Ty Montgomery could be a useful piece for the Jets this offseason, even with Le'Veon Bell playing the focal point out of the team's backfield.
Both are versatile runners and Montgomery, a former wide receiver turned running back with the Packers and Ravens, might even be the more versatile one.
Because of his do-it-all abilities, New York head coach Adam Gase revealed this weekend he didn't expect Montgomery to be available for the Jets to sign in April when the team inked him to a one-year deal.
"It was a surprising deal when he came in here. I was surprised he wasn't signed yet," Gase said.
Gase, a coach with a background littered in experience on the offensive side of the ball, said once Montgomery, 26, signed on the dotted line, the gears in his mind started to turn. The coach added that thus far through training camp, Montgomery's proven to be a strong fit in those plans he's laid out.
"The fact that we had a shot at him coming here and when we got him signed, the wheels started turning on offense as far as, 'All right, what are we going to do? How are we going to use these guys? What's it going to look like?' So, we're experimenting with all that stuff and his versatility and his flexibility and his knowledge and he's extremely smart. So, we put a lot on his plate and he's able to play a lot of different roles for us," Gase said.
As a player that's played multiple roles successfully in the NFL, Montgomery has proven he's able to do whatever is asked of him. He even has talents as a return man which also could be useful for the Jets.
With Gase's praise of Montgomery, it bodes well for him to land on the team's final roster following the preseason, though it is still early in training camp.
Montgomery expressed confidence in his transition into Gase's offensive scheme earlier this offseason.
"I'm good at what I do, I just got hurt in the past seasons," Montgomery said. "I just got hurt so when I'm not on the field, you're not able to see what I can do. But I feel like I've shown that when I'm on the field, I'm a very efficient football player."
For his career, Montgomery has averaged 4.6 yards per carry with seven rushing touchdowns along with 107 career catches, 892 receiving yards and three receiving scores.