Jets Trade Candidate Named as Potential Replacement for 1,800-Yard Rusher

Getty New York Jets running back Michael Carter carries the ball during the 2023 preseason.

After signing Dalvin Cook, the New York Jets have a surplus of NFL-caliber running backs in 2023.

That puts Zonovan Knight, Michael Carter and rookie Israel Abanikanda in a precarious position with the roster cutdown looming on August 29. The latter suffered a thigh contusion during the third preseason outing, but he’s still expected to make the roster given his flashy summer and fifth-round draft status. Head coach Robert Saleh gave a “couple weeks” recovery timeline for Abanikanda on August 22.

It’s Knight who looks like the odd man out, as of now, but let’s say the Jets decide “Bam” is worth keeping, there is another route they could go. Carter is entering the third year of his rookie contract and should have more trade value than Knight as a former fourth-round selection in 2021.

If the Green & White decided to flip him for his best potential return via trade, now would be the time to do so with two cheap years of team control remaining and minimal tread on the tires. Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine had a similar thought on August 24, naming Carter as a potential replacement for Indianapolis Colts superstar Jonathan Taylor — let’s say the Indy RB is dealt somewhere like Miami.

NFL Trade Rumors Surround Jets’ Michael Carter, Colts’ Jonathan Taylor as Roster Cutdown Approaches

After making the suggestion, Ballentine detailed why Carter to the Colts could make sense for all parties involved — assuming the former 1,800-yard rusher, Taylor, is moved.

“Breece Hall should be back to full speed sometime early in the 2023 season,” the NFL writer began. “He’s still working back to 100 percent after tearing his ACL last season but he’s a special back when healthy. Pairing him with Dalvin Cook should give the Jets one of the best one-two punches in the league.”

“Michael Carter is probably the best back behind them,” Ballentine continued. “He’s had 1,654 yards from scrimmage over the past two seasons and can do a little bit of everything. But that doesn’t leave room for Israel Abanikanda. The fifth-round pick looked great in the preseason before suffering a thigh contusion. He’s the kind of explosive player the Jets should want to keep around on a rookie contract.”

Once Abanikanda is healthy, he could push Carter for the RB3 role, and the former fourth rounder doesn’t make sense as an RB4 in all honesty. He’s got a cap hit over $1.14 million and he’s played a total of 10 special teams snaps since entering the league — zero this preseason.

Knight has shown some ability as a potential kick returner with 16 special teams snaps over seven NFL appearances. He logged another three this August, along with one kick return for 23 yards. He’s also slightly cheaper, with a cap number of $870,000.

“The running back market is obviously dicey, but the Colts might be interested in Carter,” Ballentine concluded. “They have given running back Jonathan Taylor permission to seek a trade and could be in the market for someone to pair with Zack Moss if he gets his wish.”

Preseason Finale Could Be Last Chance Opportunity for Jets RB Zonovan Knight

Coach Saleh admitted that the Jets gave Knight a lot of burn versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in order to let him fight for his roster spot. The breakout UDFA showed some toughness, accumulating 53 yards from scrimmage off 11 touches, but he also made a couple of huge mistakes on offense.

His fumble was a clear black mark on his scorecard as Saleh stressed ball security after the game, and Knight’s feet were also tangled with third-string quarterback Tim Boyle later in the outing, causing the signal-caller to trip on his drop-back.

The preseason finale is another opportunity for Knight, who has shown some positives in pass protection this summer. If he can show out against the New York Giants, it could force Jets general manager Joe Douglas to at least consider trading away Carter.