ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

	AP Photo/Mel Evans
	Jessie Chatman is brought down during the first quarter of the Jets' preseason game in Philadelphia

Lost amid the higher-profile additions of G Alan Faneca and OLB Calvin Pace and NT Kris Jenkins and then totally buried in the public consciousness after they traded for QB Brett Favre, the New York Jets made a potentially significant acquisition that largely has been overlooked.

They signed RB Jesse Chatman way back in March. The move quickly was overshadowed by the others. When Chatman began training camp on the physically unable-to-perform list with a rib injury, reporters didn't bother with him much, especially not after Favre arrived.

"I don't mind that at all," Chatman told me a couple weeks ago. "That's a great thing."

Chatman could turn out to play a pivotal role for the Jets' offense. In Thursday night's preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles, he ran 29 times for 93 yards and caught six passes for 87 yards.

He is elusive enough to spin out of trouble and rugged enough to break a linebacker's grasp, but he has been dismissed over the years because of his size -- and because of his size.

For one thing, he's listed at 5-foot-8. For another, he once ate himself out of the NFL.

After spending three seasons as LaDainian Tomlinson's backup with the San Diego Chargers, the former Division I-AA rushing king from Eastern Washington missed the 2005 and 2006 seasons because his weight ballooned to 283 pounds. He dropped 60 of them before signing with the Miami Dolphins last year.

Two weeks ago I saw Chatman for the first time since December, when he was hobbling around the Dolphins locker room with an ankle injury. Chatman, still trying to get over his rib injury, was working out on the side. The moment I laid eyes on him I could tell he'd lost even more weight.

Twelve more pounds off last year's playing weight, he told me. He's now at about 210.

"I've just been blessed," Chatman said. "I actually feel like I'm in the right situation. I got a lot of opportunities here that I plan on taking full advantage. I had opportunities in Miami, but things just didn't work out."

Chatman played well when Ronnie Brown, the NFL's yards-from-scrimmage leader at the time, went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 7. As the starter, Chatman ran for 73, 79, 124 and 72 yards before suffering an ankle injury that would plague him the rest of his year.

"You never want it to happen that way, but I got an opportunity to show that I could start," Chatman said. "If I get the opportunity again, it'll be my time. I just want to be ready when my number's called."

That's why Chatman hasn't been bothered one bit about being the forgotten newcomer.

"As long as I make plays on the field, that's all that counts," Chatman said. "I don't need to be talking about it.

"People that know football know football."