Bilal Powell to Re-Sign with Jets: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

Bilal Powell arguably had the best season of his career in 2015, and he'll look to showcase himself further in 2016. The 27-year-old running back reportedly re-signed with the New York Jets on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and the New York Daily News' Manish Mehta. 

Since both he and Chris Ivory were free agents this offseason, it looked like Powell's future might lead him outside New York. Ivory established himself as the top running back by cracking the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career, thus making him a bigger priority.

Although re-signing both was a possibility, Ivory decided to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars instead, which allowed the Jets to reportedly land former Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte. The Jets might be planning to give Powell a bigger role in the offense in 2016 to keep Forte fresh, as he turned 30 years old in December.

Powell rushed for 313 yards and a touchdown while also catching 47 passes for 388 yards and two touchdowns this past year. While his 701 yards from scrimmage are lower than his 2013 total (969), he averaged more on a per-game basis—63.8 yards per game in '15; 60.6 yards per game in '13.

In a January interview on WFAN (via ESPN.com's Rich Cimini), Jets head coach Todd Bowles lavished praise on Powell's performance:

Running backs coach Marcel Shipp also couldn't say enough about his player, per Mehta.

"When Bilal's in the game, he changes it," Shipp said. "We just got to get him in space and get his hands on the ball. He's been doing everything we asked of him. Just having him back brings another dimension to us. He's definitely a guy that people we're playing against got to seek out."

While Powell was a valuable member of the Jets offense, New York and other NFL teams were unlikely to make him a priority signing this offseason. Not only has he never been a feature back in the league, he also dealt with injury issues in 2015.

An ankle injury ruled Powell out for the Jets' final game, which eliminated them from the playoff race, and he hurt his groin in October, which caused him to miss four games.

Still, he demonstrated himself to be a capable pass-catcher out of the backfield, which was always bound to draw interest from potential suitors. He also averaged 4.5 yards per carry in 2015, so his value isn't solely dependent on his receiving.

New York finished the season on a low note by shooting itself in the foot and missing out on the playoffs. The franchise still made positive strides in 2015 and is headed in the right direction under Bowles. Re-signing Powell plays a small role in ensuring the Jets remain a postseason contender in 2016.