With a new regime in town, the Jacksonville Jaguars should look a lot different this year. Of course, guys like quarterback Trevor Lawrence, wide receiver Brian Thomas and defensive end Travon Walker (they picked up his fifth-year option in April) aren’t going anywhere. But, a recent first-round pick, Travis Etienne, might not be long for the team.
It’s believed that the new bosses are “not so high” on Etienne and his job – and roster spot – could be in jeopardy.
After missing his rookie year with a Lisfranc injury in 2021, Etienne ran for 1,000 yards in each of his next two seasons, but had just 558 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 3.7 yards per carry in 15 games last season. That’s not the kind of production the Jaguars were hoping for from a former first-round draft pick.
Could Etienne be traded before the season?
The Draft Network’s Justin Melo thinks the Jags could move Etienne and there are a few teams that could use him. All three of the mentioned teams make sense. Melo thinks the Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings are all potential suitors.
The Broncos took a running back in the second round in R.J. Harvey, but other than that, they didn’t draft another RB or add one in free agency. Young NFL quarterbacks (like Bo Nix) usually have two best friends: a tight end and a running game. The Broncos could certainly beef up the latter.
“Sophomore fifth-rounder Audric Estime is the change-of-pace option on the roster as the short-yardage back,” Melo writes. “This room would benefit from having more experience, especially since Bo Nix is a sophomore quarterback. That’s a lot of inexperience in the backfield. Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie shouldn’t be guaranteed to make the roster either. Harvey, Etienne, and Estime would form a stellar three-man rotation.”
The Ravens – of course – have Derrick Henry, who at 31-years old is still a monster and just received a new contract extension. However, given his age, it might be nice to add someone like Etienne as security.
“Henry has never been a natural pass-catcher and the Ravens lack ideal depth behind him,” Melo continues. “Justice Hill rushed for just 228 yards in 2024. Keaton Mitchell came back from a 2023 torn ACL last season, but failed to showcase any returning juice…Etienne would immediately seize the No. 2 role behind Henry.”
Similarly to the Broncos, the Vikings also have a young quarterback. Selected in the same draft as Nix, J.J. McCarthy missed all of last year with an injury and is now the team’s starting quarterback. With Aaron Jones getting up there a bit, the Vikings will need to be sure they have a solid, functional running game.
“An aging Aaron Jones remains in the lead back role,” Melo writes. “Former San Francisco 49ers ball-carrier Jordan Mason joined via trade and will search for more opportunities. The Vikings didn’t draft a running back. There’s room for competition here, and Etienne would add a pass-catching layer to the offense that’s currently lacking from the backfield.”
The Jaguars like rookie fourth-round pick
The Jaguars seem to really like their fourth-round running back Bhayshul Tuten out of Virginia Tech. His 4.32 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine was the fastest among running backs and the second fastest at the entire Combine. Bhayshul is a blazer that can instantly add explosion to a Jags’ offense that could really use it.
However, Tuten has brought a bit of a fumbling reputation with him to the NFL. He fumbled nine times in his last two years at Virginia Tech. And, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is already concerned about that considering Etienne’s teammate Tank Bigsby had an issue with putting the ball on the carpet in 2024.
“I think you put the ball on the ground today, that’s kind of stands out,” Coen said about Tuten after the first day of OTAs. “But I thought last week, as we were kind of getting more into the scheme, he was getting a little bit more comfortable. I thought he started to get a little bit more into it, had a couple better runs of feeling the zone and being able to stick his foot in the ground and accelerate.”
But, Coen seems encouraged although he doesn’t necessarily sound ready to give up on Etienne yet and just hand the keys to Tuten, who fumbled on his first rep.
“So, good learning experience,” Coen continued. “You know, first time in a live setting in the National Football League, on your first carry, hopefully you learn something from that moment. But I think all together, that room, that running back room, has done a nice job in terms of the competition, the acceleration, and the teaching for some of those young guys, and also the veterans doing a nice job of trying to help those guys out as well.”
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