Would the Rams consider signing this former second-round pick at running back?
J,K. Dobbins has had a tough start to his career due to injuries, but could he be a steal for LA in free agency?
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The Los Angeles Rams found a breakout star in running back Kyren Williams this past season. The Notre Dame product burst on the scene to the tune of 1,144 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns, while only playing in 12 games total. Williams is a physical back and that takes a toll during the season, as seen by his missed games during the season and, most-recently, a broken hand in the NFC Wild Card game against the Detroit Lions.
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Could the Rams opt to bring in some more established depth with only Ronnie Rivers and Zach Evans currently listed as backup running backs? Williams has proven he can be an every-down back, so LA would not want to spend much on bringing someone in, that’s why former Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins could be the perfect solution.
Dobbins has dealt with plenty of injuries of his own, including an ACL tear back in 2021, and an Achilles tear this past season. It’s unfortunate for Dobbins, but the reality is this could play into the Rams favor as it will most-likely drive down his free agency price tag. Sportrac’s current projected market value for Dobbins is around $2 million-a-year for this coming offseason.
So why would the Rams want to bring in the oft-injured Dobbins besides the low price tag?
When healthy, Dobbins has proven to have the potential to be a top running back in the league. The former second-round pick has a career average of 5.8 yards per carry, with a nose for the end zone inside the 20, having 12 touchdowns in roughly 24 games. Given the Rams struggles in the red zone during their most recent playoff game – Los Angeles had to settle for field goals on three drives, including two in the fourth quarter vs. the Lions – Dobbins could make his value known in this area of the game plan. On top of everything, he’s still only 25 years old.
Dobbins would also not need to take on a huge role in LA, with Williams already established as “the guy”. If he could get close to his 2020 performance when he had 805 yards and nine touchdowns on only 134 carries, he and Williams could prove to be a very physically dominating 1-2 punch. Dobbins has already shown he is effective coming off the bench too, splitting carries with Mark Ingram II in his best season as a pro.
Dobbins is the quintessential low risk, high reward type player. The Rams would not need to give anything up to get him, as he is a free agent this offseason, and at only a projected $2 million-a-year price tag, there would be almost no guaranteed money locked up, so you could release him at any time. Most of McVay’s reclamation projects have worked out, with Steelers castoff Kevin Dotson coming to mind this past season, could Dobbins be the next?
