Jacksonville did not improve enough this past offseason to avoid having the worst record in the NFL once again, but as the offense struggled this season, one couldn’t help but wonder if things could have been different if it had another playmaker available in Travis Etienne.
The first-round pick missed his entire rookie season after suffering a Lisfranc fracture in his foot during the preseason. Etienne said that not being able to see the field as a rookie was like going to a birthday party as a kid but not being allowed to have any cake.
“I think being in the meetings every day, it helped me in a way, helped me in a sense because I felt like I was a part of it,” Etienne said, per John Reid of The Florida Times-Union. “I feel like I was a part of everything. I was like a little kid going to the birthday, but I just couldn’t have any birthday cake.
“That’s the best way I can put it. That’s how this year’s been for me. So next year, I’m just looking forward to just indulging in all the cake that I can.”
Etienne was one of the best running backs in the country in college, and he was drafted as a change of pace option for running back James Robinson, who can also make plays through the air. The Jags also drafted his college quarterback in Trevor Lawrence.
He’s not back to 100% yet, but he expects to be healthy come training camp in July.
“I definitely feel like as of now I’ll be ready,” Etienne said. “I’m ready to go. The next milestone for me is to get back doing weightlifting, like squats and stuff like that. I haven’t really been squatting because it is a Lisfranc injury, and it was in the bottom of the foot.
“My upper body has never looked better. I feel like mentally, I just had to slow down, take a step back and enjoy the process. This is my first-ever injury. I had to step back and look at the game from the outside in. I did get the injury, but I never thought it would happen. I feel when I get back on the field, it’s going to be different.”
The role the coaches had in mind for Etienne remains largely an enigma, as he had just two carries for three yards in the preseason. Given Robinson’s ability, he likely wasn’t going to be the feature back, but his abilities in the receiving game could add another dimension to his role.
The Jaguars will hope that Etienne’s recovery continues without hindrance and that he’s able to go once camp begins this summer.