Chris Ivory Excited to Get More Carries

Jets running back Chris Ivory is embracing an expected increase in his workload from his time with the Saints.

He added: "I think more carries will allow my full potential to show. ... You kind of have to accept (sharing the ball). It was hard, I'm not going to say it wasn't hard. There were times when you don't like it, but you have to deal with it and accept your role."

The biggest question surrounding Ivory is to what extent he can hold up with much more work on his plate. There are two big concerns.

First, he has been injury-prone in his career. His running style is very physical which lends itself to taking big hits. Can Ivory be durable enough to hold up and smart enough to avoid hits when possible? The other question is whether Ivory will wear down even if he is not injured. He has never gotten more than 137 carries in a single season. Can he remain effective over a sixteen game season seeing the bulk of the work? Think of the difference between a starting pitcher and a reliever in baseball. A reliever knows his work is going to be limited so he can exert all of his energy with every pitch. If a starter did that, he would be worn out because he has to pitch deep into games. It's the same concept. Ivory will probably have to pace himself a bit more than he did in the past. Can he remain as effective? Can he keep something in the tank for December?

How Ivory answers these questions could have a lot to do with the success the Jets have in 2013. Ivory is a really talented guy and could potentially be a steal if he answers the bell.