Releasing Carlos Hyde allows Jaguars to upgrade running back room

Back when the Jacksonville Jaguars signed Carlos Hyde, they thought they were getting a veteran that could step in running back James Robinson’s place in case he needed to catch his breath or miss a couple of games. But things didn’t work out that way the Jags have cut ties with him just one year after signing him.

Adam Schefter of ESPN and Ian Rapoport of NFL Media both reported that Jacksonville has released Hyde ahead of free agency. The move will free up $1.9 million in cap space with a dead-money hit of $450,000. The veteran running back landed in Jacksonville due to the connection he shares with head coach Urban Meyer, whom he played for at Ohio State, but with his biggest supporter no longer in the building, he unsurprisingly got the boot.

The signing kind of made sense at the time. After all, Hyde had had a 1,000-yard season as recently as 2019 and he wouldn’t be a featured back in Jacksonville but rather Robinson’s backup. However, the veteran wasn’t particularly effective when he was on the field, averaging 3.5 yards per carry. The fact that Meyer favored him over Robinson was one of Meyer’s most puzzling decisions during his short stint with the Jags.

Had Hyde been more effective in 2021, it would have made sense to keep him but that’s not the case. The Jaguars weren’t in need of extra cap space but they can use the savings to add depth to their running back room in free agency or the draft.

The Jaguars need to add another running back this offseason.

Travis Etienne and James Robinson are coming off season-ending injuries. The former suffered a Lisfranc injury last preseason and had to sit out his rookie campaign. He’s ahead of schedule in his recovery and could be ready for the Organized Team Activities.

Robinson was one of the top running backs in the NFL before he sustained a heel injury in Week 8 that slowed him down for a few weeks. Then tore his Achilles in Week 15 and missed the last two games of the season. Unlike Etienne, he may not be ready by Week 1, so Jacksonville may better off adding another running back this offseason.

While it may not make sense to pursue one of the top running backs in free agency, the Jaguars should be able to find a few affordable yet effective options. James Conner and Melvin Gordon might be out of their price range but someone like Marlon Mack or Sony Michael wouldn’t be cost-prohibitive. But if the Jaguars prefer to address the position in the draft, they can find a good running back prospect in Day 3.

Etienne and Robinson will give the Jaguars’ backfield an electrifying one-two punch once they’re both healthy. Until then, the Jaguars need to upgrade their running back depth, and releasing Carlos Hyde gives them the chance to do precisely that.