3 potential landing spots for Jaguars RB Travis Etienne in a trade

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a playmaker in Travis Etienne. A first-round pick in 2021, the former Clemson Tiger has racked up over 1,400 each of the past two seasons, and even with Tank Bigsby in the fold, he should still have another productive season in 2024. That said, he'll give the Jags a tough decision next year.

Etienne's contract runs through 2025 after Jacksonville exercised the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. If he stays in Jacksonville, he'll make $6.1 million, but the Jags could trade him, free up cap space, and acquire extra assets along the way.

Now, there are no reports the Jaguars are interested in trading Etienne, but given the diminished value of running backs in today's NFL and the fact that they already have a potential replacement in Bigsby, the Jags may be inclined to ship the Louisiana native before the November 5 deadline. This leads to two questions.

First, what kind of value does Etienne have? His contract could make him an enticing option for teams in need of help at the position. His production and ability to create yards on his own could also boost his stock, so a third-round pick could get a deal done.

With the potential compensation out of the way, which teams would be willing to trade for Etienne? These three come to mind.

Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos are in Year 2 of a rebuild under Sean Payton. While the results have been mixed, the Super Bowl-winning head coach is retooling the roster to ensure that they have long-term success at Mile High.

One area where Payton and the Broncos have struggled to bring stability is at running back. They've given Javonte Williams ample time to prove he's the long-term answer at the position, but he's failed to take advantage of his chances.

When you take into account that the running game could take some pressure off of rookie quarterback Bo Nix, Travis Etienne becomes a realistic trade possibility. After all, he's a proven commodity at the position and would give an immediate boost to the Denver backfield.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs have dealt with lots of injuries but somehow managed to stay on the top. Just recently, they lost Hollywood Brown, and a torn ACL cut Rashee Rice's 2024 campaign short. Add the fact that Isiah Pacheco is also out and tight end Travis Kelce has been underwhelming, and the Chiefs could use some help.

Trading for Travis Etienne wouldn't end all of Kansas City's woes on offense, but they would at least stop the bleeding. Besides being a dynamic running back, he can also contribute in the passing game, having hauled in 93 receptions for 792 yards with one touchdown the past two years. He could quickly become one of Patrick Mahomes' favorite targets.

Dallas Cowboys

Jerry Jones told the world that the Dallas Cowboys were "all-in" for 2024. That meant, or at least implied that they were going to spare no expense to turn into a contender this season. But one look at the moves they made in the offseason shows that they were in fact far from all in.

The biggest splash signing the Boys made was probably bringing back a familiar face in Ezekiel Elliot, but other than that, they mostly stayed on the sidelines in free agency watching other teams load up on talent. Heck, just recently, Jones said that Dallas couldn't afford to sign Derrick Henry even though he's making a rather affordable $8 million in 2024.

Going back to Elliot, he's no longer the running back he was in his prime, and Rico Dowdle is a fine complementary player but not much else. While the ship has sailed when it comes to Henry, the Cowboys could still improve their backfield by trading for Etienne.

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