Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Bhayshul Tuten

Thursday, May 8, 8:25 AM

The Jacksonville Jaguars' new regime of coaches and executives is "not so high" on running back Travis Etienne Jr., according to league executives who have spoken with ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. As a result, Fowler notes that rookie Bhayshul Tuten could carve out a role and make an impact right away. The Etienne era in Jacksonville has been a rollercoaster, to say the least. He dominated over his first two seasons, combining for 2,925 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns. He even finished eighth in Offensive Player of the Year voting in 2023. However, last season, after Tank Bigsby joined the backfield, Etienne's usage dwindled. He still started all 15 games he played, but he was often out-snapped and out-produced by Bigsby. Etienne finished his age-25 campaign with just 558 rushing yards, 254 receiving yards, and two touchdowns, all of which were career lows. He was already trending down ahead of this offseason, and the Jaguars' decision to bring in new faces (such as general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen) could spell disaster for the former first-round pick.

Thursday, May 8, 8:22 AM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten could make a significant impact during his first NFL season, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. In particular, Fowler notes that Tuten could carve out a significant role simply by process of elimination. Jacksonville's new coaching and front office regime isn't very high on incumbent starter Travis Etienne Jr., and they're also aware of Tank Bigsby's fumbling issues. There's a lot to be said about a new staff bringing in its own guys, and it's possible they could look to phase Tuten into the offense right away. As a fourth-round pick, Tuten will still have to earn opportunities, but that hasn't been a problem for him in the past. At Virginia Tech last year, he ran wild with 1,159 rushing yards and 17 total touchdowns.