The Los Angeles Chargers added another running back into the mix – and it is another former Baltimore Raven who has worked with offensive coordinator Greg Roman before. J.K. Dobbins is now on the Chargers with a one-year deal, joining his fellow previous Ravens teammate Gus Edwards. Cue the “Los Angeles Ravens” jokes. The question is what will his role look like and how this will affect the Chargers running back outlook – but there’s also the question if Dobbins can stay healthy.
What J.K. Dobbins Signing Means for Chargers
Talented But Injury-Prone
Dobbins had a promising rookie year in 2020 with 805 rushing yards, nine touchdowns, and averaging six yards a carry. Since then, he has just not been able to stay healthy. In 2021 he tore his ACL in the preseason. He missed 10 games in 2022 with another knee injury. Then in 2023, he tore his Achilles in the season opener.
With those kind of injuries, it’s a fair question as to whether he will even be able to play like his old self. There is also a question of if he will be ready for Week 1. Those questions seemed to scare off the Kansas City Chiefs, who were his only other serious suitor so far this offseason but ultimately backed off. This is most likely why his deal is only one year; while we don’t know what it is worth as of writing, it is likely not hefty. But it offers both a prove-it opportunity for Dobbins and a low-risk/high-reward deal for the Chargers.
Edwards and Dobbins Combo?
Especially given the uncertainty around Dobbins’ health, we can reasonably expect that between the two former Ravens halfbacks, Edwards is still going to be the lead runner – at least to start the season. If Dobbins is able to return to form, then we could start seeing more of a 50/50 split or even Dobbins taking over. Edwards is a reliable downhill runner and goal-line back, but Dobbins has higher upside due to his more electric acceleration and speed.
Dobbins is still a risk, however, because of his health. The statistics around players coming back to form after an Achilles are not in his favor. In fact, most running backs with the kind of injuries he has had end up falling off the map in general. The Chargers can’t rely on him being what he once was; hence why he’s not being signed to a longer deal or expected to be a lead back. That does mean that despite what he could bring to the table, this hardly settles the Chargers running back depth chart for the season.
The Chargers Are Not Done Yet at Running Back
Aside from Dobbins’ health concerns, neither Edwards nor Dobbins have much receiving talent – so that is still something the Chargers have yet to address. Not to mention that after those two, the depth chart still consists of Isaiah Spiller and Elijah Dotson. The Chargers will still be adding more running back help – most likely in the Draft.
The signing of Dobbins does increase the chances that the Chargers may not prioritize it as early as they once might have. Before, it was fair to say that they could have taken a running back as high as the third round, but now it will most likely be a Day 3 pick – unless Jim Harbaugh insists on taking Blake Corum on Day 2 because he’s one of his former Michigan guys. At any rate, it needs to be someone with a bit more receiving utility, because that is what the Chargers are missing right now at running back.
The Chargers are clearly going all-in on fixing their running attack. Given that they’ve been heavily reliant on Austin Ekeler to do everything in that regard for a while, this is a good thing. The concern does remain about how the passing attack is going to look with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams gone, but that’s a different topic. At any rate, though Dobbins is a bit of a risk, the potential reward is there – and if it comes to fruition, Edwards and Dobbins could prove a strong duo.
Main Photo: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
