Jaguars' perceived roster weakness will prove to be a major strength

Since the Jacksonville Jaguars let Travis Etienne bolt in free agency, running back has been perceived as a weakness. That's mostly because the Jags expect the duo of Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez to fill the void Lloyd's departure left, and neither has had a substantial workload in their respective NFL careers.

But despite their lack of experience, Jacksonville is confident that both of them will be up to the task of replacing Etienne. Tuten, in particular, is seen as a breakout candidate across the league. And based on recent comments from an NFL insider, the team's brass believes he'll be an upgrade at running back.

Bhayshul Tuten is ready to become a true No. 1 for the Jaguars

Mike Garofolo of NFL Media says that the Jaguars are confident that Bhayshul Tuten can replace Travis Etienne, noting that he can be a No. 1 running back.

"How about an offense for the Jaguars in the backfield? Bhayshul Tuten. I feel like this is one of the guys that maybe we haven't talked enough about this offseason because Travis Etienne heads to New Orleans. Travis Achane, sorry, heads to New Orleans as a free agent," Garafolo said. "Opens up the starting running back position for the Jaguars. In steps Bhayshul Tuten, who was impressive in spot duty as a rookie, but now, the chance to be the No. 1 guy, along with Chris Rodriguez.

Garafolo continued, "I'd expect them both to get some run. Tuten train, he would score touchdowns, and he hit the horn like he was on the train. That's the big rollout this year. There it is, right there. That shirt's coming out soon. The Tut Tut, the Tuting Train, right there. So Bhayshul Tuten, hoping to be the conductor in the backfield. See what I did there for the Jaguars this upcoming season. I know they think highly of him, and they're pleased with what they saw from him in the spring. I got a little bit of physicality in the first as well. They feel like he can be a complete No. 1 running back for them."

Below are Garafolo's remarks during his appearance on the NFL Network.

Tunen was the No. 2 option behind Travis Etienne last year, so he had limited opportunities to showcase his talent. Couple that with the fact that he got plenty of carries in short-yardage situations, and it's easy to see why the former Virginia Tech Hokie only averaged 3.7 yards per carry.

But with Etienne out of the picture, the Jags plan to take advantage of Tuten's home-run speed, so nobody would bat an eye if he has a breakout season despite the fact that Chris Rodriguez will also have a big workload next season.

Speaking of Rodriguez, toted the rock 112 times for 500 yards with six touchdowns as a rookie. That kind of production doesn't pop off the stat sheet, but the advanced data shows that he was a much better runner than traditional stats suggest.

When you factor in that Rodriguez is back with Liam Coen, his offensive coordinator when he had his most productive season at Kentucky, he's in a position to turn into a pivotal piece of the Jacksonville offense.

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Bhayshul Tuten will prove the Jaguars were right to let Travis Etienne walk

Travis Etienne missed his rookie season with a Lisfranc injury but had more than 1,000 rushing yards three of the past four years. This is a long-winded way to say that he was a key contributor in Duval, but the Jags weren't going to be able (or weren't willing) to match the four-year, $52 million deal the New Orleans Saints gave him in free agency.

Moreover, Etienne's rate of explosive plays was below the league's average, and he struggled to gain the tough yards in short-yardage situations. Jacksonville believes Chris Rodriguez and Bhayshul Tuten will be an upgrade, and the data seems to back that up.

Sure, until Bhayshul Tuten comes through, questions will remain about the running back position, but it should be a matter of time before he and Chris Rodriguez completely quell concerns.

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