With Le'Veon Bell Out, Kalen Ballage Expected to Help New York Jets at Running Back, Special Teams
With Le’Veon Bell out for the next several weeks with a hamstring injury, the New York Jets will be relying on recently signed running Kalen Ballage to provide some much needed depth to the offense. It also doesn’t hurt that Ballage has the potential to make waves on special teams either.
On Tuesday, the Jets signed Ballage to the active roster after placing Bell on Injured Reserve (IR). The Jets traded with the Miami Dolphins for Ballage in training camp then released the running back, set to enter his third season in the NFL.
Then, he got signed this week when the All-Pro Bell was placed on IR.
The Jets are expecting that Ballage can pick things up quickly. In 2018 as a rookie with the Miami Dolphins, Ballage played for (and had some success) with Adam Gase, who is now the Jets head coach.
“It’s pretty easy for him, he’s smart. He’s in shape, I mean he’s coming off a hamstring,” Gase said on Wednesday in a virtual press conference. “That’s what he’s been doing the last couple weeks, he’s been rehabbing. We worked him out, felt like he looks good, so we’ll get him out there and see how he’s looking, see how he feels.”
Last year, he had 74 rushing yards and three touchdowns in 12 games. He averaged 1.8 yards per carry. Those numbers are down from his rookie year where in limited touches Ballage had some success with Gase.
“I think really it’s about getting out there and playing football. I won’t compare the two offenses or two coaches or anything like that,” Ballage said on Wednesday. “But I think I’ll be able to have some success here with a good group of guys – coaches and players. That’s really what I’m focused on.”
One area where the Jets are hoping Ballage can help is on special teams, where Gase noted that Ballage has played gunner for him in the past. Ballage joked that “I’ve done everything but punt the ball, basically.”
It is another potential impact player for special teams coach Brant Boyer.
“He’s 238 and runs a 4.4. He was the kind of guy that he gives you flexibility at the running back spot, with not only being able to play running back, but play special teams. His body type is ideal for Brant, I know that for sure,” Gase said. “When you got a guy that can play a lot of different spots, because normally, he can play spots that linebackers would play but because of his speed and his ability, his movement skills, he can also play, like I had him at gunner. So, I mean when you’re that big and that fast and you can play gunner, he’s a hard guy to hold up. So, just being able to have another guy that we have the option of possibly doing something like that, his ability, he’s had return ability. He just gives you a lot of flexibility. And, you know, we’re always trying to get him better as a running back as well.”
