ESPN NFL analyst Mike Clay recently highlighted what he believes to be the biggest weakness for each NFL team. So when it comes to the Jacksonville Jaguars, what was Clay’s selection?
It’s probably not a surprise, given that many analysts have questioned the Jaguars’ roster-building approach at this position this offseason, but Clay named running back as the Jaguars’ biggest weakness. He also mentioned the interior defensive line unit being in question, but chose running back as being the greatest unknown.
A lot of this uncertainty likely stems from this being a relatively inexperienced unit.
Travis Etienne left in free agency after rushing for 1,107 yards last season. Replacing him will be Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez, and LeQuint Allen, as the trio forms a running back committee.
How exactly playing time shakes out still remains to be seen, but the expectation is that Rodriguez and Tuten will share the work out of the backfield, with Allen continuing to see snaps on passing downs.
The weekly matchups and in-game situations could strongly dictate what playing time looks like.
“Tuten flashed as a rookie but was limited to 83 carries and 14 targets. Rodriguez has been effective as a rusher (career 4.6 yards per carry), but the sample is small (198 carries) and he’s not a receiving option (six career catches). Expect Allen (23 carries, 11 targets as a rookie) to see occasional work in passing situations.”
Each back brings something different to the position. Tuten, with his speed, provides a home run presence. Rodriguez was very good last season in Washington at creating opportunities, and he adds a physical presence. Allen is an exceptional pass-blocker and should be more involved this season as a pass catcher.
No one player may replicate Etienne’s individual production, but collectively, the Jaguars’ likely belief is that it can be replicated or even surpassed.
One can easily see the vision that the Jaguars have at this position. Now, how well it works remains to be seen, and improved offensive line play in the run game will be important.
That said, despite the uncertainty around this year’s running back room, where this unit may be improved is in their ability to generate more yards than what was expected. This is an area of improvement for this unit. Consistently turning two or three-yard gains into four or five-yard pick-ups can do wonders for an offense.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: ESPN analyst identifies Jaguars biggest roster weakness
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire | USA TODAY Network
