AFC East Rumors: Carter, Scarlett, Armstead, Dolphins
In addition to three first-round picks, the Jets also selected the first running back of the 2022 NFL Draft, taking Iowa State’s Breece Hall in the second round at 36th overall. After New York finished the 2021 NFL season as a bottom-10 team in rushing yards, last year’s starter, Michael Carter, is expected to take a back seat to Hall in 2022, according to Mike Kaye of Pro Football Network.
After watching Tevin Coleman and Ty Johnson start in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively, Carter got his turn in Week 3 and held on to become the team’s leading rusher. The fourth-round rookie carried the ball 147 times (63 more times than the next closest back) for 639 yards and 4 touchdowns.
With Hall expected to take over as the starter, Carter is “likely to be the change-of-pace back” for the Jets. Coleman and Johnson return and will compete with La’Mical Perine and undrafted rookie Zonovan Knight for the remaining roster spots behind Hall and Carter.
Here are a few more rumors from the AFC East, all hailing from South Beach:
- After spending his first season in Miami working with the linebackers, former Texan Brennan Scarlett has been working with the defensive ends more this offseason, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. This could open the door for a bit more playing time for Scarlett, as he returns to the role he had some success with in Houston. In his two most successful seasons with the Texans, Scarlett totaled 5.5 sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss to go along with 80 total tackles. The Dolphins would love to see that production return in 2022.
- After only appearing in eight games last year with the Saints, offensive tackle Terron Armstead is not guaranteed to start the 2022 season healthy for the Dolphins, according to Adam H. Beasley of Pro Football Network. Armstead was shut down in mid-December with arm and knee injuries, undergoing surgery for his knees. Miami has been careful with Armstead, who’s dealt with plenty of health issues in his past, holding him out for all spring activities. Beasley points out that a healthy Armstead could be crucial for the development of young quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, considering “the Dolphins were last in pass-block win rate (47%) and 18th in sack rate (6.5%)” in the NFL last year.
- The Dolphins added to their front office last week with the hire of new football analytics staff assistant Jeremy Stabile. He announced the hiring, himself, on his Twitter last Thursday. Stabile’s first job in football came with Syracuse University as a recruiting/analytics intern. He’s also spent time with football analytics websites working as an analyst with Pro Football Focus and PlayerProfiler.com. This is Stabile’s first job in the NFL.
Jets’ Michael Carter To Miss Time
Jets rookie running back Michael Carter has been diagnosed with a low-grade high ankle sprain (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Carter is expected to miss 2-3 weeks, but there’s no word yet on whether the Jets will move him to the injured reserve list.
Carter — not to be confused with the Jets’ rookie fifth-round defensive back of the same name — was a fourth-round selection in this year’s draft. This Carter split time with Broncos second-round pick Javonte Williams at UNC and registered back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons in 2019 and 2020. His senior year was particularly efficient — the 5-foot-7, 201-pounder averaged 8.0 yards per tote en route to 1,245 yards and nine touchdowns.
So far this year, he’s got 430 yards off of 111 carries (3.9 ypc average). In an all-around flat Jets offense, he’s emerged as the top option ahead of veteran Tevin Coleman and the rest of the bunch.
Without Carter, the Jets will lean more on Coleman, Ty Johnson, La’mical Perine, and Nick Bawden when they take on the Texans this week.
Poll: Which Rookie Running Back Will Finish With Most Rushing Yards?
Quarterbacks, per usual, dominated this year’s pre-draft coverage. The Falcons made Kyle Pitts the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history, and four wide receivers then went off the board in the top 20. Running backs, as they have done in a few drafts over the past decade, waited.
While two went in Round 1, the Jaguars’ Travis Etienne pick preceded a 60-pick stretch during which just one running back — the Broncos’ Javonte Williams choice — went off the board. The 2021 draft matches 2016 and 2003 for the fewest backs chosen in the top 80 (three) in the common draft era (1967-present), continuing a grim era for this once-storied position. But several of this year’s draftees have quick paths to key roles.
Linked to Najee Harris ahead of the draft, the Steelers took the Alabama standout at No. 24. Harris will join a Steelers team that ranked last in rushing in 2020. Although the Alabama product scored 30 touchdowns in his senior season and topped 1,200 rushing yards in two straight years, he will now play behind an offensive line that went through considerable turnover this offseason. The Steelers lost 17 Pro Bowls on their offensive line this year. They will replace Maurkice Pouncey and Alejandro Villanueva with far less experienced players, and David DeCastro‘s replacement (Trai Turner) struggled in 2020. Will Harris’ talent be enough to overcome significant O-line concerns in Pittsburgh?
Etienne joins a Jags team that just saw James Robinson set the rookie UDFA record for scrimmage yards (1,414) despite missing two games in 2020. Jacksonville also signed Carlos Hyde, who played for Urban Meyer at Ohio State. Etienne spent time at receiver during the Jags’ offseason program but should be expected to contribute heavily in the backfield. Like Harris, Etienne stayed in college for four years. He twice surpassed 1,600 rushing yards and totaled 78 college TDs — most of which coming alongside No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence — but will this unusual setup (for a first-round back, that is) translate to rookie-year production?
The Broncos traded up four spots for Williams in Round 2, Pro Football Focus’ top-rated back in this class, and chose the North Carolina product 36th overall. Williams teamed with Jets draftee Michael Carter to form one of the nation’s top backfield tandems. Williams compiled just one 1,000-yard season with the Tar Heels but led Division I-FBS with 75 broken tackles in 2020. The Broncos have Melvin Gordon signed through 2021, but the John Elway-era addition does not appear to be a lock to hold off Williams for the starting role.
The rest of the rookie field includes third-rounder Trey Sermon (49ers), Carter (fourth round, Jets) and a host of backs ticketed for early-career backup roles. While injuries certainly will hit the running back position, potentially forcing some of the later-round picks into the fray, Sermon and Carter have the best bets of seeing steady action among the mid- and late-round selections.
An Oklahoma and Ohio State product, Sermon also played four years. He averaged more than seven yards per carry in each of his past two, though he never topped 1,000 on the ground. Lead 49ers back Raheem Mostert is coming off an injury-marred season. The Jets added Tevin Coleman, who joined Mostert in missing most of last season, but do not have another back with much experience. This could allow Carter (two 1,000-yard years at North Carolina) early upward mobility, despite his 5-foot-8 frame.
Which rookie back will rush for the most yards in 2021? Who are the later-round candidates or UDFAs who can join these players as early contributors? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Which rookie running back will rush for the most yards in 2021?
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Najee Harris 53% (1,369)
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Trey Sermon 13% (332)
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Javonte Williams 12% (311)
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Michael Carter 11% (275)
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Travis Etienne 9% (226)
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Another back (specify in comments) 3% (82)
Total votes: 2,595
Jets Sign Fourth-Round RB Michael Carter
Although the Jets still have higher-profile rookie contracts to finalize, they are done with the Michael Carter section of their rookie deals. The first of the team’s two Michael Carters chosen, the fourth-round running back signed his four-year rookie pact Friday.
This comes nearly a month after fifth-round defensive back Michael Carter agreed to terms. These two played against one another in the ACC and both have paths to immediate playing time. A former North Carolina running back, this Michael Carter figures to become a higher-profile name sooner — perhaps due to the fantasy realm.
Carter split time with Broncos second-round pick Javonte Williams with the Tar Heels and ripped off back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons to close his college career. The 5-foot-7, 201-pound back delivered an efficient senior season, averaging 8.0 yards per carry to reach 1,245 and nine touchdowns for a potent Tar Heels ground attack.
The Jets signed Tevin Coleman this offseason, and although the former Falcons and 49ers back has extensive experience working with OC Mike LaFleur, he has battled constant injury trouble over the past two seasons. Carter, who figures to compete for playing time ahead of his rookie season, also joins 2020 fourth-round pick La’Mical Perine in the Jets’ post-Le’Veon Bell backfield.
Of the Jets’ 10-man draft class, seven members have signed. Only the team’s first- and second-rounders — Zach Wilson,Alijah Vera-Tucker and Elijah Moore — are unsigned.