One day after losing Chris Ivory to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Jets agreed to a contract Wednesday with former Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported.
Welcome back to 2010.
That year, the Jets cut Thomas Jones in a cap-related move and signed an aging legend, LaDainian Tomlinson. And you know what? It worked. The future Hall of Famer, 31 at the time, became the starter and nearly rushed for 1,000 yards. He did it on a team-friendly contract.
The numbers on Forte's contract weren't immediately available, but this has the same feel as the Tomlinson/Jones swap in 2010, a season that ended in the AFC Championship Game.
Forte, 30, isn't on Tomlinson's level as an all-time great, but we're talking about one of the most productive backs in the league since 2008. You worry about his age and the wear and tear (2,035 career carries), but this marriage can work if he's used in the right role -- as a complementary back, including third downs. His workhorse days are over.
If Forte has a good sidekick (perhaps Bilal Powell, if he re-signs), he can be productive as a dual threat. If the Jets don't add more talent to the position and rely heavily on Forte, they're in big trouble. In that sense, it's hard to give a final grade to the acquisition. We'll have to see how it plays out.
"He has one or two years left, but what he's lost is some speed," an AFC personnel executive said. "But he can play all three downs and has some passing-game value. He's just lost a level of speed and magic at his age. He's not a long-term solution, but maybe the price was right to bridge the gap for a year. Maybe they still draft one. But he's someone who can start for a year until the long-term guy is identified."
Since breaking in with the Bears, Forte has 487 receptions, more than any running back over that span. In 2014, he caught 102 passes. Sure, he has slowed down a bit, but he still has value because of his football savvy and durability. Like Tomlinson, Forte is a high-character individual, and he'd fit nicely into the Jets' locker room. He has two allies in the organization -- college scouting director Rex Hogan, a former Bears scout, and former Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Forte is a pro's pro.
The running back market is thin. Alfred Morris would've brought an Ivory-like toughness to the backfield, but his asking price was too high for the Jets. If they can pair Forte with Powell and draft a running back, they'd have a nice mix -- a rookie, a middle-aged player in Powell and the older guy, Forte.
General manager Mike Maccagnan still has work to do.