The Jets struggled on offense last season, and while most of the blame fell on rookie quarterback Geno Smith and an underachieving group of receivers, the team also found it difficult to move the ball on the ground. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that while the team is looking to upgrade its receivers, it also could look at improving at running back (via Twitter). One option he writes that the Jets are seriously considering is former Jaguar Maurice Jones-Drew.
Jones-Drew has struggled with injuries the past two seasons, but also dealt with offenses that were among the league’s worst. He is only a few year removed from toting the football all the way to the rushing title, amassing over 1,600 yards in 2011.
The 28-year-old workhorse does have over 1,800 carries under his belt, and has taken a beating in his NFL career. Jones-Drew is a reliable receiver out of the backfield, and can make an impact on third down both catching the football and protecting the quarterback. As veteran running backs such as Darren McFadden and Toby Gerhart have been signing cheap deals so far this offseason, albeit much less accomplished NFL players, Jones-Drew could make a difference sharing the tailback duties for the Jets with Chris Ivory.