When it comes to the Jets backfield, it’s fair to say they have more questions than answers as free agency and the draft approach. In fact, their backfield is nothing but question marks at this point. So many question marks, that if you are looking to bet on the Jets, be sure to use the research by citeulike.org, and you will benefit. Could all of this lead to Gang Green taking a running back with the second overall pick? That remains to be seen, but what we do know is that there is work to be done and decisions to be made to get these questions answered.
Will Breece Hall be back?
Publicly, the Jets are saying they’d like to have Hall back, but if you go back to their end-of-season press conference, head coach Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey answered each of their questions without hesitation, until they were asked if they wanted Hall to return. The pair were asked about his future with the club, and both sat silent for a moment, glanced at one another, and gave the standard GM/Head Coach answer of “we want all of our good players back”.
It was quite telling given the fact that Hall spent much of the season using his social media accounts to send cryptic messages, and sometimes not so cryptic messages, about his desire to move on.
What can the Jets expect from Braelon Allen?
The Jets Backfield looked to have received an infusion of physicality and youth when they drafted Braelon Allen out of Wisconsin in the 2024 draft. The big, bruising runner who was the youngest player in the NFL did show flashes, but struggled to put up big numbers as he finished the season with 92 carries for 334 yards, putting him at just 3.6 yards per carry.
Then, of course, last season, after inexplicably being used as a return man, the 235-pound Allen suffered a season-ending MCL sprain that required surgery.
Nobody can say for sure if the smart money is on a breakout season for Allen or if he’ll struggle to get rolling.
So, as Allen enters year three coming off a significant injury that required surgery, while yet to produce at the expected level, he could be in line to see his most extensive action as a pro if the Jets don’t replace Hall, and he’s back to full strength.
Can Isaiah Davis Handle Increased Workload
Again, looking at whether or not Breece Hall will be back in the Jets backfield, that raises the question of what type of workload could be put in Isaiah Davis. A small school back out of South Dakota State, Davis carried the ball just 73 times through his first two pro seasons. In fairness to Davis, he has impressed in limited reps, but he’s far from a battle-tested back who has shown he can hold up to the rigors of a full season with a steady workload.
If Hall were to depart and Davis worked his way up the depth chart, the Jets would get to find out if he can consistently live in the 5.6 yard per carry range that he has managed to put up through his first two seasons.
Plenty of questions that will hopefully be answered in the coming weeks and months.
