Travis Etienne – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Watch: Travis Etienne shows off blazing speed on 26-yard TD run

Former Clemson running back Travis Etienne showcased his tremendous speed in the Jaguars’ win over the Colts on Sunday.

Former Clemson running back Travis Etienne had an impressive showing in Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season on Sunday. Etienne and the Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 31-21.

In the 10-point victory, Etienne finished with 77 rushing yards and one touchdown on 18 carries. He had five receptions for 27 yards.

Etienne’s biggest play came on a 27-yard rush in the fourth quarter when he was patient at the line of scrimmage before bursting through a hole and scoring a touchdown to give Jacksonville a two-score lead.

Now in his third season with the Jaguars, the former Clemson tailback has become a staple of the offense, helping former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the backfield.

Here’s Etienne’s first score of the season:

Take us home, @swaggy_t1!#JAXvsIND on FOX pic.twitter.com/0aq6bxvhN4

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) September 10, 2023

Fantasy football: Where to draft Jacksonville Jaguars RB Travis Etienne

Analyzing Jacksonville Jaguars RB Travis Etienne’s 2023 fantasy football ADP and where to target him in fantasy drafts.

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After missing his entire rookie season in 2021 due to a foot injury, Jacksonville Jaguars RB Travis Etienne bounced back with a great performance last season. He rushed for 1,125 yards and 5 touchdowns, while also catching 35 passes for 316 yards.

The versatile running back is once again expected to be a big part of the Jaguars offense alongside QB Trevor Lawrence, which makes him a great target for your fantasy team this year.

Below, we look at Travis Etienne’s 2023 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should draft him.

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Travis Etienne’s ADP: 37.61

(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur)

Etienne has an average draft position of 37.61, which ranks him 39th overall in redraft leagues. He has the 14th-best ADP of all running backs, one spot behind New England Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson, who has an ADP of 34.91.

Behind Etienne are Green Bay Packers RB Aaron Jones (38.59 ADP) and Seattle Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III (45.33 ADP), so there’s a slight drop-off after Etienne and Jones.

Jaguars RB Tank Bigsby, who’s expected to back up Etienne, has an ADP of 107.43 and ranks 37th among running backs.

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Travis Etienne’s 2022 stats

Games: 17

Carries | rushing yards: 220 | 1,125

Rushing touchdowns: 5

Receptions | receiving yards: 35 | 316

Receiving touchdowns: 0

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Where should you draft Etienne?

Etienne showed last season that he’s capable of being a 3-down back who can contribute on the ground and as a receiver. It was important for him to prove he’s also durable, playing all 17 games and handling 220 carries at a healthy average of 5.1 yards per rush.

Etienne will face some competition from Bigsby, but I don’t expect the rookie to eat into his carries too much — not to the point where you should let Etienne fall out of the 4th round of your draft.

After the top tier of running backs, there’s a bit of a drop-off but the difference between Detroit Lions rookie RB Jahmyr Gibbs (26.26 ADP) and Etienne shouldn’t be a full round.

In PPR leagues, Etienne brings even more value because he’s such a versatile player. He could be in for a breakout year in a Jaguars offense that should take another step forward with Lawrence continuing to develop and with WR Calvin Ridley on the outside.

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Social media reacts: Lawrence and Etienne see their first action in the 2023 preseason

Lawrence and Etienne got back in action in the Jaguars’ first 2023 preseason game.

Week 1 of the 2023 NFL preseason is underway, with two former Clemson stars getting their first action of the season Saturday.

Starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne participated in the Jaguars’ preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It was great to see them back on the field.

Both played limited action, with Lawrence appearing in three series in the first quarter. He completed 5 for 6 passes for 36 yards and a touchdown connecting with Christian Kirk in his three possessions. He also has one interception. Etienne took five carries for 22 yards while also returning a kick.

A solid start for two former Tigers; here is a look at how Twitter/X reacted to their first action of the season.

Doug Pederson sets lofty expectations for Etienne

Travis Etienne’s head coach is expecting big things from the former Clemson running back.

Former Clemson running back Travis Etienne broke out in his first full season in the NFL last fall, but his head coach thinks he still has plenty more in the tank.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson dished on what Etienne could improve on after nearly reaching the 1,500 total yards mark last season.

“It’s one of the things that when we looked at his game this offseason, back in February and March before the players came back, one of the things that we noticed was just him attacking the hole downhill,” Pederson said Wednesday. “Shoulders squared, attack the line of scrimmage, finding that crease where a lot of times you’ll see him try to bounce. We were able to show him and really emphasize shoulders-squared, anticipating where the hole could be, and just trusting that.

“He’s done an outstanding job. He’s bought into that. He sees it, we’ve been able to show it to him. He’s working on that in training camp right now.”

After missing his entire rookie season in 2021 because of a foot injury, Etienne burst onto the scene in 2022, rushing for 1,125 yards and five touchdowns on 220 carries. He also was one of Trevor Lawrence’s favorite receiving threats, recording 35 receptions for 316 yards.

As the Jaguars prepare for the 2023 season, Pederson added that Etienne could eclipse the 1,500 yards mark if he continues to develop.

“You don’t just hand a guy a ball and let him go run, sometimes that happens but there’s that skill and ability to anticipate a hole,” Pederson said. “We always talk about speed through the hole, not to the hole type of thing. He’s really embraced that this training camp. That, to me, is the next step for him and that 11-12-13, now the yards start creeping up, and maybe he’s pushing 1,600-1,700 yards as a rusher.”

Drafted by Jacksonville with the No. 25 pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, Etienne was one of the college football’s top dual-threats when he played at Clemson. The former four-star recruit rushed for 3,338 yards and recorded 1,155 receiving yards over a four-year span from 2017-2020. He finished his career as a Tiger as the ACC’s all-time leading rusher.

Now, he will look to cement himself as one of the league’s top tailbacks.

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Sleepers and Value Picks: Running Backs

2023 Fantasy Sleepers – Running Backs

The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will unfold and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. Any green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies an overvalued player that is a bad value or just too high of a risk for that spot. No color means the pick is a reasonable value at that spot.

Average Draft order – Value picks

ADP	Tm	Running Back	Starter Values
1	SF	Christian McCaffrey	Finally healthy after two bad injury years and looked great behind the SF O-line. Consistent points every week. And that’s a lot of points.
2	LAC	Austin Ekeler	Final year of his contract and no worse than the No. 2 fantasy RB for the last two years. He may or may not get paid next year, but he’s golden for your fantasy team in 2023.
3	ATL	Bijan Robinson	This is ridiculous for a guy who hasn’t played an NFL down. But he is undeniably talented and landing on a team that will build around him and that has a very good O-line. There’s nothing wrong with reaching for an exciting player that you want to own and Robinson could replicate Saquon Barkley’s rookie year when he was the No. 1 fantasy RB. Go ahead, you know you want to.
4	NYG	Saquon Barkley	Signed the one-year deal so 2023 is a safe and productive “go” for the RB who, like McCaffrey, comes off a thrilling healthy season.
5	CLE	Nick Chubb	The No. 5 fantasy back of last year may be in his final year of the CLE contract since they have an out for 2024 when they could save $12M by releasing him. Everything to play for and should have the best quarterback of his career.
6	IND	Jonathan Taylor	Taylor, when healthy and happy, is a beast. He wasn’t healthy last year and he isn’t happy this year. He wants to be traded. Until his situation is certain, he is a coin flip with a huge payoff or a huge risk.
7	DAL	Tony Pollard	It took four years to become someone in the NFL but Pollard now takes over as the RB1 in Dallas behind a good O-line and for a team that wants to be more conservative. Never more than 193 carries a year so far, so Pollard has to prove durable but the opportunity is golden.
8	LV	Josh Jacobs	Well. Last year was pretty good. The holdout is happening but the consensus is that he’ll end up back with the Raiders. When is another question. He hasn’t fallen far enough in drafts to compensate for the risk he has so far.
9	TEN	Derrick Henry	Top-5 every year since 2019 when healthy and only hurt once. This feels like a good value and he’ll fall even further in a few drafts. He has at least one more monster season left in him. Or four or five. He’s always an outlier.
10	NE	Rhamondre Stevenson	Pats opted to turn Stevenson into a workhorse last year as the No. 7 fantasy RB. But he carries risk since the Pats historically preferred a committee backfield and they’ve poked the tires of most notable free agent backs. His upside looks likely limited while the risk of a Year 3 decline is a reality.
11	PIT	Najee Harris	Opened career as the No. 3 fantasy back but dropped back to No. 14 last year while PIT didn’t fare well post-Roethlisberger. O-line is no longer a liability and there’s a nifty leap into an easier rushing schedule this year.
12	NYJ	Breece Hall	Agreed – tremendous rusher and the ROY of 2023 until Week 8. But he returns from a torn ACL. He may be ready by Week 1, but maybe not. And how “back to form” will he immediately be? Will they take it easy with him? Hey, how many free agent backs are they going to try out? This is too early of a pick to accept so much risk. He won’t immediately be 100% in health and usage to start – lot’s of questions so early in your draft.
13	JAX	Travis Etienne	Etienne missed his rookie season with a Lis Franc injury to his foot but looked good enough in 2023 to let James Robinson go mid-season. Ran for 100 yards five times over his final ten games. Slated to do more as a receiver this year on a dangerous looking Jaguars offense.
14	SEA	Kenneth Walker III	Slow start last year with a groin pull but once Rashaad Penny had his annual season-ender, impressed with three 100-yard games to end the season. Rarely catches and the Seahawks drafted Zach Charbonnet to rekindle a committee. Schedule also takes a downturn making him less attractive than this early RB2 price.
15	DET	Jahmyr Gibbs	Any first-round RB is fantasy relevant and this ex-Alabama is a threat whenever he touches the ball. Runs a 4.36/40-time and is an outstanding receiver. Pairs with David Montgomery but plays behind an elite O-line. One of the more exciting picks to be made in any fantasy draft.
16	HOU	Dameon Pierce	The fourth-rounder on a bad Texans’ team was a delightful surprise through Week 10 but he slowed down in the second half of the year, then landed on IR for final month with an ankle injury. Texans’ also ran him as much from a lack of passing success. New coaches, new scheme, improved passing, and a guy named Devin Singletary all work against Pierce repeating the same success.
17	CIN	Joe Mixon	Restructured contract to remain the RB1 for the Bengals and was a Top-10 for the last two years. Had a career best 60 catches last year as well. This feels very cheap.
18	CAR	Miles Sanders	Easy to find wildly different forecasts for Sanders. True – leaves the best O-line in the biz but CAR is at least average. He also leaves a dedicated committee approach for the Panthers’ new offense that still only has Chuba Hubbard as the RB2. Rookie QB Bryce Young won’t run much, and maybe won’t throw deep, but Sanders was brought in to be a dual threat on a team that will likely need him in the passing game.
19	GB	Aaron Jones	Come on. Yes, Aaron Rodgers went to New York. And Jones comes off four-straight Top-10 fantasy back seasons. Maybe Jordan Love won’t throw him the standard 50 completions but maybe he will. Packers have a great O-line and a far better rushing schedule this year.
20	BAL	J.K. Dobbins	So many reasons to love and hate Dobbins. Better rushing schedule, top O-line, better passing should be less defensive focus on him. Big fan of new OC Todd Monken. But missed 2021 with a torn ACL and then needed a clean-up midseason missing eight games last season. Never catches the ball but had three nice yardage efforts last year. But apparently is holding out in final year of rookie contract. Maybe he returns to team, stays healthy and produces this level of production. And maybe continues to hold out with almost zero leverage and/or gets hurt yet again.
21	MIN	Alexander Mattison	Have to like his ascension into being the RB1 with Dalvin Cook gone. But his four NFL seasons have all been sub-500-yard rushing efforts with minor work as a receiver. Vikes did not add any obvious challengers to him. He’s probably worth around this pick but any upside from here would not follow from what he’s done so far.
22	TB	Rachaad White	I am liking White more as the summer wears on, and he’s impressed coaches with no real competition for touches on the roster. The Bucs’ rushing schedule is also much better this year but the O-line has declined to one of the worst. He’s worth this pick, and seems to have a little upside, but that depends on how well the Bucs can throw post-Brady.
23	FA	Dalvin Cook	Was a lock for 1,500 total yards and eight touchdowns for the last four years, but the Vikes moved on and saved a ton of cash. This end of the RB2 level is comfortable since he should step into a fantasy relevant role before the season starts. He’ll be adjusted depending on where he lands.
24	PHI	D’Andre Swift	He is better than you probably think, and never worse than the No. 21 fantasy back for his three years. Trades one great O-line for another. But Eagles will use a committee and Swift misses at least three games per year. He’s likely to see more catches and fewer runs while in Philly. He’s a far better “best ball” pick than someone to rely on every week as a fantasy starter.

Sleepers and overvalued players

ADP	Tm	Running Back	Depth Considerations
25	LAR	Cam Akers	Never better than the No. 32 fantasy back in his three seasons so this already feels optimistic. The Rams sport the worst O-line in the NFL and are trying to dust themselves off from the collapse of 2022. Struggled last year until final three games had him with 100+ yards versus the three worst run defenses. Lacks consistency at best, and looks good only against really bad opponents.
26	DEN	Javonte Williams	Encouraging rookie season was followed by blowing out multiple knee ligaments in Week 4 of last year. He’s back in practice though has been limited in some practices as he returns to health. He’ll likely be better later in the season but offers some upside for a RB3 pick.
27	ARI	James Conner	He’s always good for 1,000 total yards and eight scores or so. Cardinals O-line is not a strength but the rebuilding team is situated to run the ball more than they should this year, and Conner offers a good set of hands from the backfield when they pass. He will miss three games or more since he always does. But he’s a fair RB3 with no real competition for touches. He’s never been worse than No. 19 while with the Cardinals.
28	KC	Isiah Pacheco	The summer sensation of 2022 eventually took the lead role in the second half of the season. He ended with around 80 total yards per game and scored in four of the final seven games while playing through a torn labrum that has since been fixed. Chiefs will involve other backs, but Pacheco emerged as their best runner and they own the No. 1 best rushing schedule this year.
29	BUF	James Cook	Improved over his rookie season as the No. 2 back, Devin Singletary left and now Cook gets his shot. He has impressed this summer but the Bills added Damien Harris and have always used a committee. But Cook carries upside in this offense and could rise in the rankings this summer.
30	DET	David Montgomery	Has never been worse that the No. 24 fantasy back and won’t have a quarterback stealing yards and touchdowns. Lions own one of the top O-lines and Montgomery is a dual threat. Has to share with Jahmyr Gibbs, but the offense is far better than he had in Chicago.
31	WAS	Antonio Gibson	New OC Eric Bieniemy is talking up Gibson as a receiver and he’s been no worse than this level in three seasons. He’s a cheap RB3 in a reception point league.
32	GB	AJ Dillon	Dillon won’t offer RB1 stats ever, but he’s a solid complement for the Packers and their great O-line. There is risk with Jordan Love taking over, but Dillion is a reliable back with around 1,000 total yards and six or so touchdowns. That should continue and potentially even get a small bump if the Packers struggle to connect with their wideouts.
33	NO	Alvin Kamara	He was a lock for Top-10 stats but fell to only No. 16 last year during the Saints struggles. Is he a RB3 now? This all depends on the resolution/suspension from his legal issues. The Saints O-line is no longer an advantage but the schedule is kind and the addition of Derek Carr should help the passing effort. Carr doesn’t run, so Kamara should get back to his higher level of receptions. Pending the suspension, this feels like a good value for a player that has appeared to be back in shape and reinvigorated. Even if he misses some games.
34	WAS	Brian Robinson Jr.	He’s the rushing half of the backfield and new OC Eric Bieniemy looks to improve the production. Robinson missed the first month of 2022 and enters the season as a healthy starter with no new holes that need to heal. Not a ton of upside, but he’s a decent RB4 to fill in when needed and at worse, a handful of points each week.
35	NO	Jamaal Williams	The hope in Williams joining the backfield is that they can reprise the Mark Ingram role from a few years back. Williams blew up last year with 17 touchdowns for the Lions and should be a great complement for Alvin Kamara and even better if Kamara misses any games from suspension.
36	MIA	Devon Achane	The Dolphins already have a logjam in the backfield and that’s without them adding one of the free-agent running backs by the start of the season. Achane draws attention because he ran a 4.32 40-time at the NFL combine and looks great in camp. But he is only 5-9 and 188 yards and likely won’t offer any consistent production. But – rookie rusher with jaw-dropping speed always deserves a roster spot.
37	CHI	Khalil Herbert	Spent two years behind David Montgomery but now has a chance to be the RB1 in Chicago. Hasn’t rushed more than 129 times in a season so far but was effective. He’ll contend with a quarterback that runs and scores, plus D’Onta Foreman who could end up taking over after his big year with the Panthers. Herbert missed at least three games each season despite never having more than 138 touches.
38	DEN	Samaje Perine	Lands in Denver along with new HC Sean Payton in an offense that wants to rebound from 2022. He’ll safely be the RB2 there unless Javonte Williams struggles in his return from knee surgery.
39	PHI	Rashaad Penny	What a great best ball pick and a bad redraft league option. Penny may well start the year as the Eagle’s primary rusher. But they rely on a committee, D’Andre Swift is also there, and Penny’s career consistency with landing on IR is at 100% for his five NFL seasons. He’ll have at least two great games, maybe a few more, but history says it is not a name you’ll mention in December. Maybe not November. October? Which part?
40	SEA	Zach Charbonnet	The UCLA stud was the third running back drafted this year and is slated to pair with Kenneth Walker. At least when he is healthy. He’s out “indefinitely” with a shoulder injury and that could mean anything since there is no official injury reporting until the season starts. Until there is clarity, or he returns, he is fantasy roster depth and a great handcuff for the Walker owner.
41	BUF	Damien Harris	Harris was productive with the Pats with as many as 15 touchdowns in 2021. But he’s often injured and lost his job to Rhamondre Stevenson. Now he lands with the Bills which sounds interesting, but they use a committee approach and James Cook is getting all the hype this summer.
42	SF	Elijah Mitchell	Great handcuff for the Christian McCaffrey owner and upside if Mitchell filled in as the primary. Missed at least six games injured himself every year, so there is downside as well. Would never merit a fantasy start if McCaffrey was healthy.
43	CHI	D’Onta Foreman	The Bears moved on from David Montgomery and replaced him with Foreman who ran for 914 yards and five TDs for the Panthers last year. Almost zero experience as a receiver, and any touchdown role will be decreased thanks to Justin Fields, but Foreman could end up with the bulk of carries competing with just Khalil Herbert.
44	KC	Jerick McKinnon	He’s 31 years old and found no takers as a free agent so re-signed with the Chiefs. He’s been highly productive for small stretches of games but never used consistently. Worth a RB4 pick just in case he gets hot again for a month.
45	PIT	Jaylen Warren	Just a backup to Najee Harris but may see more work as the RB2 since the Steelers want to focus more on the run this season. The UFDA ran for 379 yards and caught 28 passes for 214 yards, so he’s bye-week filler if the matchup is right.
46	FA	Kareem Hunt	He’s only 27 and hasn’t been worked into the ground. But he fell to 3.8 yards per carry behind the Browns line last year and now as a free agent is rarely spoken about. He’s one of the group of free agent backs wishing for the old days, and probably the least likely to end up with a significant role this season.
47	JAX	Tank Bigsby	Solid backup for Travis Etienne who is impressing as an inside rusher and definite RB2 for the Jags improving offense. Great handcuff for Etienne and could produce stand-alone fantasy value in any case.
48	ATL	Tyler Allgeier	Handcuff for Bijan Robinson but won’t yield fantasy relevant stats barring an unthinkable injury to the rookie.
49	HOU	Devin Singletary	Played out four years in Buffalo with around 1,000 total yards and six or so touchdowns per year. Never was set loose with a high if 188 carries in that offense and now pairs with Dameon Pierce which should ding both backs potential fantasy points. But the offense is new and Singletary could carve out a third down role plus Pierce hasn’t proven durable yet.
50	NO	Kendre Miller	Solid pick with upside and a handcuff for Alvin Kamara who appears likely to be suspended for a stretch. Miller was the fourth back drafted this spring and is a play for the future with Kamara helping to mentor him. Jamaal Williams is likely the RB2 so Miller may be underused other than filling in for any suspension games of Kamara.
51	DAL	Ezekiel Elliott	So maybe that previous monster contract fed into the current reticence of the NFL to pay any running back. But Elliott is only 27 and by report in better shape now that the cruise control is broken. As a RB5, he’s a solid stash in the second half of your draft that should end up somewhere, mostly relegated to goal line, short yardage and relief work. But he won’t be signed to just watch where ever he ends up which may be back home in Dallas.
52	MIA	Raheem Mostert	The Dolphins use a committee and there’s always the chance that they add another free agent back before the season starts. Offers a great bye-week filler if he is healthy still and managed three 100-totl yard efforts last year.
53	TB	Leonard Fournette	Same as the other free agent backs – waiting by the phone. There’s speculation that Fournette’s biggest problem is that he isn’t as dedicated to his craft as he could be and that his inattention to his weight is just one symptom. Still, he could become fantasy relevant at some point, particularly if a team loses their RB1 during the season and needs quick help.
54	TEN	Tyjae Spears	He could have future appeal and the ex-Tulane back was the fifth rookie back taken. But as long as Derrick Henry is wearing a helmet, Spears is just a handcuff.
55	CHI	Roschon Johnson	The ex-high school quarterback switched to running back at Texas but then ended up watching Bijan Robinson peel off highlight reels. Johnson’s ceiling is still not known and he’ll be behind Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman but nothing is set in stone in Chicago.
56	CAR	Chuba Hubbard	When they let Christian McCaffrey go last year, Hubbard didn’t take over. D’Onta Foreman finally caught his career on fire while Hubbard got hurt and was overall worse than his rookie season. The Panthers brought in Miles Sanders as the RB1 and Hubbard is just a handcuff.
57	ATL	Cordarrelle Patterson	The 32-year-old Patterson trailed off badly last season and is finally showing his age. If Patterson offers any consistent fantasy value, it will happen alongside every Bijan Robinson owner screaming “get up! Get up! Noooo!”
58	PHI	Kenneth Gainwell	Gainwell may offer fantasy value during the season should other injuries occur and the committee approach adds him back into the mix, but he’ll end up as one of your first throwbacks during free agent waivers.
59	MIA	Jeff Wilson	He’ll be in the mix for the Dolphins but likely won’t offer more than a bye-week filler unless Raheem Mostert is injured. And – they don’t sign another free agent back.
60	CLE	Jerome Ford	Handcuff for the Nick Chubb owner. The former fifth-round pick of last year steps up to take Kareem Hunts RB2 role and may end up with minor fantasy value.

Best of the rest

Gus Edwards (BAL) – Deserves a fantasy roster spot as the RB2 on a Ravens’ team that wants to run. J.K. Dobbins is unhappy and not all that durable.

Zamir White (LV) – The rookie of 2022 did nothing but will gain a role if Josh Jacobs holds out. Worthwhile final round pick to see what happens.

Deuce Vaughn (DAL) – He’s too small for an every down role at 5-5 and 179 pounds but the backfield is in transition and could make room for others behind Tony Pollard so long as Ezekiel Elliott doesn’t end back up in Dallas.

Travis Etienne shares his thoughts on RB market in NFL

Former Clemson running back Travis Etienne gave his thoughts on the current state of the market for his position in the NFL.

Former Clemson running back Travis Etienne chimed in last week on the current state of the running back market in the NFL.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Etienne gave his thoughts on why NFL teams are not giving running backs big contracts.

“The market is what the market is,” Etienne said. “For me to go out there and get the best deal for myself, I have to come out here and work hard each and every day. If I don’t produce or be productive, I am not going to even be in that conversation when they are looking to pay me. The best thing I can do is win games for my football team.”

The former four-star recruit also added that running backs need to have a wide range of skill sets if they want to be paid like other positions.

“It kind of depends on the type of back you are,” Etienne said. “You see, some backs get paid, like Christian McCaffrey. He catches the ball out of the backfield. For running backs moving forward, you have to diversify the game. You have to be more than just a downhill bruiser in order to talk leverage.”

After missing his rookie season due to injury, Etienne had a breakout second season in the NFL in 2022, rushing for 1,125 yards and five touchdowns on 220 carries. He is now entering the third season of his four-year rookie contract, with a fifth-year option available if the Jaguars decide to exercise it.

Etienne was one of the college football’s top dual-threats when he played at Clemson from 2017-2020, rushing for 3,338 yards and recording 1,155 receiving yards. He finished his career as a Tiger as the ACC’s all-time leading rusher.

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Travis Etienne on RB pay: ‘The market is what the market is’

Unlike many of his peers, Travis Etienne isn’t worried about the state of running back contracts.

Running back contracts became a hot topic in July when franchise-tagged backs Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and Tony Pollard didn’t get long-term deals ahead of the mid-summer deadline. The ensuing drama and domino effect even led to Jonathan Taylor requesting a trade from the Indianapolis Colts.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. isn’t concerning himself with the issue, though.

“I feel like I really don’t have a word in it, honestly,” Etienne told reporters Saturday. “I feel like the market is what the market is and for me, to go out there and get the best deal for myself, I have to come out here and work hard each and every day.

“If I don’t produce or be productive, I’m not going to even be in that conversation or there won’t be anybody looking to pay me. The best thing I can do is keep my head down and keep working to win games for my football team.”

When star running backs across the league met on a Zoom call earlier this month, Etienne wasn’t one of the players who participated. But his turn to hunt for a new contract isn’t far off on the horizon.

Etienne, who missed his entire rookie year due to a Lisfranc injury, is due to become a free agent in 2025, although the Jaguars have the right to pick up a fifth-year option on his deal and push his free agency to 2026.

In the mean time, Etienne hopes to prove he offers more value than the running backs of a bygone era.

“I also feel like it depends on the type of back you are because you see some guys getting paid, like Christian McCaffrey for instance, he catches the ball out of the backfield,” Etienne said. “So, I feel like for running backs moving forward you have to diversify your game, you have to be more than just a downhill bruiser in order to be able to be on that level and have leverage whenever you go into those conversations.

“We have to continue to grow and evolve our game because you see the way that football’s going, it’s a passing league now. We just have to evolve as a whole.”

Etienne finished the 2022 season with 1,125 rushing yards, 316 receiving yards, and five touchdowns.

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Photos: Tigers report to NFL training camp

From DeAndre Hopkins to Trevor Lawrence, a bunch of former Tigers have reported to NFL training camp over the last few weeks.

As Clemson’s current football team prepares to begin fall camp, many former Tigers are already in the thick of it.

With all 32 teams reporting to training camp sometime over the last two weeks, former Clemson players across the country are gearing up for the NFL season.

From Trevor Lawrence to Tee Higgins to Jayon Kearse, the NFL is littered with Clemson products.

That said, here are the best photos of Tigers reporting to camp:

Gotta love big Wilk 😂🔥 pic.twitter.com/CHoDWOQnem

— Dolphin Nation (@Dolphin_Nation) July 25, 2023

Every former Tigers ranking in For The Win’s NFL top 102 players

Multiple former Tigers are among the best players in the NFL.

The Clemson football program, year after year, produces NFL talent.

No matter the program, not every player that comes into the NFL from that school will be a star. This is inevitable as there are only so many true stars in professional sports leagues, no matter which you are looking at.

Still, some players go above and beyond and develop into some of the best the NFL has to offer. That is no different for Clemson, who sits among the elite college football programs.

For The Win recently released their rankings for the top 102 players in the NFL, with multiple Tigers making the list. Here is a look at each player and what writers Christian D’Andrea and Robert Zeglinski had to say about them.

Fantasy football: Jacksonville Jaguars running back breakdown

Will there be anything left over after Travis Etienne gets his share?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have put together one of the quickest turnarounds in recent memory in the NFL – winning the AFC South title just two years after winning just one game and “earning” the right to draft franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

The Jaguars have invested heavily in running back, using a 2021 first-round draft pick to select Travis Etienne and a third-round pick in this year’s draft to acquire Tank Bigsby.

The team has built an elite receiving corps through free agency and trades (wide receivers Christian Kirk, Zay Jones and Calvin Ridley as well as tight end Evan Engram). This offense is expected to throw a lot but has a running game to complement that aerial attack to potentially make Jacksonville one of the most potent offenses in the NFL.