Urban Meyer Already Has a Favorite Running Back for Jaguars
By Peter Dewey
First year head coach Urban Meyer and the Jacksonville Jaguars may have used a first-round pick on Clemson University running back Travis Etienne, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a fan of last year's breakout star James Robinson.
In fact, Robinson might just be Meyer’s favorite player.
This is welcome news for Jags fans, as Robinson looks poised to have a role, and potentially a big one, in the offense again in 2021. As a rookie, Robinson ran for 1,070 yards and seven scores while adding 344 yards through the air and another three touchdowns in just 14 games.
WynnBET has Robinson on its odds list for the league’s MVP award, although he is an extreme longshot at +25000. The last running back to be named MVP was Adrian Peterson in 2012, and while I wouldn’t recommend Robinson as a guy to win the award this year, I do think he can help the Jags win in 2021.
Robinson offers a different style of running than the speedy Etienne, and the two should provide a solid one-two punch in the backfield. The Jags are projected to win just six games in 2021, but the over is a -135 favorite.
Meyer also has plans for veteran Carlos Hyde, but it’s hard to see him taking carries away from Robinson after his impressive rookie season in 2020.
Meyer is smart to want to lean on the ground game to an extent with rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence getting his first taste of NFL action this season. Lawrence may be ready to dominate from the jump, but it can’t hurt to give him other options to take some pressure off his throwing arm early in his career.