Ravens Contracts: Pay J.K. Dobbins Like a Superstar Running Back?
The Baltimore Ravens are back at a crossroads. Do they re-sign running back J.K. Dobbins or let him go when his contract expires after this coming season?
The fourth-year back out of Ohio State has decided to hold out on the Ravens' mandatory minicamp in an attempt to bring the team to the negotiations table so they can iron out an extension.
While the debate of whether teams should give running backs expensive second contracts will surely ensue in the coming days if the negotiations prolong, the Ravens are in a much different situation compared to other teams.
Dobbins has been in the league for four seasons, yet the Ravens haven't seen much of him. Following an impressive rookie campaign where the ex-Ohio State Buckeyes ball carrier rushed for 805 yards and nine touchdowns on 134 carries in 15 games, he's only played eight games after missing all of the 2021 season due to injury.
Dobbins is a proven commodity on the field, as suggested by his 5.7 yards per carry average this past season on 92 attempts in just eight games before another injury sidelined him.
Yet, in a time when even the most productive backs are struggling to get paid their full value, Dobbins' future is seriously questioned. The former Buckeye certainly doesn't have the proverbial wear on his tires like Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys did at the same stage of his career. But injuries have prevented Dobbins from ever truly getting that same amount of production.
The 24-year-old has been outspoken about his love for the city of Baltimore and the Ravens fans, but unless he is willing to take a serious pay cut below the market value for running backs, it seems an extension is unlikely.
After all, the Ravens have already splashed the cash on the new contract for quarterback Lamar Jackson while giving Odell Beckham Jr. a one-year deal worth up to $15 million. Some could argue that the money spent on Dobbins should go elsewhere.
Add in the fact that the Ravens have gotten the most out of their backfield in years past with the emergence of Gus Edwards, and Baltimore could have further reason to believe they don't need the former Buckeye.
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