I have to be honest, I'm surprised that various critics ended up being more concerned about the Jacksonville Jaguars letting Travis Etienne walk than Devin Lloyd. Not too long ago, everyone from the homers to the fantasy bros was shouting from the rooftops that running backs should never get a second deal unless they're an All-World performer.
Based on their moves this offseason, it seems like the Jags agreed with the aforementioned sentiment, as they decided to roll with Bhayshul Tuten as the new RB1 and bring in Chris Rodriguez for veteran support instead of matching the $54 million offer the New Orleans Saints made Etienne once free agency started.
The Jaguars plan to use a committe at running back
For what it's worth, Jacksonville has been hinting that they want to use a running back-by-committee approach for a while now. Back in March, ESPN's Michael DiRocco got a few quotes from James Gladstone, Jacksonville's general manager. One of the executive's blurbs was quite telling in hindsight, as the now second-year GM said that the running back room "as it stands, [is] a fairly well-rounded, complementary group and we're excited about it."
Jax doesn't need a back who can run back punts, stretch the ball outside, and catch out of the backfield like Reggie Bush did for the New Orleans Saints back in the mid-aughts. DeeJay Dallas and LeQuint Allen Jr. are perfect examples of that, as their bread will only be buttered if they excel at the very niche roles they've already built their names with.
That being said, I get why some fans want to see it before they can believe it. Luckily, Jaguars training camp will give us all an opportunity to see if the new-look RB room can withstand the pressure and pounding it will take for them to take the rushing attack to the next level.
One way or another, we're going to see if the Jaguars running backs are up to snuff
To make sure everyone understands this is all in good faith, I know that nobody's expecting DeeJay Dallas to turn into a 1000-yard all-purpose back out of nowhere. This convo's strictly about Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez's ability to carry the load within Liam Coen's system and give Trevor Lawrence the balance he needs to pick up where he left off after last year's record-breaking campaign.
If we take things to the most literal perspective possible, Tuten and Rodriguez would need to accrue 1,107 rushing yards, 292 receiving yards, and 13 total touchdowns to replace the production Travis Etienne gave the Jaguars last season. Unless the apocalypse happens, the yardage won't be an issue. It's the touchdowns we should all be worried about.
In 2025, Rodriguez reached the end zone six times during his last season as a Washington Commander. Ironically enough, Tuten hit paydirt seven times during his rookie campaign. My Stanton education informed me that the sum of these figures equals 13 touchdowns on the dot... as backups.
So, in that regard, I don't see why skeptics within the fan base and national media are so concerned about Etienne's absence heading into training camp. He was a mainstay in the Trevor Lawrence Era of the franchise's history, but he never pieced together the one dominant season that let us know he was ready to join Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew in the pantheon of Jacksonville ball carriers.
Etienne departed as a two-time AFC South Champion, but was he ever the biggest piece of either title-winning unit's puzzle?
I'd say the answer is no, but hindsight is always 20/20. As for the question of whether Etienne's connection with Lawrence and the offensive line will be missed, we won't know for sure until we get a chance to see how Tuten and Rodriguez respond to being given the keys to the car for the first time in their pro careers. Even though the time is flying by, it's a long way to Week 1.
Here's to seeing how things shake out as the preseason battles begin.
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