First-year Jacksonville head coach made waves over the weekend when he revealed that first-round draft pick Travis Etienne would be taking the very first reps of his NFL career out wide at receiver.
It is a move that has been met with mixed reviews and Meyer recently appeared on a local Jacksonville radio station to explain why he made the move.
“I think you need complements,” Meyer said on 1010XL 92.5 FM JAX Sports Radio. “I just love great backs and at Ohio State we had Zeke Elliott, Carlos Hyde. And right now we have James Robinson, who is a stud and Carlos Hyde, who I have a great history with. So we have two big, downhill backs. And they can do other things, too but I think Travis is, he’s that dual.”
Meyer said he envisions Etienne in a role similar to the one Percy Harvin had as a Florida Gator and during his NFL career. Whether one thinks Etienne is the next Harvin, and there are many that think he is much better that that, it’s clear what the former Clemson back’s role is in the Jaguars backfield is for the time being.
“He’s the Percy Harvin, we’re hoping,” Meyer said. “I mean, those are big shoes, when you say something like that. But you’ve got Parris Campbell, you’ve got Curtis Samuel, those types of players. Offensive coordinators love those kind of guys who can do multiple things.”
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