8:51pm: Powell’s new one-year pact is worth $2MM, with a $750K signing bonus, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter).
11:46am: It’s a one-year deal for Powell with the Jets, tweets Mehta.
10:30am: The Jets have agreed to terms with running back Bilal Powell on a new deal that will keep him off the free agent market, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). As Mehta notes (via Twitter), Powell had been contemplating a reunion with Rex Ryan in Buffalo, but ultimately decided to stay with New York.
Powell, 26, has been with the Jets since being selected by the team in the fourth round of the 2011 draft. Although he saw a career-high 176 rushing attempts in 2013, he typically hasn’t been a real work horse for the team, contributing as a pass blocker and a special teams player. In 2014, he generally saw about 10 to 20 offensive snaps per game, recording 141 rushing yards, 92 receiving yards, and six special teams tackles for the season.
Even though they’re not really similar players, Powell’s new deal will likely take the Jets out of the market for C.J. Spiller, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that the team doesn’t have interest in Spiller anyway.
As for the Bills, now that they won’t land Powell, their path toward keeping Fred Jackson becomes easier. In fact, it may have been the team’s decision to keep Jackson on its roster that nudged Powell back to the Jets.