Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Brian Robinson Jr.

Monday, June 2, 12:36 PM

With trade speculation surrounding Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. this offseason, new head coach Liam Coen had nothing but positive things to say about the 26-year-old former first-rounder. When asked about Etienne's performance at OTAs this offseason, Coen said "(Travis) has done everything we've asked him to do and more... I don't understand some of the stuff I've seen out there, that's absolutely inaccurate." The Jags took rookie Bayshul Tuten in the fourth round of April's NFL draft, and then a report surfaced in May that the team wasn't very high on Etienne, which in turn led to trade rumors. Etienne had a second straight down year in 2025, carrying the ball 150 times for 558 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games. Even if he sticks around in Jacksonville, Etienne's fantasy stock is down, and he could lose more work to Tuten and Tank Bigsby.

Monday, June 2, 5:42 PM

Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury noted via the team's transcript last week that running back Brian Robinson Jr.'s focus this offseason has been "great." "Yeah, he's been really focused," said Kingsbury. "B-Rob's a guy who has played an incredibly high level....He knows what this year means to him and can mean to us when he plays at that level." The Commanders invested in their offense heavily this offseason -- fortifying their offensive front and the weapons around budding superstar Jayden Daniels. However, the running back room went essentially unchanged aside from the addition of seventh-round teammate Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Backfield mate Austin Ekeler will siphon away some touches, but the Alabama product should receive strong volume this season. It will be interesting to see how the team deploys Deebo Samuel Sr., but if he doesn't absorb too many carries, Robinson Jr. should provide decent value.