NEW YORK (AP) - The Jets’ backfield was in serious motion Tuesday, with Knile Davis coming - and then going - and C.J. Spiller set to head to New York.
Just a few hours after claiming Davis off waivers from the Green Bay Packers to bolster their running backs spot, the Jets reached an agreement with Spiller, a person with direct knowledge of the team’s plans told The Associated Press.
Davis will be waived when the Jets sign Spiller on Wednesday, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced its plans.
The person told the AP that New York was in discussions earlier Tuesday to sign Spiller, but had not received a firm commitment. So, the Jets claimed Davis as insurance - a couple of hours before reaching an agreement with Spiller.
NFL Network first reported the Jets’ intentions to sign Spiller.
Spiller was released by Seattle last Wednesday after being signed on Sept. 28. The one-time Pro Bowl selection caught an 8-yard touchdown pass in his first game with the Seahawks against the Jets on Oct. 2. He had just three carries for 9 yards and had five receptions for 43 yards with Seattle.
He’ll be reunited with Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, who coached Spiller during some of his best seasons in Buffalo. In 2012, Spiller ran for a career-high 1,244 yards and six touchdowns, and also set a personal best with 43 receptions for 459 yards and two TDs.
Spiller, 29, joins a Jets backfield that includes Matt Forte and Bilal Powell. New York’s running game ranks 16th in the NFL, with Forte ninth in the league with 542 yards rushing.
The speedy Spiller, a 2010 first-round pick out of Clemson, has rushed for 3,442 yards and 12 touchdowns, and caught 197 passes for 1,477 yards and nine TDs in seven seasons with Buffalo, New Orleans and Seattle.
The Jets’ decision marks a strange turn of events for Davis, who will be looking for his fourth team in a span of just a few weeks.
Davis was acquired by Green Bay from Kansas City on Oct. 18 for a conditional draft choice. He had five carries for 5 yards in two games with the Packers before being waived Monday.
The Jets waived running back Troymaine Pope to make room on the roster for Davis. Pope had 1 yard on his only carry for New York, which signed him off waivers from Seattle on Sept. 4.
Davis, a third-round draft pick out of Arkansas in 2013, has rushed for 780 yards and 11 touchdowns, and caught 33 passes for 264 yards and a TD in four seasons. In six games with the Chiefs and Packers this season, he had 3 yards on six carries, with four catches for 18 yards.
The Jets also announced that they signed offensive tackle Jesse Davis and wide receiver Myles White to the practice squad, and released center Kyle Friend and linebacker Reshard Cliett from the practice squad.
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