Through the OTA and minicamp practices, Jacksonville Jaguars’ running backs coach Chad Morton has liked what he’s seen from Travis Etienne.
“He’s doing a great job,” said Morton. “On the field, just like he’s been in the past, super smooth, easy running just kind of I talked about like Bhayshul. Just natural for him. It’s in his DNA. He just does stuff right. He’s versatile, use him in the passing game too. Get a couple running backs out there on the field.
“So we just put him in different positions just to make play. He’s one of those guys you just want to get the ball in his hand. So he’s doing extremely well.”
Etienne is coming off a 2024 season in which he rushed for a career-low 558 yards after eclipsing 1,000 yards during each of the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He also averaged just 3.7 yards per carry.
But this offseason, within Liam Coen’s offensive scheme, there has been an emphasis on getting Etienne the ball out in space, which is where he has always been at his best with his ability to make defenders miss. Back in 2022, Etienne ranked fifth among all backs in missed tackles forced, according to PFF.
When it comes to how exactly the Jaguars plan to get Etienne the ball in space more, Coen mentioned his ability in the screen game and on jet sweeps. We could also see Etienne on the field when the offense is in shotgun, and defenses are typically more spread out.
Etienne is competing with Tank Bigsby and Bhayshul Tuten for playing time this season. He will have a role within this offense, but to what extent is perhaps still to be determined.
“It’s just great to just learn the kid, learning all these guys,” Morton said. “Just their personality and how they think and how they learn and I think that’s the biggest part. Is just knowing these guys first and just having in-depth conversations with these guys and that’s that’s the first part.”
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars’ RB coach weighs in on Travis Etienne’s offseason performance
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
