The Jacksonville Jaguars handed the reins to second-year running back Travis Etienne Jr. last season, trading away James Robinson in October.
While Etienne carried the ball 52 times in the two games immediately after the deal, he eventually saw his touches level out. Backup running back JaMycal Hasty — who just re-signed with the team — began seeing more touches down the stretch, and actually saw more offensive snaps than Etienne in a Divisional Round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
On Tuesday, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson was asked at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine if the team is interested in adding another player to its backfield, and he answered in no uncertain terms.
“Yes.”
“I think in today’s game, you’ve got to have two to three guys,” Pederson later explained. “They’ve got to be able to carry the load. You’re talking about an 18-week, 17-game schedule, and the postseason. It’s wear and tear on guys.
“We haven’t seen enough of Snoop Conner yet either, but we like him. We know what JaMycal can do, we obviously know what Etienne can do. So yeah, you’re always looking to have two, three, four guys that can work the rotation.”
Conner, a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, had just 12 carries for 42 yards as a rookie, including a touchdown on New Year’s Day. He was on the field for only one snap in the postseason.
While the Jaguars are hopeful that their trio of young backs continue to ascend, it’d also make sense for the team to add more talent to the room. However, don’t expect Jacksonville to spend much in free agency at the position or for it to use an early draft pick to add a running back.
