Chris Ivory Reportedly to Sign with Jaguars

New York Jets running back Chris Ivory has reportedly decided on his next team. 

Ivory is "expected" to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Ian Rapoport reported the deal will be "well above" $6 million per year. 

Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reported the Houston Texans had been interested in the running back. Wilson also reported Ivory "drew inquiries from" the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday.

Running back is a deep position in free agency this year, with Matt Forte, Lamar Miller, Arian Foster and Doug Martin available for teams looking to upgrade the position; LeGarrette Blount and Alfred Morris are also intriguing options.

NFL Total Access discussed which player will be the most appealing free-agent running back on the market, per the NFL on Twitter:

Ivory could represent a nice value, however. He's likely cheaper than Miller and Martin, while he's younger than Forte and Foster and doesn't have the laundry list of injuries that Foster brings to the table.

Player	Age	Rush Yards	Rush TD	Receptions	Yards	TD
Doug Martin	27	1,402	6	33	271	1
Lamar Miller	24	872	8	47	397	2
Chris Ivory	27	1,070	7	30	217	1
Matt Forte	30	898	4	44	389	3
Arian Foster	29	163	1	22	227	2

Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus listed him behind only Martin and Miller on his list of top free-agent running backs available, noting that he was the site's 11th-ranked running back. He added:

"

He’ll be 28 when the 2016 season begins, but 2015 was the first season of his career where he saw more than 200 carries. Tough to bring down, he forced 47 missed tackles and averaged 2.6 yards after contact per carry. If the past is anything to go by, he’s unlikely to be viewed as a long-term option by anyone, but based on what we’ve seen, a team would be wise to lock him up for two to three years, where he can be a stable force at the position. 

"

Ivory, 27, had a career year with the Jets in 2015, rushing for career highs in yards (1,070) and touchdowns (seven). He will team with T.J. Yeldon to form a formidable duo of running backs in Jacksonville. 

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.