After five seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, running back Travis Etienne tested free agency. It didn't take him long to find a team, as he quickly signed with the New Orleans Saints.
Etienne's exit was a bit surprising because he had been a mainstay of the Jacksonville offense the past four years. However, general manager James Gladstone recently explained that re-signing him wasn't feasible.
James Gladstone reveals why the Jaguars let Travis Etienne walk
In the midst of free agency, James Gladstone met with the local media and talked about the decision not to re-sign Travis Etienne, noting that the team expected him to have a big market.
"We engaged with his reps and monitored his market," Gladstone told the press corps (11:25 mark). "We approached it knowing that his contract was going to be pretty high, and wanted to make sure that we were never out of the loop on that. And you know, as things progressed, we obviously made the decision to sort of step aside and have him get what was earned. And I think he's pretty darn excited, it seems to be back in his home state, and be able to step into that stadium."
Later in the exchange, Gladstone noted that the Jags also felt comfortable letting Etienne walk because they added Chris Rodriguez and have Bhayshul Tuten in the fold.
"For us, it's really exciting because, you know, Bhayshul was in a spot where he didn't receive the bulk of the carries, but certainly had his moments to shine throughout the course of the year and showcase a good chunk of what he has to offer. And outside of just Bhayshul, you got LeQuint, who carved out a very clear role and contribution to the football team, bringing Chris, and you got a nice little trio alongside DeeJay Dallas. So it's a really good crew that we feel confident in at this stage," Gladstone said.
Etienne ended up signing a four-year, $52 million deal with the Saints. Meanwhile, they managed to get Rodriguez on a two-year deal worth up to $10 million.
You may also like: James Gladstone's methodical approach to free agency shakes up this 4-round mock draft
Bhayshul Tuten will help the Jaguars recover from Travis Etienne's departure
As productive as Travis Etienne was for the Jaguars the past four years, they simply weren't in a position to meet his salary demands without creating cap constraints. Couple that with the presence of Bhayshul Tuten, and it's easy to see why they let him walk.
You could make the case that Jacksonville will miss Etienne's production. Last season, he amassed 1,399 yards from scrimmage and a career-best 13 total touchdowns. However, Tuten also showed big-play capability in limited opportunities, while Rodriguez should be able to carry some of the workload.
Together, Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez should be able to replace Travis Etienne. Sure, it stings to see him leave, and it will be weird to see him wear another uniform for the first time in five years. Having said that, it was always going to be tough to re-sign him from a business standpoint.