This past week, former Jaguars running back Travis Etienne lined up against his old team in joint practice. He talked about how nice it was to see everyone and compete against players he has battled with in the past.
While the Jacksonville Jaguars have done well to retain talent on last year's 13-4 roster, the team did suffer two big losses in Devin Lloyd and Travis Etienne.
Both players were drafted by Jacksonville and became staples within the organization, but decided to bolt in free agency, with Lloyd joining the Carolina Panthers and Etienne signing with the New Orleans Saints.
This past week, Jacksonville faced off with the latter in two joint practices, where Etienne lined up against his former friends and teammates for the first time.
"It was real great being able to go out there and play against my former team," Etienne said on Thursday. "It was weird, it was different seeing those guys. Just knowing how many battles we've been through together, just being able to compete with them."
Etienne, who spent his first four NFL seasons in Duval, talked about how the relationships he formed with his former team will last a lifetime and he will value the memories he made.
But, his relationship with starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence goes even deeper, with the pair winning a National Championship in college at Clemson.
For Lawrence, losing Etienne will be a huge adjustment, as he will hand the ball off to a new lead back for the first time since 2018.
The duo was seen as practice chopping it up on the sideline, both smiling ear-to-ear.
While losing Etienne definitely puts a damper on Jacksonville's rushing game, the 1-2 punch of Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. should still be dynamic.
Tuten was Jacksonville's fifth-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft and displayed some flashes of brilliance when his number was called.
The former Virginia Tech standout recorded 83 carries for 307 yards and five touchdowns, adding 14 receptions for 79 yards and two additional scores last season.
Head coach Liam Coen talked about his second-year back at training camp.
"When he can get going and get downhill, I mean, he was 4.28 coming out. So he can fly. Now just go be you, like go do what got you here," Coen said in a recent interview. "Go be special, that's who you are. And we're definitely expecting Tuten to have a big year for us."
Rodriguez is also a player that Coen is familiar with, dating back to their time together at Kentucky.
The former Washington Commander made his first media appearance as a Jaguar in mid-March, calling Jacksonville "the best opportunity" for himself.
"I know Liam and he knows me. And I know the type of standard he expects and I feel like we can get that done..." Rodriguez said. "When Liam got to Kentucky, he had to be one of my favorite coaches up until that point... I guess you you could say it was only a year, but man, it felt like a lifetime knowing that guy, you know."
Rodriguez was one of the most accomplished players in Kentucky Football history, totaling 3,644 rushing yards in his career, third-most in program history. Under Coen, Rodriguez earned First-Team All-SEC honors, while rushing for 100 or more yards in nine straight games, a school record.
Last season, Rodriguez recorded career highs in rushing yards (500) and touchdowns (6), serving as the Commanders' third down and short yardage back. Rodriguez also showed great contact balance, ranking eighth in the league last year in average yards after contact with 3.46.
Unlike Tuten, Rodriguez is a physical downhill back, who can provide goalline snaps and short-yardage conversions for Jacksonville.
