In 2018, Adam Gase was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. In 2018, Kalen Ballage ran for 5.3 yards per carry. In 2019, Gase became the head coach of the Jets. In 2019, under new head coach Brian Flores, Ballage ran for 1.8 yards per carry.
So, after initial rumors that the Dolphins were releasing the third-year running back, Ballage probably had a huge grin on his face when he learned that he had just been traded and reunited with his former head coach.
Ballage joins a fairly crowded backfield alongside Le'Veon Bell, Frank Gore and La'Michal Perine, the first two of which are experiencing significantly different relationships with head coach Gase.
Bell, who ran for a pedestrian 3.2 yards per carry in his first season in New York and under a coach not named Mike Tomlin, doesn't seem all too happy about the start to his second year with the Jets. After Gase said they were limiting Bell's usage as a precautionary measure after the running back experienced hamstring tightness, Bell responded on Twitter.
Gase, however, complimented Bell for his desire to play and indicated that his determination is what made them decide to take him out (via Rich Cimini of ESPN).
"So that's why we pulled him out; he won't do it on his own," Gase said. "He'll keep going out there until somebody else pulls him out."
While that seemingly rocky relationship, which began on the wrong foot as reports surfaced that Gase thought the team had overpaid for Bell, continues to go up and down, the other veteran running back in town has been a shining spot in the head coach's mind.
Where will Ballage fit in? It's hard to say. If he can run for 5.3 yards per carry like he did in 2018, it would be hard to keep him out of the rotation -- though that figure was definitely boosted by a massive 75-yard gain, as his average becomes 3.3 if you remove that one play.
However, as poor as Bell's performance in 2019, Ballage's was almost certainly worse. Of running backs with over 100 carries, Le'Veon Bell ranked second-to-last in defense-adjusted yards above replacement (DYAR), which is Football Outsiders' metric to evaluate the total performance of a running back. Ballage didn't qualify for that list, but ranked dead-last among running backs with a carry count between 20 and 99.
Their counting stats are as follows:
Bell: 245 rushes, 789 yards, 3 TDs, 66 receptions, 461 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD
Ballage: 74 rushes, 135 yards, 3 TDs, 14 receptions, 63 receiving yards
Whatever the eventual rotation, Jets fans are hoping that Ballage is ready to join a group that's planning to go crazy.
LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM App
Follow RADIO.COM Sports
Twitter | Facebook I Instagram
