The New Orleans Saints finally had the ability to spend big money in free agency for the first time in years, and they chose to allocate their available funds to signing Louisiana native and former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne to a four-year contract.
With Alvin Kamara on his way out and the odds of top pick Jeremiyah Love falling to No. 8 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Saints spent big to ensure Tyler Shough would get a dependable running back for the next few seasons. However, not everyone remains convinced that Etienne is going to be a guaranteed success in New Orleans.
Etienne was given the derisive tag of boom-or-bust by Pro Football Focus, citing the fact that he doesn't break tackles at an alarming rate and is coming off a 2025 season that could be viewed as an outlier after looking at his performance in the prior season.
PFF says Saints' Travis Etienne signing is extremely risky
Etienne does have three seasons with more than 1,000 yards rushing out of four, but there are some pitfalls to worry about. Etienne didn't even hit 600 yards rushing in the 2024 season, and he averaged below 4.0 yards per carry in the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Jaguars coach Liam Coen has been shown to boost running back efficiency stats when he arrives, and there is a bit of a fall-off when he leaves. The Saints may have paid Etienne after he got the Coen jolt, and he might not be able to replicate that season with consistency away from Jacksonville.
However, Moore is regarded as another extremely bright offensive mind, and he should have no trouble trying to find ways to get Etienne the ball in space. His combination of speed, improved playmaking as a pass-catcher, and elusiveness for someone his size will be exactly what this New Orleans offense needs.
While the Saints have some talent on the offensive line, the unit graded out as one of the worst run-blocking lines in the NFL last season. Improving that area of weakness will go hand-in-hand with ensuring this franchise gets its money's worth out of the Etienne contract.
Etienne is the type of weapon the Saints need with Kamara aging out of his prime and ending his pro career soon. While there is a degree of risk involved, New Orleans likely doesn't feel too scared by the possible downsides that can come with him.