The New York Jets have reportedly sent a late-round conditional draft pick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for for running back Kalen Ballage. The move comes as somewhat of a surprise as many had anticipated the team prioritizing the wide receiver position given their lack of depth at the spot, but instead Joe Douglas made a move for a former Adam Gase draft pick.
Plot twist: The #Dolphins are trading RB Kalen Ballage to the #Jets for a conditional late-round pick, source said. Miami had planned to release him, but NYJ stepped in before it was official and the two have a deal.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 27, 2020
The Dolphins were reportedly set to release Ballage before the Jets made a move to bring him in. While it’s entirely possible that Ballage won’t make the 53-man roster and the Jets will recoup their pick, but Gase did draft Ballage with the Dolphins, and sometimes coaches make it a priority to bring in “their guys” when the opportunity presents itself.
In two pro seasons, Ballage has averaged 3 yards per carry on 110 attempts. In 2019 he managed just 1.8 yards per rush after averaging an eye-popping 5.3 yards per carry as a rookie in 2018.
