2021 Free Agency: Grading the Jaguars' Reunion With Veteran RB Carlos Hyde
It was no secret the Jacksonville Jaguars were going to add to the running back position this offseason. James Robinson had a phenomenal rookie season carrying the rushing offense in 2020, but the Jaguars entered 2021 with a clear need to add more talent to the running back group around Robinson.
While the Jaguars could still look to April's draft to find a running back (them selecting one at No. 33 overall wouldn't be overly surprising), head coach Urban Meyer and general manager Trent Baalke have already made one addition to the position with free agent running back Carlos Hyde.
Hyde, 30, reportedly signed a two-year, $4.5 million deal with $1.4 million in guarantees. It isn't a large contract by any means, but it does mean the Jaguars now have an elder in the running back room who has already played for both Meyer and Baalke -- heck, he has even played for the Jaguars before.
So, what do we make of the Hyde addition? We take a look at his fit with the Jaguars below.
How does he fit?
When looking at the Jaguars' running back room, it is clear how much the unit was lacking in experience entering 2021. The five running backs on the roster before free agency consisted of only one player with multiple career starts (James Robinson), while the ages of the backs are 22, 24, 24, 24, and 26.
Hyde, who is 30 and entering his eighth NFL season, is clearly the most seasoned and experienced member of Jacksonville's locker room. It is always important to have a veteran voice in each position group, especially considering the fact that Jacksonville's current projected starter, Robinson, is entering just his second season.
There is also the aspect of Hyde's familiarity with Meyer. Hyde knows the vision Meyer has and how the coach operates. Meyer clearly thought enough of Hyde and his veteran influence to bring him into Jacksonville, while Hyde respects Meyer enough to make the Jaguars his top destination once Meyer got the head coaching gig.
Ultimately, Hyde also gives the Jaguars another physical, grinding running back who is built in the mold of Robinson. If Robinson ever misses time, like he did at the end of his rookie season, the Jaguars wouldn't have to scramble to find another tough running back to pound in between the tackles.
Impact on depth chart
There is no reason to think that the addition of Hyde means much for Robinson's place on the depth chart. If Robinson is going to lose on consistent snaps to any player, it would likely be in the event the Jaguars spend a high draft pick on a running back.
Hyde doesn't provide any upgrade from Robiunson in terms of explosiveness or pass-catching ability, so realistically it is all the other running backs on the roster whose places on the depth chart will now be impacted.
The player who Hyde's addition likely means the worst for is Ryquell Armstead, who didn't play in 2020 after being placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 before the season began. Armstead isn't different enough from Robinson or Hyde in terms of skill set, and he doesn't provide special teams value like Dare Ogunbowale or Devine Ozigbo do.
All in all, however, there is no reason to think Hyde's addition means much more than a reshuffling of the back end of the team's depth chart.
Overall grade: D+.
While this signing was lambasted by many when it was first announced due to Hyde's previous failed tenure in 2018 -- and because Hyde is an unexciting veteran investment at this point -- there is no reason to give a deal with this minimal of an impact an "F". Any deal that doesn't have long-term ramifications doesn't deserve that sort of judgment, at least not in my eyes.
With that said, it is hard to give this a much higher grade than D+. The Jaguars needed to add an explosive element to their running back room, but Hyde has never cracked 4.6 yards from scrimmage per touch in any season in his career.
He is a tough, gritty runner who does a great job of getting the hard yards, as evidenced by his 4.4 yards per carry in each of the last two seasons, but he also isn't really any different from James Robinson in terms of play style. In fact, he is a bit less of an explosive version of Robinson more than anything else.
The Jaguars signed Hyde before Phillip Lindsay became a free agent, but Lindsay got fewer years and fewer guaranteed money from one of the NFL's most dysfunctional franchises. Had the Jaguars waited a few days on an already slow running back market, as opposed to signing Hyde -- who was unlikely to have a big market -- quickly into the process, then they could have gotten a better bang for their buck.
With that said, Hyde does bring a good amount of veteran experience and he is a player who knows Meyer and his vision well. It is hard to imagine the Jaguars make this move without those factors, so that should be weighed here as well.
