J.K. Dobbins is coming off a career year in which he rushed for 905 yards and nine touchdowns while also catching 32 passes for 153 yards through the air.
Dobbins emerged as a key contributor for the 11-win Los Angeles Chargers, but now he’s a free agent who’s looking for a new home since Jim Harbaugh and Co. opted to sign running back Najee Harris this offseason. Where will Dobbins land?
Broncos, Raiders Mentioned As Possible Landing Spots For J.K. Dobbins
As the 26-year-old running back continues to weigh his free-agency options, Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon recently linked Dobbins to the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders.
“Finally healthy and happy in Greg Roman’s offense, the 2020 second-round pick was a strong Comeback Player of the Year candidate with 1,058 scrimmage yards and nine touchdowns for the Chargers in 2024,” Gagnon wrote.
“Denver and Las Vegas are the top two teams to watch as Dobbins potentially stays in the AFC West. At least the Raiders brought in Raheem Mostert, while the Broncos lost Javonte Williams and could be more desperate because they’re closer to contender status.”
Gagnon’s Bleacher Report colleague,
“Aside from [Aaron] Rodgers and the Steelers, this might be the most obvious pairing of late free agency. The Denver Broncos need a consistent rushing attack to help support second-year quarterback Bo Nix. J.K. Dobbins rushed for 905 yards and 4.6 yards per carry for the rival Los Angeles Chargers in 2024,” Knox wrote.
“While his lengthy injury history is concerning, Dobbins’ combination of physicality and breakaway ability would make him a fine complement to Jaleel McLaughlin.”
PFSN’s Kyle Soppe recently weighed in on the best landing spots for Dobbins as well, and he also listed the Raiders as a good fit for the veteran back. Soppe wrote that it would make sense for Dobbins to don the silver and black next season.
“The Las Vegas Raiders signed Raheem Mostert, and he joins Dobbins on the list of ‘I like what I see in spurts but wouldn’t want to hand him the ball 15+ times for four months’ running backs — OK, so maybe such a list doesn’t exist, but you get the idea,” Soppe wrote.
“Some will say that if you have two partial pieces at a position, you have none, but NFL teams are more willing now than ever to commit on a two-back system, and the Raiders could pencil that in for a season while they try to determine their franchise’s direction (Mostert: one-year, $1.255 million deal).”
The other two teams that Soppe highlighted as destinations for Dobbins are the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears.
Entering the offseason, Dobbins was the No. 22-ranked free agent on PFSN’s Top 121 Free Agent Rankings. Here’s what PFSN’s Stats and Insights team wrote about Dobbins’ free agency: “The story of J.K. Dobbins is pretty straightforward — there are flashes of upside between injuries that make him an intriguing buy at the right price.
“It seems as if every running back is an injury risk, but with Dobbins only appearing in 37 regular season games since being the 55th overall pick in 2020, we are looking at a body that just isn’t positioned to be a bell-cow at the professional level.
“Fortunately for him, more teams are going with a committee approach these days, and his 5.2 career yards-per-carry average on 429 attempts suggests that there is something there for a back who turned 26 in December. Last season, despite the hot start, Dobbins picked up 5+ yards on 31.3% of his carries, a noticeable swing in the wrong direction (2022-23: 38%).
“It’s unlikely that any NFL team is going to view him as an every-down back, and with a lack of versatility in his profile (73 career targets), he’s a clunky fit for most offenses, but we’ve seen many different offenses succeed in recent memory. A cheap change-of-pace role could be in store at a cheap price tag.”