J.K. Dobbins remains absent from Baltimore Ravens training camp, having been placed on the PUP list nearly two weeks ago. The running back’s current status is clouded by speculation that his current designation is not the result of an actual ailment but rather a hold-in for an extension. A resolution is being discussed at this point.
Baltimore has been in talks with Dobbins on a potential extension, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Nothing is imminent at this point while the 24-year-old remains sidelined, but progress on negotiations could result in a deal being worked out. Dobbins is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract, one which has seen him miss considerable time due to injury.
The Ohio State alum missed the entire 2021 campaign after tearing his ACL, LCL and meniscus, and his return to action last season was met with caution. Dobbins played four games before undergoing a cleanup procedure which required another IR stint. He came back in time for the final four games of the regular season (during which he eclipsed the 100-yard mark twice and averaged 6.96 yards per carry) and the team’s wild-card loss to the Bengals. Dobbins scored a touchdown and recorded 105 scrimmage yards in that game, despite a relatively light workload.
Usage has been a sticking point for the former second-rounder during much of his Ravens tenure. Dobbins ran for 805 yards and nine touchdowns after supplanting Mark Ingram in the lead role midway through his rookie season, and his return from the second knee surgery last year demonstrated his remaining efficiency. It thus came as little surprise that an extension was under consideration in June (despite the continued presence of running aficionado Lamar Jackson and highly-regarded backup RB Gus Edwards), but Dobbins’ lingering absence was predated by his public remarks calling the business side of his future “very hard.”
As the 2023 offseason has illustrated, the current financial landscape for running backs is not encouraging. The missed time due to the knee injury will hurt Dobbins’ negotiating position, but his production and lack of a workhorse role when on the field should breed confidence he has plenty of mileage still to come. The franchise tag could be an option next offseason, but fellow 2019 draftees Patrick Queen and Justin Madubuike are also entering the final year of their rookie deals. Both could be in Baltimore’s long-term plans.
All eyes will be on when Dobbins returns to the field to acclimate to new offensive coordinator Todd Monken‘s scheme, one which is expected to include a larger emphasis on the passing game. Especially if an extension can be worked out by the start of the season, though, the former should be a focal point of the Ravens’ offense on the ground beyond 2023.
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