Throughout the offseason, there's been speculation that the Jacksonville Jaguars could trade running back Travis Etienne. This is understandable due to the presence of Tank Bigsby, who showed notable improvement in 2024. But what if the Jags moved on from both? That's what an NFL analyst thinks they should do.
Josh Norris of Underdog Fantasy Sports thinks that this year's running back class is deep enough that it would allow the Jags to revamp the position.
"I'm at the point of RB prospect research where I believe Jacksonville should simply overhaul the position with two of their six top 126 selections," Norris said on Twitter. "Clean slate upgrade... that's enough talent to easily do it." Below is the post:
I'm at the point of RB prospect research where I believe Jacksonville should simply overhaul the position with two of their six top 126 selections
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) March 19, 2025
clean slate upgrade
there's enough talent to easily do it
Norris isn't alone in his evaluation of the 2025 running-back crops. Chris Trappasso of CBS Sports also thinks it's deep, arguing that this is as good a year to draft one. Jaguars alumni Maurice Jones-Drew echoes that sentiment, pointing out that there are as many as four starting-caliber prospects at the position and ample talent in the later rounds.
This begs the question, should the Jaguars really go nuclear and revamp their backfield? For the sake of transparency, Josh Norris isn't breaking news but rather sharing an opinion. In fact, he isn't probably outright suggesting that they move on from Etienne and Bigsby but rather that they could do it if they wanted to.
Related story: Updated cap space and draft picks for the Jaguars in the 2025 NFL Draft
Why the Jaguars would keep Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne
There's no doubt that the Jacksonville Jaguars could revamp their running back in the draft. After all, they have 10 draft picks, including an extra third and a fourth. Having said that, it wouldn't make sense to start over at running back when they have two capable ones in Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby.
Following the 2024 season, there was chatter about Jacksonville moving on from Etienne, but it doesn't look like it's on their plans. Already, they've cut ties with several players and there currently aren't any reports that they will. Heck, at this point, the Jags may want to keep the former Clemson Tiger. Although he's coming off an underwhelming year, it wasn't long ago that he tallied over 1,400 yards from scrimmage in back-to-back seasons.
Etienne is set to make $6.1 million. Given that the front office already freed up cap space, they're not in a rush for extra room. He's entering a contract year, and could still form a dynamic backfield tandem alongside Bigsby. Moreover, he would give the Jaguars depth in case injuries struck.
Having said that, Jacksonville should still consider investing a pick at the position due to the departure of D'Ernest Johnson in free agency. Still, there's a day-night difference between drafting a running back and completely revamping it.
Simply put, the Jacksonville Jaguars are stacked at the position, why would they start from scratch?