Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Cam Skattebo

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 22, 10:11 PM

The Athletic's Charlotte Carroll wonders if New York Giants rookie running back Cam Skattebo can usurp Tyrone Tracy Jr. for the RB1 job in 2025. It's possible, but Carroll goes on to say that it's more realistic that Skattebo, the team's fourth-rounder out of Arizona State this year, jumps Devin Singletary for the RB2 role to begin his rookie season. Skattebo offers a more physical complement to Tracy's speed and is already a fan favorite in the Big Apple because of his physicality and underdog mentality. For now, Carroll is giving the slight edge to the veteran Singletary well before training camp, but it's very possible that Singletary falls further down the depth chart after losing the starting gig to Tracy in 2024. Skattebo makes up for his lack of speed with plenty of power and explosiveness. Don't be surprised if he becomes New York's primary pass-catching back early on in 2025.