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Jacksonville Jaguars' Liam Coen: Travis Etienne trade rumors 'absolutely inaccurate'
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- Jacksonville Jaguars' Liam Coen: Travis Etienne trade rumors 'absolutely inaccurate'
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen doesn't understand where the rumors surrounding running back Travis Etienne came from.
Coen went so far as to say shortly after OTA No. 7 that the rumors are "absolutely inaccurate," praising the fifth-year running back for what he's been able to demonstrate through the early portions of the team's voluntary workload.
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"Everything we've asked him to do, he's done at a good clip for us. I mean, the ability in the screen game, to hand him jet sweeps. His vision, so far, in the run game has been good. He's done everything we've asked him to do, and more. There's been a consistency," Coen said about Etienne.
UNREAL: Jaguars' Liam Coen calls Travis Hunter a 'natural' defensive back
Etienne is entering the final year of his contract with the franchise since being drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft . The last regime, led by former general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson, picked up his fifth-year option, which guaranteed the back around $6.14 million in base salary this year.
In the lead-up to the 2025 NFL Draft, many speculated former Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty could enamor the Jaguars . That was all but confirmed when The Athletic's Mike Silver reported that the two players who landed at the top of the team's draft board were Hunter and Jeanty.
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ESPN's Jeremy Fowler speculated that the team may not be too high on the veteran back.
Hunter was ultimately the team's selection after trading up to the second-overall pick; however, the Jaguars still addressed the RB position in the draft, selecting Bayshul Tuten in the fourth round and LeQuint Allen in the seventh round.
Etienne has been the team's lead back since returning to the field in 2022 after missing his entire rookie season due to a foot injury.
He's totaled 2,691 rushing yards (4.2 yards per carry), 18 touchdowns, 132 receptions, 1,046 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) runs the ball during the first organized team activity at Miller Electric Center Monday, May 19, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla.
His play, along with the rest of the team's offense, dropped off in 2024. Etienne rushed for just 558 yards and two touchdowns. He missed multiple games due to a soft-tissue injury, too. He caught 39 passes for 254 yards.
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Impressed by Etienne's work in space, the next step for Coen's evaluation of the back will be to see how he handles being a runner in between tackles when the team can have more contact in July.
"Are they going to get the hard, physical, tough yards? Are they going to be able to stick their foot in the ground and get those, you know, physical, violent yards that we're going to need that's hard to really kind of grade at this moment," Coen explained.
"He's done a great job. I don't really understand some of the stuff I've seen out there. That's absolutely inaccurate." he added.
Liam Coen praises team's balance after OTA No. 7
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen answers questions during a press conference after the seventh organized team activity at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Monday, June 2, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
The Jaguars are almost wrapped up with Organized Team Activities, leading into mandatory minicamp. Minicamp takes place June 10-12. All practices thus far have been voluntary.
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Coen gave an overview of what he's seen from the team, praising the balance he saw on Monday.
"Yeah, I think today was probably the most balanced it's been where the offense makes a play then the defense comes back and makes a play. I thought it was a good competitive back-and-forth," Coen said, explaining that in days prior the offense or defense had a clear upper hand at times.
"I thought today was just a good balance of guys making plays and then coming back. Ok, who needs to make a play? Who is going to stop the bleeding on each side when maybe the offense is making more so I think that competitive balance has progressed over the last six or seven practices."
MORE FROM COACH: Why Liam Coen is taking Jaguars rookies to 'ground zero' in minicamp
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Coen also noted that he felt Monday's practice was "cleaner," indicating that there were not a ton of dropped passes, and some cleaned up fundamentals.
"Was it perfect?" he asked. "No, but I think that's an area where we progressed today."
The team's final OTA will take place on Thursday, practicing every day until then.
Brenton Strange settling in as team's top tight end
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JANUARY 05: Brenton Strange #85 of the Jacksonville Jaguars runs with the ball while being chased by Zaire Franklin #44 of the Indianapolis Colts in the first quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 05, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
The Jaguars have made several dramatic changes to their offensive skill positions this year. One of the biggest moves was moving on from tight end Evan Engram , who later signed with the Denver Broncos .
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Engram's exit opened the door for former second-round pick Brenton Strange to pick up the slack and dig his heels into a primary role on offense.
During OTA No. 7, Strange looked smooth catching the ball and appeared to show more confidence than he has since being drafted in 2023. He did not drop any passes and seemed to play as a safety valve for quarterback Trevor Lawrence .
Strange's impact will continue to be monitored as the weeks go on.
Anton Harrison misses practice due to illness
ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 12: Anton Harrison #76 of the Jacksonville Jaguars looks on from the sidelines as the Jaguars play the Dallas Cowboys during the second half of a preseason game at AT&T Stadium on August 12, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Just one player missed Monday's practice: third-year right tackle Anton Harrison. Coen said afterward that Harrison had a day off.
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"He wasn't feeling too well," Coen said.
The Jaguars are reshaping their offensive line this year. They signed two players in free agency to start, including right guard Patrick Mekari and center Robert Hainsey .
Hainsey was being worked on by trainers about halfway through Monday's practice and appeared to sit out the remainder of the session.
The Jaguars also drafted a couple of offensive linemen and signed more depth players, creating natural competition at all five positions. Though Harrison is expected to be the team's starting right tackle, that doesn't appear to be set in stone.
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Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars Liam Coen: Travis Etienne trade rumors inaccurate
