If the Jacksonville Jaguars let running back Travis Etienne walk, they can breathe a sigh of relief knowing he probably won't bolted for the Houston Texans after they traded for David Montgomey. Having said that, the prospect of watching the 2021 first-round pick depart appears to be a realistic possibility with free agency around the corner.
While the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Bears seem like logical landing spots for Etienne, an NFL analyst brought up another potential destination after talking to execs at the NFL Combine.
The Saints could target Travis Etienne if the Jaguars don't re-sign him
Matthew Berry of NBC Sports shared everything he heard at the combine and named the Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints as potential suitors for Travis Etienne.
Kansas City has often come up as a free-agency destination for Etienne the past two months, so Berry's scoop isn't necessarily surprising. On the other hand, it's intriguing to find out that New Orleans could target him.
The Saints are expected to cut ties with Alvin Kamara to free up cap space. Given that he's been a long-time staple of their offense, they'll need a top tier replacement to feel the void of his release.
New Orleans holds the eighth overall pick in this year's draft. That will be the perfect spot to take Jeremiyah Love, the top running back prospect. In fact, he's been mocked to the Saints several times throughout the offseason. Having said that, they have more pressing needs than running back. That could prompt them to sign Etienne in free agency and bolster other positions in the draft.
But whether New Orleans target Etienne, he should have no shortage of suitors if he hits the open market. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated believes he'll get "a nice contract," and rigthly so.
Coming off an injury-marred 2024, there were doubts about Etienne's future in Jacskonville. However, he managed to fend off rookie Bhayshul Tuten and went on to have a banner season, racking up 1,399 yards from scrimmage and a career-best 13 total touchdowns.
In his five year stint in Duval, Etienne has posted three 1,000-yard season and totaled 1,400 yards from scrimmage twice.
The Jaguars could have a hard time re-signing Travis Etienne
While Travis Etienne has made it clear that he wants to return to the Jaguars, the prospect of cashing in may be too good to pass up, especially when you take into account that he'll arguably the best running back available in free agency not named Kenneth Walker III.
Late in 2024, Spotrac projected Etienne to earn an annual average of $6.9 million if he becomes a free agent. But the actual amount could be closer to the $15 million range. Either way, the Jags may not have the necessary cap space to meet his salary demands.
Currently, Jacksonville is $15.9 million over the cap, and even if general manager James Gladstone frees up cap space, it may not be enough to bring Etienne back.
The good news is that Bhayshul Tuten flashed potential last year. Moreover, the Jaguars won't have to worry about having to face Travis Etienne anytime soon if he lands in The Big Easy.