One of the most intriguing position battles the Jacksonville Jaguars will hold in training camp will be at running back. Tank Bigsby, Travis Etienne, and rookie Bhayshul Tuten all have compelling cases to be their lead back next season. However, a trusted voice believes one of them is in the front seat and will be at the top of the depth chart come Week 1.
Senior correspondent Brian Sexton of the team's official website expects Etienne to be the starter in the opener, pointing out that his experience and past production should give him an edge over Bigsby and Tuten.
"Well, I think it's going to be Travis Etienne to start," Sexton said during an appearance on 1010 XL (9:33 mark). "When when they look at the body of work, and I know that he had a disappointing season last year, and I'm not a guy who advocates handing him the ball between the tackles too often, because he just doesn't have the bulk like tank does, but I I've seen a motivated ETN and who wouldn't be? He's going into a year that he's going to make five million bucks, which is a lot of money, but not comparative to a lot of the offensive weapons that are around him."
Sexton continued, "And I think looking at the running back world these days, he's got one shot at another contract. It's not going to be here. So this is a proven year for him to the rest of the league, and I saw that in him, or at least I think I saw it in him, watching him on the field, and it's going to be tough. I know Tuten, the rookie from Virginia Tech, is an explosive athlete. He's the future, but I'm not sure if he's the present, because it's going to be tough for him to come in and hold off a grown man in Travis Etienne."
Following an underwhelming 2024, speculation surfaced that Etienne could be dealt because he's entering a contract year, and Bigsby was the better player of the two last season. The noise only grew louder after the Jaguars drafted Tuten and LeQuint Allen.
However, head coach Liam Coen put an end to all the rumors when he told the local media that he was pleased with Etienne. Having said that, he's yet to be given the starting job, and just because the Jaguars aren't actively shopping the former Clemson Tiger right now doesn't mean that they won't in the future.
Travis Etienne has the edge, but the Jaguars could also roll with Tank Bigsby and Bhayshul Tuten
Travis Etienne totaled over 1,400 yards from scrimmage in 2022 and 2023. The production is certainly there, and if he can improve in pass protection, he could have the edge for the RB1 job. On the other hand, it won't be easy to fend off Tank Bigsby and Bhayshul Tuten.
Bigsby's ability to create yards after contact is his calling card. He isn't much of a pass catcher but proved last year that he can carry a heavy workload. Meanwhile, Tuten's explosiveness makes him an intriguing player with big-play capability. Like his fellow running backs, he's getting a hold of the nuances of pass protection. But if the rookie makes strides in that area and fixes his fumble issues, he will have a legitimate shot to be the starter in the season opener.
The bottom line is that Travis Etienne has the edge right now, but things are fluid. Nobody will bat an eye if he's the lead back in Week 1, but there's an equal chance either Tank Bigsby or Bhayshul Tuten will pass him on the depth chart.
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