The Jacksonville Jaguars have reportedly made their second big move on the eve of NFL free agency.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the team will sign former New Orleans Saints and New York Jets running back Chris Ivory when the legal free agent tampering period ends on Wednesday:
Former Jets' RB Chris Ivory is expected to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars when new league year begins, per league source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2016
This comes on the heels of the team reportedly agreeing to sign former Denver Broncos defensive end Malik Jackson earlier in the day.
Ivory, 27, was considered one of the top running backs on the open market. He’s coming off his first career 1,000-yard season, tallying nearly 1,300 total yards for the Jets last season.
The veteran figures to split time with 2015 second-round pick T.J. Yeldon, who put up over 1,000 total yards himself as a rookie this past year.
These two solid running backs will give young quarterback Blake Bortles the balance he needs on offense to avoid the turnovers that have plagued him throughout his first two seasons with the Jaguars.
With a solid receiving group that includes Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, both of whom put up over 1,000 yards as sophomores last year, the Jaguars seem to be in really good hands on the offensive side of the ball.
Adding Ivory to the mix only enhances this further.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that Ivory’s deal is worth north of $6 million annually. That’s a nice payday for the veteran running back.