Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Javonte Williams

Tuesday, May 27, 2:39 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. was absent from Day 4 of the team's OTA practices, and Jaguars reporter Carlos Sanchez believes "signs are pointing toward" a potential trade for the former first-round pick out of Clemson. After missing his rookie season with a Lisfranc injury, Etienne racked up consecutive 1,000-yard rushing campaigns in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, he saw his production dip, rushing 150 times for 558 yards and two touchdowns in 15 contests. Tank Bigsby began eating into his workload last year, and now, the team has brought in fourth-round and seventh-round rookie running backs, Bhayshul Tuten (Virginia Tech) and LeQuint Allen (Syracuse). There is a new general manager in Jacksonville and a third head coach since the team selected Etienne, so the two sides could be headed toward a split this offseason. If Etienne is dealt, the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and Denver Broncos could be potential suitors that could increase his fantasy football value.

Monday, May 26, 9:42 AM

Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams was seen taking reps with the first team during the portion of last Tuesday's OTAs that was open to the media, according to Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com. Williams signed with Dallas during the offseason, and their crowded backfield now features Williams, Jaydon Blue, and Miles Sanders, among other depth pieces. While this update from Yarrish could provide some insight into the Cowboys' backfield dynamic, it's important to note that the regular season is still several months away and the depth chart is destined to change. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer echoed this sentiment, saying, "It's too early to tell. Last year, we went into it thinking it's going to be by committee and then at the end of the year, we changed that." He noted that Williams and Sanders got an early jump on the competition by signing during the offseason, but even Blue has made impressive progress in the few weeks since being drafted.