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The Jacksonville Jaguars losing running back Travis Etienne in free agency has been widely criticized by analysts, particularly because the Jaguars seemingly did not do enough to replace him, having added only Chris Rodriguez and Ameer Abdullah to the running back room.
Etienne was one of the more productive running backs in the league last season, so Jacksonville was deemed a loser for not hanging onto him. That buzz will likely only get louder, now that Etienne has been named to the NFL's Top 100 list for the first time in his career, coming in at No. 96.
There are three running backs who will be vying to replace Etienne as RB1: Bhayshul Tuten, LeQuint Allen, and Chris Rodriguez. However, that may never come to pass; Jacksonville’s new-look RB room doesn’t appear to be built around one obvious replacement for Etienne.
Instead, head coach Liam Coen seemingly prefers a committee approach, with Allen, Tuten, and Rodriguez each offering different skill sets. And all three together will, in theory, make up for Etienne's production.
It's also clear that the Jags are heavily investing in the run game and that it's been a priority in the offseason, despite not signing any other free agents besides Rodriguez. Instead, the Jaguars drafted two tight ends, and Coen has repeatedly stressed that he wants to see a more productive run game in 2026.
It's still too early to tell if the new running back room will be able to fill Etienne's void, but it's clear that the shoes they will have to fill are large indeed, and the entire league will be watching.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Former Jaguars RB Travis Etienne among NFL's top 100 players for 2026
Continue reading...
Etienne was one of the more productive running backs in the league last season, so Jacksonville was deemed a loser for not hanging onto him. That buzz will likely only get louder, now that Etienne has been named to the NFL's Top 100 list for the first time in his career, coming in at No. 96.
There are three running backs who will be vying to replace Etienne as RB1: Bhayshul Tuten, LeQuint Allen, and Chris Rodriguez. However, that may never come to pass; Jacksonville’s new-look RB room doesn’t appear to be built around one obvious replacement for Etienne.
Instead, head coach Liam Coen seemingly prefers a committee approach, with Allen, Tuten, and Rodriguez each offering different skill sets. And all three together will, in theory, make up for Etienne's production.
It's also clear that the Jags are heavily investing in the run game and that it's been a priority in the offseason, despite not signing any other free agents besides Rodriguez. Instead, the Jaguars drafted two tight ends, and Coen has repeatedly stressed that he wants to see a more productive run game in 2026.
It's still too early to tell if the new running back room will be able to fill Etienne's void, but it's clear that the shoes they will have to fill are large indeed, and the entire league will be watching.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Former Jaguars RB Travis Etienne among NFL's top 100 players for 2026
Continue reading...
