J.K. Dobbins Wasn’t Broncos’ Plan A, per Insider

We've known since March that the Denver Broncos were interested in free-agent running backs, like Kenneth Walker III and Travis Etienne. When the prices ballooned to $14 million and $13 million per year, respectively, the Broncos bowed out.

Instead, the Broncos pivoted to J.K. Dobbins, who was a priority to re-sign regardless of how things played out with Walker or Etienne. However, according to a new report from The Athletic's Mike Sando, the Broncos believed they were going to land Etienne, who signed with the New Orleans Saints.

"Another exec said the Broncos thought they were going to sign former Jaguars running back Travis Etienne, only to have the Saints land him instead," Sando wrote.

When Etienne instead signed with Sean Payton's former team, Sando's league source said the Broncos were surprised.

“They were shocked,” this exec said, via Sando.

Dobbins Was Always a Priority

Travis Etienne. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

I have a hard time believing the Broncos were truly shocked that Etienne landed in New Orleans. The Broncos could have competed with the offer the Saints gave him, but they knew what they had in Dobbins, who wanted to re-sign, and the gap between him and Etienne wasn't worth $5 million per year in Denver's eyes.

The Broncos gave Dobbins a two-year, $16 million contract with $8 million guaranteed. It's essentially two one-year deals, with only 2026 guaranteed.

If Dobbins is unable to avoid the injury bug and misses extended time again, the Broncos gave themselves an out in 2027, should they wish to take it. The flip side, though, is that the Broncos not only gave Dobbins a 4x raise over the $2 million he earned last season, but they also included an additional $2 million in incentives if he breaks 1,200 rushing yards in a season.

"Dobbins was a priority, ahead of all others. Now that will anger people," Sean Payton said last week at the NFL owners meetings. "We know that he has been injured, and we understand that the injuries haven’t been soft tissue driven."

Dobbins was a priority because he brings so much more to the table than just his on-field impact as a starting running back. He raises the ships around him, and the Broncos' brass attributed much of the newfound swagger this team had last year to his influence.

"He is someone who is one of those compound multipliers, like he brings 10 others along with him in a positive light," Payton said of Dobbins. "Our success last year, he has some fingerprints on that."

Why Denver Loves Dobbins

If we take the injury concerns out of the equation, Dobbins is the superior option here, not just because he came $5 million/year cheaper, but because he offers the Broncos bona fide top-five production when he's on the field and top-level leadership.

Etienne's career-high rushing mark came in his rookie year, with 1,125 yards. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark two more times in Jacksonville, but he wasn't able to completely evade the injury bug, missing two games in 2024.

Dobbins has never eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark because he's never been able to start and finish a season healthy. He was well on pace to obliterating the 1,000-yard milestone last season when he suffered a Lisfranc injury on an illegal tackle in Week 10 and landed on injured reserve.

Dobbins did not return, finishing the campaign with 772 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 5.0 yards per carry. He was on pace for a 1,312-yard season.

Etienne, meanwhile, hasn't averaged 5.0 per carry since his rookie year. His rushing efficiency has diminished each season, though he did produce a modest increase of 4.3 in 2025.

The Takeaway

I'd file this under "everything happens for a reason." The Broncos may have preferred to sign Etienne and Dobbins, but when the former's price tag skyrocketed, and Payton and GM George Paton took some time to clear their heads and realize what they had in the latter, they bowed out and let the Saints sign the ex-Jaguar.

Dobbins will reprise his role as the Broncos' starting running back, with RJ Harvey as the No. 2. You can see the Broncos' school of thought was to bring back Dobbins and sign an outsider to upgrade the depth and hedge against the injury bug, and that could still prevail within the scope of the draft.

Maybe the Broncos don't use their second-round pick (No. 62 overall) on a running back, but I'd be shocked if one isn't taken somewhere within their first three picks. After No. 62, the Broncos won't be on the clock again until No. 108 and 111 in Round 4.

Running backs to watch include Notre Dame's Jadarian Price, Arkansas' Mike Washington Jr., Washington's Jonah Coleman, and Nebraska's Emmett Johnson. The Broncos need one more running back addition to serve as the No. 3 in the rotation, and give them a first and second-down insurance policy if Dobbins goes down.

But if the right guy doesn't fall to them, the Broncos will still be confident in running it back with Dobbins, Harvey, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Tyler Badie, while keeping an eye on the transaction wire when the roster cuts start happening in July and August.

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