The Jets in the recent past have run offenses that had a feature back. Think Frank Gore and Perine (187 att./64 att.). Think Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell (247 att./70 att.). Or even Isaiah Crowell and Elijah McGuire (144 att./92att.).

Here’s the simplest way to describe this: an offense with a feature back has a workhorse. One back takes the majority of carries, and a backup or two enter the game on occasion for a breather.

This has NOT been the way the San Francisco 49ers have run their offense, so don’t expect Mike LaFleur to change it up.

RBBC

Running back by committee. There’s no particular leading back. Yes, there’s a starter, but no one would be expected to be the work horse. This opens up the offense for a more creative, fresh approach. Personnel packages are harder to distinguish. Legs are fresher. Players are less fatigued and moving faster.

In a Shanahan-esque offense that’s a lot of zone running in a very “West Coast” style that relies on speed, the Jets have stockpiled a lot of depth in the running back room. Currently on the roster there are 6 backs. 3, maybe 4 will make that final 53. So who fits, and who’s going to be the odd men out?

The Shanahan Coaching Scheme

The Shanahan Coaching scheme is, at its core, an all-cylinders West Coast offense. The play calling relies predominately around inside and outside zone schemes. This is designed to simply get defensive lineman and linebackers moving horizontally, out of their fits, and creating some kind of seam for the back to hit. For this reason, the Jets spent some draft capital to move up from 23 to 14 to draft USC guard Alijah Vera-Tucker: the best IOL in the draft. He possesses the same skill set needed to move left of right quickly, and pick up their nearest threat. By the time the linebackers are nose to the line of scrimmage for the run, the offense hits a lethal play action. Or, when the linebackers are cheating to an outside shade in anticipation, gap scheme and counter runs catch them out of their fits.

What is “Zone” Run Scheme?

Instead of some run schemes that are planned by offensive lineman blocking a specific player, “zone” schemes give the lineman an area or location to block.

Imagine an outside zone run to the left for the New York Jets: Corey Davis grabs the cornerback and sends him into the stands to sit with his mother. Mekhi Becton gets rolling to seal the edge off, first chipping the defensive end, and then moving up to the poor nickel safety or outside linebacker. AVT blocks down on the defensive end, Connor McGovern chips the first defensive tackle, and now his responsibility is the first immediate threat. So if Becton is sealing the edge on the first outside backer, or the nickel safety, McGovern likely takes the mike linebacker. Whoever the back is, whether Tevin Coleman or Michael Carter, follows the blocks of Becton and AVT, putting him into a one-on-one with the safety, or a cut back lane to gash pursuing defenders.

Or maybe the Jets throw in an additional fullback, and everyone just bumps back a zone or threat.

Congratulations, that’s outside zone scheme. If you don’t have speed or physicality on the outside, this puts defenses in bad situations, and forces players who aren’t studs in the box (i.e. corners and safeties) to make the open field tackles.

This type of offense requires a twitchy back, who has a high top speed, and can hit that quickly.

Who Fits The Roll?

Before we get into the numbers and statistics, lets look at two players who are almost 100% safe to make the roster: Tevin Coleman and Michael Carter.

Coleman, one of the Jets free agency signings, follows LaFluer and Saleh from San Francisco. He’s on a one-year, $2 million deal. It would be silly for the staff to make an effort to grab him and not keep him come Cut Day. That being said, Jets fans know all too well free agency is far from a perfect science. Coleman is, however, the oldest player in the running back room, entering his 7th year in the League. If we use his 2019 statistics, the last season he took snaps in, he is the most productive back on the roster.

Michael Carter was the Jets 4th round draft pick, although many characterized him as a 3rd round talent. Carter has electric college numbers, far beyond the production of any current back on the Jets. But college is college: this is big boy time. However, unless something drastic happens, it would be shocking for him not to get a chance.

Coleman is familiar with the system, and had a respectable 2019 season before he was sidelined in 2020 with injury. Carter has the explosiveness and twitchiness to succeed in this offense. Part of a duo with Javonte Williams (Denver’s 2nd round pick), Carter took 156 carries for 1,245 yards and 8 scores, compared to his partners 157 carries for 1,140 yards and 19 scores.

The Odd Men Out

Assuming Coleman and Carter are safe, this leaves the roster spots left for Ty Johnson, Josh Adams, La’Mical Perine, and Austin Walter to take.

Austin Walter is my last ranked back in the room. He hasn’t taken a single snap at running back for the 49ers, and his roll of return specialist will likely be taken by Braxton Berrios or Elijah Moore.

Johnson, Adams, and Perine all took snaps for the Jets offense last year. After the departure of Le’Veon Bell, and outside of the halfback dive for 2 yards by Frank Gore, Johnson took the most carries (54) compared to Perine or Adams (64, 29, respectfully). Johnson also amassed the most yards (254), despite Perine’s efforts (232). Remember, this is mostly because Josh Adams was predominately a 3rd and short or goal line power back. Despite that, of the all backs, Adams had the highest yards per attempt (5.4), and Perine had the worst (3.6).

Perine was only a rookie, and all things considered didn’t see much playing time. Some might not be willing to give up on him: after all, the Jets did spend a 4th rounder on him, just like newly acquired Carter. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves: per Sports Illustrated, 4th round draft picks only have a hit rate of 29%. If Perine doesn’t stick around, it would only be expected.

But lets look at his measurables. Perine was aggressively average during most Combine tests. What sticks out to us should be his 4.62 40-yard dash. That’s not quick twitch immediate speed that can get to the edges of Becton’s blocks. Maybe that could work as a roll player, but he’s second-to-last in yards after contact (1.6), and second-to-last in broken tackles this past season (2). His hope would be as a pass catcher, but Coleman and Johnson are better at that than him, and per his college stats so is Carter.

Considering this new offense, it’s nothing against Perine. He’s just not built for the new scheme the Jets have coming.

Jets Depth Chart

My personal depth chart for the New York Jets running backs is as follows:

Tevin Coleman
Michael Carter
Ty Johnson
Josh Adams
La’Mical Perine
Austin Walter

Maybe Perine can beat out Adams on his pass-catching ability. That would be the ultimate factor between who makes that final spot in the running backs room, and who doesn’t.

Regardless, all of these players are entering camp with their job on the line. They’ll need to run hard for their paycheck.