A day after paying a visit to the Dolphins, free agent running back Stevan Ridley will continue his AFC East tour by heading to New York today to meet with the Jets, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Ridley, 26, is returning from a season-ending knee injury and appears unlikely to sign with the Patriots, with whom he has spent his first four NFL seasons. His best season in New England came in 2012, when he rushed for 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns as the team’s feature back. Fumbling problems, injuries, and Bill Belichick‘s habit of rotating running backs limited Ridley’s production over the last two seasons.
The Jets re-signed Bilal Powell earlier this offseason, and also have Chris Ivory atop their running back depth chart, but could still use some help at the position. Ivory, who had a career-high 198 carries in 2014, probably isn’t the type of player who will carry a DeMarco Murray-esque load, so a healthy Ridley might be a nice complement for the Jets’ starter.
Ridley has also been linked to the Cowboys and Vikings at various times in free agency, but based on his visits this week, it appears very possible that he’ll remain in the AFC East.