Liam Coen has a heartfelt message for Travis Etienne after leaving Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars let running back Travis Etienne walk in free agency even though he was a mainstay of the offense the past two years. The decision made sense because they expect Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez to give their running game a boost. But just because Etienne is now suiting up for the New Orleans Saints doesn't mean the Jags don't value him anymore.

Jacksonville and the Saints held a joint practice before their preseason game in Week 1. This gave head coach Liam Coen a golden chance to talk about how highly he thinks of the 2021 first-round pick.

Travis Etienne means a lot to the Jaguars and Jacksonville

Head coach Liam Coen met with reporters after the joint practice with the Saints. He heaped praise on Travis Etienne, noting that he had a huge impact for the Jaguars and the city of Jacksonville.

"TJ, it was great to see him after practice. Like I told him, we'll never be able to replace what he was able to do for us, whether it was last year or what he's done in Jacksonville throughout the course of his career," Coen told reporters (7:55 mark). "He is always welcome back in Jacksonville. The community, the fans, the kids, they'll always bring it up to me. They do, and it's great. And you want to see players succeed.

Coen continued, "And what does that look like? Well, it's winning, but it's also taking care of your family, and what he was able to do to come back home and to play for an organization in which he. I know, followed as a kid, and to be able to provide and to get a contract like that. I mean, he should be extremely proud of himself. I am of him, and the relationship that he had with a lot of our guys on the team, obviously."

And here's a clip of Etienne catching up with his former teammates, via Alivia Tassely of Action News Jax.

Etienne missed his rookie season with a Lisfranc injury but went on to become a highly productive player for Jacksonville, registering three 1,000-yard seasons the past four years. However, the Jags weren't going to be able to match the four-year, $54 million New Orleans offered him.

Moreover, the team's brass is confident that Bhayshul Tuten and free-agent acquisition Chris Rodriguez can replace Etienne's production.

The Jaguars will not forget what Travis Etienne did

The NFL is a brutal business, as even the best players can be shown the door. That said, it's refreshing to see Liam Coen showcasing the human part of the business. While the Jaguars weren't able to (or opted not to) re-sign Travis Etienne, that doesn't mean that he's suddenly persona non grata in Duval.

Etienne was a prominent player during his five-year stint with the Jaguars. Sure, he now plays for a different team, but that doesn't suddenly erase what he accomplished in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars and Travis Etienne have moved on, and things appear to have played out well for both of them. So unless he racks up more than 2,000 yards or their rushing game struggles, neither is going to have second thoughts about parting ways.

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