Report: Jets expected to release RB Isaiah Crowell

Per a report from Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News, the New York Jets are expected to release RB Isaiah Crowell after just one season with the team.

It looks as though the New York Jets will attempt to completely reshape their backfield as the team trecks towards the 2019 season. A recent report from Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News has indicated that the Jets will look to move on from running back Isaiah Crowell this offseason, just one year after signing him.

The team was already expected to cut ties with franchise mainstay Bilal Powell over the offseason and now with the expected addition of Crowell, the Jets running back committee is set to look quite different next season.

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Crowell signed a three-year deal with the team last offseason with a potential out after one season. Much like the Jets did with center Spencer Long, the organization is looking to exercise that out by releasing Crowell ahead of the March 15th deadline.

The former Cleveland Brown played in 13 games last season, rushing for 685 yards and six touchdowns on 143 carries for an average of 4.8 yards per carry. Despite that rate tying for his career high, the Jets didn’t feel that Crowell showed enough to warrant bringing him back next season.

Besides, that number is slightly inflated.

Many will remember Crowell’s record-breaking afternoon when he rushed for a staggering 219 yards on just 15 carries. However, if you remove that day from his stats, the numbers don’t look nearly as impressive. Not counting that game, Crowell would have finished with just 466 yards on 128 carries over 12 games.

His average would have dropped to a stunningly-low 3.6 yards per carry.

Now, it’s unfair to completely disregard one game to manipulate stats. But at the same time, it does put the impact of that game on his overall statistics in perspective.

The Jets will be in the market for a running back this offseason and will likely look to free agency to find an answer. Players such as Tevin Coleman or Mark Ingram could make intriguing options but the focus will undoubtedly be on Le’Veon Bell as the weeks go by.

Bell is set to become one of, if not the highest paid running back in football and the Jets appear to have their eyes set on him at the moment. Only time will tell whether the team can actually land Bell or if they fall just short in free agency once again.

Regardless, expect to see some new faces occupying the Jets backfield in 2019.