- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,130,362
- Reaction score
- 59
The Jacksonville Jaguars made their first outside free agency move Wednesday, agreeing to terms with former Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Rodriguez was signed after the Jaguars lost starting RB Travis Etienne via free agency to the New Orleans Saints. Jacksonville was always slated to lose Etienne given his likely asking price and the team's salary cap situation.
Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is familiar with Rodriguez. In 2021, Coen was Kentucky's offensive coordinator while Rodriguez entered his fourth year with the Wildcats.
FOLLOW FREE AGENCY LIVE: Jaguars NFL free agency updates: Latest news, rumors
In 2021, Rodriguez totaled 1,379 yards on the ground, a career high. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry that year. In his collegiate career, Rodriguez totaled 3,644 yards and 32 touchdowns on the ground. He caught 20 passes for 116 yards and three scores. All three scores through the air occurred in 2021 under Coen's guidance.
"One of the toughest backs I've been around in terms of, you hand him the football, you typically know you're going to get four yards. You're usually going to get an efficient run when Chris has got the ball in his hands," Coen said in 2023 during an interview with Commanders reporter John Keim.
"It doesn't have to be perfect, it doesnt' have to be perfectly blocked. He can make you miss in the backfield and gain a few yards once he gets a full head of steam. Not a ton of people want to tackle him in the open field."
Coen added that Kentucky perhaps did not utilize Rodriguez as a pass-catcher as much as they should have, but that he can develop that trait further in the NFL.
Still, it appears his receiving potential remains untapped. In three years with Washington, Rodriguez totaled 920 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. He caught just six passes for 54 yards. Now, Coen gets a chance to unlock him in his NFL scheme.
Rodriguez packs a punch as a tailback who can get north to south quickly. With his addition, Jacksonville has multiple veterans in their backfield after re-signing RB/kick returner DeeJay Dallas. The team will also welcome back rising second-year backs Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen.
According to multiple reports, Rodriguez's salary is slated to be for $10 million over two years with $6.2 million in guaranteed money with a max value of $12 million with incentives.
The deal is not significant, but it should be noted that more proven backs (by production) such as Rico Dowdle signed a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers worth $6.125 million guaranteed, while Tyler Allgeier received a couple of million more than Rodriguez at $8 million guaranteed.
Still, Rodriguez has significantly less tread on the tires than both backs. In fact, Rodriguez's 198 carries are the lowest the among backs who are slated to sign with new teams thus far in free agency. That gives Jacksonville a player who has plenty to showcase in their running back by committee approach.
The deal likely makes Rodriguez a key player in the team's backfield, while Tuten could get more nods on a game-by-game basis. In 2025, Rodriguez showcased his skills with 500 rushing yards and six scores.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky at Demetrius.
If you're a subscriber, thank you. If not, please consider subscribing to support local journalism in Northeast Florida.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars free agency instant grade: Why Chris Rodriguez deal gets a B
Continue reading...
Rodriguez was signed after the Jaguars lost starting RB Travis Etienne via free agency to the New Orleans Saints. Jacksonville was always slated to lose Etienne given his likely asking price and the team's salary cap situation.
Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is familiar with Rodriguez. In 2021, Coen was Kentucky's offensive coordinator while Rodriguez entered his fourth year with the Wildcats.
FOLLOW FREE AGENCY LIVE: Jaguars NFL free agency updates: Latest news, rumors
In 2021, Rodriguez totaled 1,379 yards on the ground, a career high. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry that year. In his collegiate career, Rodriguez totaled 3,644 yards and 32 touchdowns on the ground. He caught 20 passes for 116 yards and three scores. All three scores through the air occurred in 2021 under Coen's guidance.
"One of the toughest backs I've been around in terms of, you hand him the football, you typically know you're going to get four yards. You're usually going to get an efficient run when Chris has got the ball in his hands," Coen said in 2023 during an interview with Commanders reporter John Keim.
"It doesn't have to be perfect, it doesnt' have to be perfectly blocked. He can make you miss in the backfield and gain a few yards once he gets a full head of steam. Not a ton of people want to tackle him in the open field."
Coen added that Kentucky perhaps did not utilize Rodriguez as a pass-catcher as much as they should have, but that he can develop that trait further in the NFL.
Still, it appears his receiving potential remains untapped. In three years with Washington, Rodriguez totaled 920 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. He caught just six passes for 54 yards. Now, Coen gets a chance to unlock him in his NFL scheme.
What grade do Jaguars get for signing RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.?
You must be registered for see images
Rodriguez packs a punch as a tailback who can get north to south quickly. With his addition, Jacksonville has multiple veterans in their backfield after re-signing RB/kick returner DeeJay Dallas. The team will also welcome back rising second-year backs Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen.
According to multiple reports, Rodriguez's salary is slated to be for $10 million over two years with $6.2 million in guaranteed money with a max value of $12 million with incentives.
The deal is not significant, but it should be noted that more proven backs (by production) such as Rico Dowdle signed a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers worth $6.125 million guaranteed, while Tyler Allgeier received a couple of million more than Rodriguez at $8 million guaranteed.
Still, Rodriguez has significantly less tread on the tires than both backs. In fact, Rodriguez's 198 carries are the lowest the among backs who are slated to sign with new teams thus far in free agency. That gives Jacksonville a player who has plenty to showcase in their running back by committee approach.
The deal likely makes Rodriguez a key player in the team's backfield, while Tuten could get more nods on a game-by-game basis. In 2025, Rodriguez showcased his skills with 500 rushing yards and six scores.
Grade: B
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky at Demetrius.
If you're a subscriber, thank you. If not, please consider subscribing to support local journalism in Northeast Florida.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars free agency instant grade: Why Chris Rodriguez deal gets a B
Continue reading...
