FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Breece Hall and Braelon Allen have already envisioned busting big plays together out of the New York Jets’ backfield.
They’ve also created a simple, but catchy nickname.
“We were joking around calling ourselves ‘The Killer B’s’ the other day,” Hall said Tuesday with a big smile.
Opposing defenses won’t be laughing if everything goes the way the Jets hope.
Hall is the Jets’ undisputed lead running back who’s coming off a terrific second NFL season during which he ran for 994 yards and five touchdowns and led all players at his position with 76 catches for 591 yards and four scores. He also recently guaranteed he “for sure” will run for more than 1,000 yards this season.
Allen was the Jets’ fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin in April. And he doesn’t just stand out on the field for wearing a big, white “0” on his jersey. While Hall is a speedy, shifty runner, the 6-foot-1, 235-pound Allen is a thumper who makes his presence known with physical runs.
“Braelon’s just like his own beast,” Hall said of his backfield mate, while also comparing him to Derrick Henry. “Like, he’s really big, he’s athletic, he can run.”
The two could provide quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Jets’ offense with a dynamic duo out of the backfield with complementary playmaking skills.
“When I came in (to Wisconsin) as a freshman, I was a little bigger — around 235 or 238 (pounds), something like that — but I didn’t necessarily see myself as a bruiser, as a powerful, super powerful running back,” said Allen, who’s the NFL’s youngest player at 20 years old.
“You know, I kind of just was a little more slippery than what people would have expected from me,” he added. “As I continue to grow and obviously, now at this level, the expectation from me is to be that bruiser and run with more power and low pads and just impose my will on people.”
Allen, who ran for 3,494 yards and 35 touchdowns in three seasons with the Badgers, would appear to be the clear front-runner to be the primary backup to Hall — especially with his change-of-pace style.
But he’s not the only rookie expected to make an immediate impact on the Jets’ running game.
Isaiah Davis, a fifth-rounder out of South Dakota State, has also been having a productive training camp. He could also push Israel Abanikanda, a fifth-rounder last year, for time as the third running back. New York also has Xazavian Valladay, who was undrafted out of Arizona State last year and spent time with Houston, Pittsburgh and the Jets, on the roster.
“It’s been cool to see how different we all are,” Hall said. “But also we’re all trying to reach the same common goal. So we’re all challenging each other, pushing each other when we’re doing our individual periods. We try to challenge each other to see who’s going to have the best rep and who’s going to do this the fastest, who’s going to run the best route, just little stuff like that.
“And for them to actually be talking to me a lot and asking me a lot of questions — what I see, what I would do in certain situations — it’s just been cool.”
Hall has found it strange, though, that he’s the veteran in the running back room, especially after Tarik Cohen told the Jets last week he’s retiring. Hall is 23, while Valladay is 25, Davis is 22, Abanikanda is 21 and Allen is 20.
“What’s crazy is Braelon is a young buck, but Isaiah is like the same age as me and everybody in the running backs room is pretty much like around my age,” Hall said. “Coach (Tony) Dews is like, ‘Breece, everybody looks up to you.’ But I’m like, ‘Half of them are older than me or my same age,’ so it’s like the funniest thing.”
NOTES: LT Tyron Smith remained out of team drills while dealing with what coach Robert Saleh said is lower-body tightness. … S Ashtyn Davis left practice after taking a shot to his ribs. Saleh had no immediate word on his status. … WR/KR Xavier Gipson returned after missing several days with a leg injury. … Tempers flared during a hot practice, with at least three skirmishes. Saleh called the team together after the third to remind them to be “responsible to one another.” Added LB Quincy Williams: “We love that, but we also want to have controlled violence.”
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