Will RB JK Dobbins Be A Raven in 2024?
The Baltimore Ravens have had the absolute worst luck when it comes to running backs. Not that they haven't had talent, because they have. And do. But when you're most talented back spends more time on the injured list than on the field, there are bound to be issues.
J.K. Dobbins should be a star in the league. Should be. And can be. But injuries have derailed his career just as much as they've derailed the Ravens' recent seasons.
Dobbins showed huge promise his rookie season with 134 carries for 805 yards (a 6.0 yards per carry average) and nine touchdowns. He also caught 18 balls for another 120 yards through the air.
But he missed the entire 2021 season with a torn ACL, LCL, meniscus, and hamstring. But that just sidelined him until Week 3 of the next season in 2022. In eight games that season, Dobbins rushed for 520 yards on 92 carries (a 5.7 yards per carry average) and two touchdowns.
And now, in Week 1 of 2023, Dobbins is sidelined again for the season with a torn Achilles. While it's tough to blame injuries - especially the kind Dobbins had endured - on the player, they have a real effect on the team.
The issue with the Ravens and Dobbins now becomes his contract. He's a former second-round pick back from the 2020 NFL Draft and is at the end of a four-year, $5.7 million deal. What happens now?
Dobbins would like to remain in Baltimore. “I love it here. I want to finish my career here,” said Dobbins in a training camp interview.
The former Buckeye is liked in the locker room and has shown flashes of the talent everyone knows he possesses. But are the Ravens willing to invest in an injury-prone back? If Dobbins is willing to stay on a one-year "prove it" deal, then it would greatly benefit both him and the Ravens. Then Dobbins - if he stays healthy - could show the Ravens he can be a 17-game per season back. Maybe.
