiver Josh Malone from the practice squad. Adams will presumably take the spot of the injured La’Mical Perine as the No. 3 running back behind Le’Veon Bell. The 23-year-old rushed for only 12 yards on eight carries with New York in 2019.

Malone will likely fill in for Denzel Mims, who is doubtful with a hamstring injury. Even with Malone up from the practice squad, the Jets are down to only five wide receivers — Braxton Berrios, Jamison Crowder, Chris Hogan and Breshad Perriman. The 24-year-old appeared in only two games with the Jets last season and played primarily on special teams. In three NFL seasons, Malone has caught seven passes for 75 yards and one touchdown.

 

Le’Veon Bell in top-notch shape with training camp underway

Le’Veon Bell has very little body fat as he enters Jets training camp.

Physically, Le’Veon Bell couldn’t be more prepared for training camp than he is now.

Bell posted a tweet Saturday highlighting his body composition. It showed that Bell has 4 percent fat and 96 percent fat-free mass. For a player that stands at 6-foot-1and 225 pounds, that’s awfully impressive.

Bell has posted a lot of videos of him working out in order to get ready for the regular season. He recently posted a video of him boxing with his trainer during the middle of the night. Bell has also posted videos of him working out on the field as well.

The 28-year-old running back is determined to prove that he still has gas left in the tank after a disappointing first season with the Jets in 2019. Bell only ran for 789 yards on 245 carries last season after rushing for over 1,000 yards in his last two seasons in Pittsburgh.

Bell wasn’t helped out by his offensive line, though. The Jets had one of the worst offensive lines in football last season, one that failed to create open holes for the running back. The Jets offensive line has completely overhauled this offseason and will have five new starters.

Between that and a more efficient workload, Bell could have a chance to return to the running back he was while with the Steelers. If nothing else, he certainly looks like the same guy.