Jacksonville Jaguars could wind up trading first-round pick on rookie contract

This year, the Jacksonville Jaguars got aggressive and traded up to select Travis Hunter with their first-round pick. But four years ago, the Jaguars selected both Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Now, four years later, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler’s sources indicate that the new Jaguars regime reportedly isn’t a big fan of Etienne. That could make him a potential cut or trade candidate this season.

“Watch for fourth-round running back Bhayshul Tuten to make an impact. I’ve talked to multiple people in the league who believe the new regime is not so high on Travis Etienne Jr., and Tank Bigsby has a fumbling issue.”
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Travis Etienne

As previously noted, the Jaguars drafted Etienne in the same year they added Lawrence too. Not only have they been teammates for four seasons in the NFL, they both starred at Clemson, helping win a College Football National Championship.

While trading one of Lawrence’s closest friends on the team could rub the Jaguars’ franchise player the wrong way, Etienne is heading into the final year of his rookie contract. Thus, the team could opt to shop him around instead of paying out the full $6.1 million cap hit.

Keep in mind, the Jaguars just got a new general manager this past offseason, opting to hire James Gladstone away from the Los Angeles Rams, so changes could certainly be afoot. Plus, the Jaguars didn’t just draft Tuten in the fourth, they also added LeQuint Allen in the seventh round of April’s NFL Draft.