Daily Prowl: Jaguars not expected to tag RB Travis Etienne — and more

Good morning!

According to a report by John Shipley of Jaguars on SI, “there have been zero indicators of Etienne getting franchise or transition tagged” ahead of Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET tag deadline. As Shipley noted, this is not a definitive sign that the running back will not be returning to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team is simply letting Etienne test the open waters of free agency before beginning any contract negotiations, rather than cratering to the franchise tag cost of $14.3 million. That’s probably a much higher figure than whatever Etienne will end up signing for… but it does lower the chances of him being in Duval County going forward. Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Now, for the full roundup.

Jacksonville Jaguars News

Study up before your next trip to the watercooler.

Reacts Survey Results: Jaguars Fans Want to Run it Back (Big Cat Country)

Getting the band back together after one hit song (i.e., one good season) isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If the Jags want to keep the good vibes rolling by re-signing Lloyd and/or Etienne, sure, go for it. They’re incredible players and seem to be respected voices in the locker room.

Jaguars Mid-Combine Mock Draft: Targeting Needs on Day 2 (Big Cat Country)

One name that offers starter potential in the third round could be FSU’s Darrell Jackson, a two-year starter for the Seminoles who thrived against the run but also flashed the ability to get into the backfield. His size and play strength translate well to the NFL, and whilst he’s not the most explosive tackle in this draft his motor and tenacity, coupled with his measurables, suggest he could be a ten-year pro.

Expectations Beginning to Be Set for Jaguars’ Travis Etienne’s FA Market (Jaguars on SI)

Sources with knowledge of the situation have told Jaguars On SI that there have been zero indicators of Etienne getting franchise or transition tagged. This does not mean the Jaguars would not be open to a return, but the more likely sce nario is that he will be able to see what the market has for him. And due to the Williams deal, that market will likely be north of $8 million a year.

Jaguars’ James Gladstone explains why top brass skipped NFL combine (Florida Times-Union)

“The Combine is a significant annual event on the NFL calendar, one that we value greatly. The information and data gathered in Indianapolis are integral to our process. We have significant and influential personnel in Indianapolis, inclusive of our scouts conducting interviews with a full allotment of prospects, and our medical staff is, of course, present and gathering player data,” Gladstone explained.

Everything we learned about all 32 teams at the 2026 NFL combine (The Athletic)

Coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone didn’t attend the combine, instead trusting their scouting staff to handle business. While wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has been viewed as a potential trade candidate, teams have mostly just been checking in on his availability. Nothing appeared imminent, though that could certainly change. Thomas, a 2024 first-round pick under former Jags GM Trent Baalke, had a steep statistical drop-off with the new regime, which has led to the predictable inquiries.

2026 NFL combine buzz: Intel on free agency, trades, QBs (ESPN)

Don’t be surprised if Carolina makes some big moves on defense for the second consecutive year. The Panthers will be looking at edge-rush help and might be open to offering a lucrative contract. They need linebacker and slot corner help, too. Devin Lloyd would be an ideal fit in the middle of the defense.

Albert Breer’s Takeaways: Heeding the Lessons of the Lions’ 2023 Draft Class (Sports Illustrated)

I’d lean toward a Maxx Crosby trade happening, and maybe this week. But there’s going to have to be some needle-threading. I don’t think the Raiders want to go through the song-and-dance of shopping him, nor do I believe Crosby wants it advertised that he’s looking for suitors, given his bond with owner Mark Davis, and his view of himself as a Raider.

Big Cat Country Editor’s Pick

Drumroll, please!

NFL combine participation rate keeps dropping, especially agility drills (Acme Packing Company)

There was an immediate dropoff when on-field combine drills returned in 2022, as participation dropped below 50 percent for the first time, but there was a solid bounceback in 2023. In the last three successive combines, though, the participation rate has dropped year-over-year, and the 2026 combine looks to be the worst, in terms of participation, ever.

Today’s NFL Media

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It’s a long-standing feature of this article to point out previous iterations of this article. When I wrote my first one eight years ago (holy crap, I’m getting old), the Rockies were trending in the right direction, and the ownership got precious little credit for it. So I wrote a string of articles focused on countering the narrative that the Monforts (“Cheapfarts”) didn’t want to spend to win, preferring to turn Coors Field into the best bar in LoDo. I stand by those takes at the time. 

Since then, an altogether different narrative has emerged: The Monforts were the baseball equivalent of the golden retriever wearing a necktie sitting at a computer. Sure, they demonstrated a willingness to spend their money on the roster, but after a Super Bullpen, the Ian Desmond Experiment, and especially the Kris Bryant Experience, it cannot be said that they had any idea what they were doing. Had the failures only been with the top-level signings while everything further down the roster functioned, we might be able to find a way to extend ample credit. Unfortunately, the “draft and develop” identity of roster construction has consistently failed to identify and develop MLB-level talent. The Rockies were increasingly viewed as a team stuck in the past, unable or unwilling to change. This was not only a narrative I had evidence with which to counter, but I believe these previews played a part in reinforcing it. 

That was the main theme of last year’s article, even with looming labor unrest between players and owners after the expiration of the 2026 collective bargaining agreement. While I did and do support MLB making structural changes (I wrote an only half-joking article last October titled “Contract the Dodgers”), my point then was that those changes would have no bearing on the Rockies because the team’s struggles ran deeper. At their core, the Rockies were dinosaurs stuck in the La Brea Tar Pits, with (most of) the rest of the league having evolved with the changing conditions of the game. And the reason they were stuck in those pits was because of loyalty, inability, or a tragic mix of both. (Stop picturing Dinger in tar pits! He’s a national treasure, you monster!)

So what should it tell us when a team that could never change actually changes? Yes, they have made changes before, but this time seems different somehow. This time, something at the core seems to have changed. My colleagues will address the front office and coaching staffs in the coming days, and there is a lot of evidence of structural change in those areas beyond mere swapping of personnel. But the changes manifesting at those levels start at the top. After three 100+ loss seasons, including a puncher’s chance at the modern loss record, the Monforts seem to have finally understood that the thing to do when you hit rock bottom is stop digging—you’re more likely to find tar at the bottom of that pit than oil. 

Obviously it’s too soon to tell: the team could improve by 19 games and still lose 100 again. But for those of us still left who care about the Rockies (and if you’re reading this article after the last four seasons, that includes you—and I just have to ask, who hurt you?), we may need to consider the possibility of hope. Yes, I know: it’s the hope that kills you. But we’ve been as good as dead with regard to hope for a long time with this team. And the way this offseason played out indicates that there is certainly something different happening. It remains to be seen whether or not “different” translates into improvement, and even if it does it may be a long time before we actually see results. After all, in sports as in life, nothing is guaranteed; there are only ever a small number of things in your control.

We may as well allow ourselves a little glimmer that we could be looking at the beginning of something…not big maybe, but at least not terrible. We should allow ourselves to hope, not only for the sake of our interactions with a (previously?) moribund baseball franchise in a cow town at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, but for the sake of what it may signal about our own lives.

After all, if Rockies ownership can change, who’s to say you, me, we, or they can’t change, too?

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