Can Chris Ivory be a Pro Bowler in 2016?
By Luke Sims
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Chris Ivory was a Pro Bowl player in 2015, but can he keep up that level of production in 2016 with a new team?
T.J. Yeldon isn’t going to be completely forgotten in 2016, but with Chris Ivory rumored to have the starting job, it’s definitely possible that there will be far more doses of the new free agent acquisition than the 2015 rookie.
Yeldon had just 182 rushing attempts in 12 games in 2015 while operating as the workhorse back for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags were frequently behind early, forcing them to turn to quarterback Blake Bortles.
Expect the 15.2 attempts per game to take a bit of an uptick for the workhorse in 2016 as the Jags new defense keeps games closer and the rebuilt offensive line helps make the running game a possibility. If Ivory really is the primary back (though there should be a healthy split between him, Yeldon, and Denard Robinson) then somewhere around 18 attempts per game isn’t unimaginable for Ivory. It could be a bit less, though.
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Ivory is a bruising back and thrives when fed often and able to impose his will on the defense. That was proven when he finally went above 13 attempts per game to 16.5 in 2015 and he became a Pro Bowl-caliber back.
Does feeding Ivory automatically equal success? Of course not. Simply suggesting that an aging running back who has had three straight seasons with more than 180 carries is going to be an automatic lock to still produce over 4.0 yards per carry (every season of his six year career thus far) will draw some eye rolls. But Ivory hasn’t been completely run into the ground yet and his past production does suggest that he’s just getting going at this point in his career.
Will 16+ carries per game be the solution for the Jags’ ailing run game? That’s a better question perhaps, especially as the Jags seem poised to have the best running attack and offensive line they’ve assembled since 2011. The rushing attack should also be balanced by Bortles’ widely anticipated impressive aerial onslaught.
Chris Ivory does give the Jags the most established rushing threat they’ve had since Maurice Jones-Drew left, though. It isn’t unrealistic to imagine that Ivory can plow his way back to 1000+ yards and a handful of touchdowns. That could be enough to get him back into the Pro Bowl in 2016.
Some fantasy: Blake Bortles is an enticing QB option
At this point it’s all speculation. There are no guarantees in the NFL and Ivory will have plenty of question marks lingering over his head as the season starts. Still, there’s a real possibility that he could put together another impressive campaign in his seventh NFL season. He’ll be competing against some impressive AFC runners to be a Pro Bowler and his situation with the Jags may lend itself more to an impressive 1-2 punch with Yeldon rather than being a workhorse.