The New York Jets' extreme makeover is complete. It took only 24 hours to change their backfield.
Reacting to the departure of leading rusher Chris Ivory, which they anticipated for months, the Jets restacked their depth chart by adding versatility and -- get this -- a younger version of Ivory.
On Thursday, Day 2 of free agency, the Jets re-signed the reliable Bilal Powell and signed former New Orleans Saints backup Khiry Robinson, according to league sources. The two signings came a day after they agreed to a deal with former Chicago Bears star Matt Forte.
So what do we have here? Well, the Jets will miss Ivory's physical, between-the-tackles running, but Powell and Forte are dual threats, which should create more play-calling possibilities for coordinator Chan Gailey. Powell and Forte fit into the spread offense because they can line up anywhere in the formation. Forte has been the most prolific pass-catching back in the NFL since 2008. Ivory, not a smooth receiver, made the offense predictable.
Robinson isn't a household name, but he can fill Ivory's role as a power back. He's 6-foot and 220 pounds, so he has the size for the role. There are many similarities between Robinson and Ivory, starting with the obvious: They both were stuck in small roles in New Orleans, playing behind talented backs. They both were undrafted players from small schools -- Robinson from West Texas A&M, Ivory from Tiffin. And of course, their running styles are kind of the same.
Robinson evidently has a fan in Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells, who shared his thoughts about Robinson in a conversation with Saints coach Sean Payton. Parcells apparently compared him to Curtis Martin, another Hall of Famer. Parcells isn't known for hyperbole; this is a guy who tries to temper expectations by saying of players, "Let's not put him in Canton yet."
Clearly, the Jets had a plan and executed it, and the roles are starting to come into focus: Forte can be the starter, although they'd be smart not to make him a workhorse at age 30. Powell can be the 1A back, also contributing on third downs. Robinson can be the short-yardage and goal-line back. But know this about him: He has had five games in which he carried at least 12 times, so he's not simply a one-trick pony.
This isn't the perfect backfield. The big concern: Where's the speed? None of these players is a home run threat, which means it could be a 4-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust rushing attack. They can always look for a speed back in the draft, but the need to address the position isn't as urgent as it was 24 hours ago.
It also means you won't be seeing Ezekiel Elliott to the Jets in any mock drafts.