Former Jets RB Chris Ivory has agreed to sign with the Jaguars, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Ivory's deal will average more than $6 million annually over five years, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. USA Today's Connor Hughes said Ivory will earn $32.5 million over five years, and between $10 million and $15 million of his contract will be guaranteed.

Ivory had been looking for a deal of at least three years that paid him around $6.5 million annually, according to Kimberly A. Martin of Newsday.

With Day 1 of NFL free agency in the books, here are some quick thoughts about how the "legal tampering period" has gone so far and what some of it might mean for the Jets.

No country for ol' Wilkersons

Much of what the Jets do (or don't) in free agency will come down to what happens with Muhammad Wilkerson and how soon that takes place. Since the team has to allocate $15 million in cap space to his non-exclusive tagging, that's money the team can't spend elsewhere. The Giants, Bucs, Jaguars, Dolphins and Cowboys are said to be free agent players for defensive line talent, but their attention seems to be focused on Adrian Clayborn (ATL), Charles Johnson (CAR) and Mario Williams (BUF), who are all now free agents. So far, it seems teams are more interested in kicking the tires on those three arbitrage Wilkerson talents since they won't cost their team any draft picks to sign unlike Wilkerson. My money is squarely on Wilkerson remaining in New York when the initial free agency dust settles. Worst-case scenario? The Jets squeeze one final season on a team-controlled contract out of one of the best defensive talents in the NFL.

… or maybe not

A report surfaced Monday night that the Jets might have interest in Los Angeles Rams free agent Nick Fairley. Fairley is a capable player, but might only be a two-down DT in the Jets system. Bent and I consider Fairley a degraded analog for Wilkerson that than one for Damon Harrison, which makes Fairley a Wilkerson roster backfill in the case of a vacancy. So the Jets' interest in Fairley might be an innocent check-in, or it might be an indicator of bigger moving pieces.

How could the Combine impact the Jets 2016 NFL Draft?

In 2015, Jets running backs Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell both had productive seasons even though they might have left fans wanting a little more. Both Ivory and Powell are role players (not "foundation" backs) in their late 20s headed for free agency. With cap crunches elsewhere, the Jets might not be able to spend much at running back in free agency, which is why the Jets should look to solutions through the NFL Draft. Since the Combine is taking place this weekend, here are some thoughts about the process and the names we should start tuning into over the next two months.

Running Backs burn up the track in Indy

Former Jets special teams coach Mike Westhoff listed the Jets' positional needs as free agency and the NFL Draft near.

While Westhoff listed tight end, offensive line and possibly a running back (depending on what happens in free agency), he said the Jets' biggest need is to get another edge rusher.

"I would give anything to get an edge rusher," Westhoff told SNY.tv's Jeane Coakley. "All you have to do is watch the Denver Broncos. If any kind of edge rusher is there [at No. 20], that would be my first priority."

Jets running back Chris Ivory said he would like to return to New York, but knows the team's tight cap space will make things difficult, he said at the Pro Bowl.

"I was able to speak with them," said Ivory, who made it to the Pro Bowl for the first time this year. "They want to bring me back but like I said, I think it's about the cap space. That's going to be the biggest factor as to whether I'm back or not."

The 27-year-old running back ran for 1,070 yards, recorded 217 receiving yards and totaled eight total touchdowns. He earned $2.75 million last season.

Over the next few weeks we will be looking at each position on the New York Jets roster and seeking your input on who you think should stay and who you think should go. Up next, the Jets' running backs.

Overview: Where to go from here? In some ways I am at war with myself. I know the current NFL to be one where running backs are mostly considered disposable commodities. Yes, the best running backs do add value to a team, though proportionally so much less than 15 years ago. I also know that the Jets' backups who are signed through 2016 are not even close to as good as the team's top two runners. Letting Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell simply hand over their duties to Stevan Ridley and Zac Stacy could grind the Jets 2016 offense to a screeching halt. Should Powell and Ivory both walk, this group has the potential to be an unholy alliance of the 1995 and 2006 Jets backfields.

Expected to Return (3)

First 1K rushing season. Now his first #ProBowl season! @ivory33 replaces LeSean McCoy >> https://t.co/u5Un9ZK7ib pic.twitter.com/DJYTsrJS45

- New York Jets (@nyjets) January 20, 2016

Mike Maccagnan hasn't had much time to judge his performance in his first year as the New York Jets' general manager.

There are too many other things to do - such as focus on next season.

"I probably won't catch my breath until after the draft," Maccagnan said Thursday while meeting with reporters for the first time since November.

With their 2016 opponents now set, the sledding won't get any easier as they pulled a schedule of games including two of the toughest divisions: the AFC North and the NFC West. Most fans are now left worrying what the team's offseason plan may be with many key players expected to hit free agency in March. What will the Jets do now?

Part 1: Performance & Financial Based Cuts

Part 2: Restructuring

Part 3: Time To Sign

Part 4: Free Agency

Part 5: The Draft

Part 6: Overview

Here's the Jets list of pending unrestricted free agents, bolded are strategic keepers:

With Bilal Powell out, the Jets were clearly missing that added dimension that Powell had given the team over the past month. It seemed like Chris Ivory wasn't 100% either, as he didn't start and ended up carrying the ball just six times. Whether that was because he was banged up or just because the Jets had fallen behind is unclear. Ivory did burst for a season-long 58 yard gain on one of his early carries, only for the Jets to only get seven more offensive snaps in the remaining 12-plus minutes of the first half, the first six of which saw them throw it.

Ivory ended up with 81 yards on his six carries and was getting worked on for an apparent shoulder injury late in the game. He did gain one other first down on a short yardage conversion.

Stevan Ridley got the start for Ivory and gained 29 yards on nine carries, 22 of them coming on two plays which saw him break a couple of tackles for 13 and then cut and hurdle for nine.

Jets coach Todd Bowles spoke with the media on Thursday. Here are five things we learned...

1.) QB Ryan Fitzpatrick paricipated fully in practice.

2.) RB Bilal Powell, T Breno Giacomini, and TE Kellen Davis all missed practice.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) -- New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is expected to be fine despite being limited at practice because of a sore thumb, elbow and lower back.

Coach Todd Bowles says Wednesday that the ailments "shouldn't be anything serious" and he had no worries about Fitzpatrick's availability for the game Sunday at Buffalo. The Jets clinch a playoff berth win a victory.

Fitzpatrick had his left (non-throwing) thumb surgically repaired last month after tearing a ligament. He is also dealing with soreness in his right elbow and back, but says it's "nothing really to be concerned about."

The Jets opened up this week with a two-back personnel grouping. Bilal Powell started off out wide on the right side with Chris Ivory initially in the backfield but then motioning out wide to the left as the Jets went empty. On the play, Brandon Marshall lined up in the slot and ran an out pattern and Ryan Fitzpatrick tried (but failed) to hit Powell over the top. He probably should have dumped it to Marshall who would have had an easy six or seven yards and a shot at getting to the marker.

Regardless, the two-back personnel grouping was something they used extensively over the course of the game with fullback Tommy Bohanon hardly getting any reps. This enabled them to exploit Powell's versatility and the fact that he's playing the best football of his career, perhaps benefiting from being fresh due to the time he missed because of injury earlier in the year. Whether lining him up wide or in the slot, or putting him in the backfield to pass protect, this personnel grouping gave the Jets plenty of options.

Whatever their plan was, it wasn't helped by Ivory suffering a first half leg injury. Ivory did return, but looked to have lost a step. Powell did step up in Ivory's absence and the Jets also got a boost from Stevan Ridley, who looked useful for just the second time all season while also seeing time with Powell in two-back sets. It's actually quite impressive that the Jets were able to be competitive with the Patriots twice, despite not having a fully-healthy Ivory in either game. They didn't have Powell or Ridley (or Quincy Enunwa or Kenbrell Thompkins) in the first one, either.

Chris Ivory looked good from the outset in this game, finishing runs strong and demonstrating that initial burst which seemed to have deserted him in the middle of the season. Ivory's 101 yards on 22 carries gave him his first 100-yard game since week six. He did actually surpass 100 against the Bills four games ago, only to finish on 99 when he lost yardage on his final carry (which almost happened again yesterday, as he was able to move the pile to change a potential loss into a short gain).

The Jets have been struggling in short yardage situations over the course of the season. Their power ranking per Football Outsiders was 25th in the NFL entering this week. It was therefore encouraging to see Ivory put his head down and decisively drive to the marker after fielding a Ryan Fitzpatrick pitch with two defenders in position to make the stop in the backfield.

On one play, Ivory was cut down for a loss as the safety crept up at the snap. That was unfortunate because if the safety had stayed back, Ivory likely would have been able to cut back and into the open field as the Jets cleared out that side. On another play in the second half, Ivory probably could have made a big gain if he cut back, but this time just powered up the middle for a short gain. He didn't leave many yards on the field other than that though.

Chris Ivory got off to a strong start this week, with three carries for 37 yards on the Jets' field goal drive in the first quarter, including another spectacular run where he broke several tackles. Ivory had 47 yards at halftime, but didn't add to that in the second half as his three carries netted zero yards. He also probably lost time because he lost another fumble that set up a Giants field goal. Also, the Jets were essentially forced to abandon the running game because they were trailing.

Still, that didn't prevent Ivory and Bilal Powell from making contributions in the passing game. Ivory's five catches were actually a career-high, although they netted just 22 yards. Two did go for first downs, though. Powell also set career highs with eight catches and 91 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown on a nicely designed tunnel screen from the slot.

Powell did have a couple of nice runs too, although he only gained 17 yards on six carries. He also dropped two passes, although one - a key third down - was tipped and the other wasn't looking like it was going anywhere anyway. Powell was otherwise a weapon in the short passing game all day though and the Jets are now 6-2 with him in the line-up this year.

Right from the get-go against the Dolphins, Chris Ivory looked sharp, bursting for a big first down and finishing the run strong by driving for extra yardage. He followed that up by bouncing outside to turn a potential loss into a short gain.

Things went downhill for him after that, as he was stuffed on two short-yardage plays (although he got an unbelievably favorable spot on one that gave him the first down) as he produced just seven yards on seven carries over the rest of the first half.

The second half was much better, as Ivory racked up 61 yards on 12 carries, although over half of those came on his spectacular 31-yard touchdown run in which he broke five tackles. He picked up two other first downs on outside runs and added 15 yards on two receptions.

Chris Ivory - who a month ago was proclaimed as "the best running back in the NFL" - rushed for 26 yards on 23 carries. I'm not sure the futility of the Jets' running game can be conveyed any more concisely than that. Needless to say, I'm going to try though.

Since the Washington game, in which he was rested for the last 13 minutes with 146 yards already in the bank, Ivory has rushed for just 84 yards in three games, on 55 carries. That's barely a yard and a half per carry - for a guy who averages three times that over the course of his career. In the past two games, he's gained just 43 yards on 38 carries. On Sunday, he had runs of nine, six, four and four yards, with the last three of those in the fourth quarter. Otherwise, he had 19 other carries, all of which gained two yards or less. He's not had a single 10-yard run since that Washington game and has gone from averaging 5.5 yards per carry at that time (3rd in the NFL for anyone with 50 or more carries) to under four yards per carry for the first time in his career.

I don't want to pile on - because we've seen enough of that over the last month - but the numbers are pretty shocking. However you slice it, Ivory's season has been stopped in its tracks along with most of his carries over the last month. How much of this is down to the run blocking and how much is down to himself perhaps being hurt or underperforming for some other reason, though?

Johnson split carries last season with Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell, which is something the team said they would do from the start of the season - though Johnson believed he would have a bigger role.

?Basically, it was a situation where I was going there to be the guy or whatever,? Johnson said Monday. ?It was still said, yeah, both guys [Johnson and Ivory] were going to get playing time. I think it was like after the [third] game or something like that, it just switched over and I started getting less and less playing time, and not knowing where it came from.?

The Jets turned the clock back Sunday afternoon, bullying the heavily-favored Saints from start to finish and once again confounded the football-viewing public.

... the curtain gets pulled back Saturday night at MetLife Stadium, where Ivory is expected to make his Jets debut against the?Jacksonville Jaguars.

[...]

Now, Ivory appears to have injured his hamstring and will not be in the mix when the Saints play the Giants tomorrow afternoon.

From Rotoworld.com: