Jaguars should laugh at this Travis Etienne trade proposal to the Chiefs

Running back Travis Etienne is a difference-maker for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Aside from Trevor Lawrence, there may not be a more important player on their offense than him. He'll be key to their success in 2024, which is why even bringing up the prospect of trading him before the regular season would be outrageous. Marissa Myers of TWSN doesn't seem to mind and suggests the Jags send Etienne packing to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Myers proposes Jacksonville trades the star running back to the Super Bowl Champions, pointing out that he hasn't "fully hit the mold of Doug Pederson's scheme." She believes that he would form a dynamic tandem alongside Isiah Pacheco, their leading rusher the past two years. Here's the skinny.

"To keep Pacheco fresh for the future and to continue having a reliable back, it would be ideal to trade for Etienne. With Etienne, he brings a stable presence in the run game after averaging 4.4 yards per attempt over two seasons for a total of 2,299 yards and 17 touchdowns. Etienne brings the elusive ability to the offense as he has created 1,546 yards after contact. "

Myers then adds that Etienne is a better pass catcher out of the backfield than Pacheco, having caught 93 receptions for 792 yards with one touchdown the past two years.

A first-round pick in 2021, Etienne missed his rookie campaign with a Lisfranc injury but has amassed 2,133 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 487 carries the past two seasons. While he has yet to make the Pro Bowl, league executives and coaches see him as one of the top 10 running backs in the league.

Grade the pitch: The Jaguars trade Travis Etienne to the Chiefs

According to Myers, the Jaguars should be willing to trade the former Clemson Tiger because they're currently in a weird state where" they have more deficiencies than talent" and they must surround Trevor Lawrence with better talent. She fails to see the flaw in her argument.

If Lawrence is in need of talent around him, why would the Jaguars trade Etienne, who by Myer's own admission, is a playmaker? Moreover, why would they gift him to a conference rival, one that they could potentially face in the playoffs? It's also worth noting that she doesn't suggest any trade packages, but on the off chance Jacksonville considered the thought of trading the running back, it wouldn't come cheap.

For the sake of argument, let's say the Jaguars do entertain the possibility of trading Etienne. They would probably get future draft picks. While assets a fine, and teams will try to get as many as they can, the Jags are not currently in rebuilding mode. They're trying to make their way back to the top of the AFC South. To pull it off, they'll need as many game-changers as possible.

This means that trading Etienne is a no-go. The Jags expect him to have a pivotal role on offense next season. And to ensure he has success, they reinforced the offensive trenches in the offseason. Last year, he averaged 3.8 yards per carry because he had nowhere to go and by the time he had reached the line of scrimmage, he already had several defenders on his face.

When you take into account that Lawrence's arsenal of weapons also got upgrades, Etienne should find lighter boxes to run ahead. This in turn will allow the Jaguars to establish the run — something they failed to do last year — and take some pressure off the fourth-year quarterback's shoulders.

The bottom line is that trading Travis Etienne won't likely cross the mind of the Jacksonville Jaguars anytime soon. Even less to help a conference rival.

Grade: F

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