Think Andrew Paul changes his mind and comes back?

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He would be RB2 or 3 at this point

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He was already RB 2 (IMO) when he left. Has somethign changed that would make him want to come back?

Personally, running back is way down on the position groups of concerns. If the O-line is good, running backs are a dime a dozen, and I think that Kirby will have the rotation and the roles for the different backs all set in time for the Albama game.

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. If we hand't gotten Etienne this year we'd be truly fricked right now.

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I think you are conflating issues.
We need Etienne because we need a receiving threat out of the backfield.

The other things that he excels at are gravy.

We have backs who can run zone and power. If the blocking is there (and by most accounts, we are a mauling OL), the backs will get yards.

Etienne fills a need for a linebacker mismatch on passing downs. That is a big part of the monken offense.

Etienne is more than just a "catch out of the backfield" guy. We are extremely lucky to have him.

It's been a while since we've had a back who can read the hole, get through it, then make a guy miss and/or run over him, and streak down the field with a safety having an angle on him but instead of evading contact, seeks contact, puts the safety on his arse and scores.

I hope that's Etienne. Nobody else on this roster is the full package.

If Kirby thought we were "good" at RB, he wouldn't have taken Etienne and Etienne wouldn't have come here.

That's my ignorant and humble opinion.

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Etienne is more than just a "catch out of the backfield" guy.

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I agree.
But there was an obvious void on the roster (James cook and Kenny McIntosh were being replaced by Cash Jones).
We filled a need with a guy who can do so much more.

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It's been a while since we've had a back who can read the hole, get through it, then make a guy miss and/or run over him, and streak down the field with a safety having an angle on him but instead of evading contact, seeks contact, puts the safety on his arse and scores.

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I don't think Etienne is dropping a safety who is coming in for a hip drop tackle.
I am extremely excited about the burst and shiftiness of Etienne. He may be some combination of James cook/Kendall Milton (i.e. Swift).

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I think you are conflating issues.

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I see what you're saying but we're definitely talking about 2 separate talking points. I'm not talking at all about specific strengths as you said. A pass catcher, a bruiser, a scat back, etc. That's not factoring into my point at all. Mine is far more simple and big picture. Had Paul not left and we didn't get eteinne, we'd be going into the year with a RB rotation of:

-Andrew Paul, who has looked decent in the extremely limited mopup duty he's had
-Rod Rob, who last year was mianly a slower bigger bodied battering ram but looks to have gotten in great shape this offseason. Also limited to mostly mopuop duty thus far
-BRob, who would be the best of the bunch but coming off a knee injruy and is TBD on how effective he'll be, or even how soon
-Some TFR

That would NOT have inspired confidence AT ALL. Etienne, regardless of waht his strengths may be, is a proven SEC back that has started in this league at another big boy school. I am not worried about our RB to start the season against clemosn, whereas if we didn't have him I'd be pretty nervous.

I think Frazier is going to work himself into the RB3 role. Also, Bowens is an early enrollee and went through spring and could make noise.

He was not asked to enter the portal, but the staff did not fight to keep him.

Right I was talkign abotu this specific isntance though. I have no doubt we process kids and tell them to move on, but you'd think that kind of thing is reserved for like the Griffin Scoggins of the world that don't have a prayer in hell of ever seeing the field as opposed to a guy that would undoubtedly see major minutes