After a disastrous 3-14 season that left them tied with the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans for the worst record in the NFL, the Cleveland Browns have a lot of holes to fill this offseason. While their biggest need at the moment is a quarterback, the Browns also require immediate attention to the running back position as Nick Chubb is set to enter free agency.
Chubb has been a shadow of his past, suffering back-to-back season-ending injuries, and Cleveland is unlikely to retain him. The Browns are now predicted to replace Chubb with the Los Angeles Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins, who has 22 career touchdowns and registered a career-high 1,058 scrimmage yards last season.
Cleveland Browns Predicted To Replace Nick Chubb With J.K. Dobbins
Chubb entered the NFL with some serious promise. In 2018, Cleveland selected Chubb in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. In Year 2, Chubb announced his emergence as a star by running for almost 1,500 yards. The Browns RB put up four straight seasons (2019-2022) of over 1,000 yards on the ground, including two seasons of nearly 1,500 yards.
Unfortunately, the last couple of seasons have been less fortunate. Chubb had to deal with two major, gruesome knee injuries that ended his 2023 season and delayed his 2024. He finished the year with 332 yards and three touchdowns on 102 carries.
There is a chance that Chubb’s best days are behind him, and ESPN’s Matt Bowen predicts the Browns will replace him with Dobbins in the free agency.
“How about Dobbins signing with the Browns to replace Nick Chubb as Cleveland’s new lead runner? The offense fits his traits well with both gap and zone schemes,” Bowen wrote. “And Dobbins looked explosive on the tape throughout last season, though he missed four games because of a knee sprain. He finished 2024 with 907 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.”
While Dobbins has had his share of injury concerns as well, missing a slew of games in recent years due to multiple injuries, including an MCL sprain last season in Week 12, he’s productive and electric when fit. The 26-year-old is ranked 26th in PFSN’s Top 100 Free Agent Rankings.
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“The RB free agency pool lacks the upside of last year, and that may well work in the favor of Dobbins, who took a one-year prove-it deal with the Los Angeles Chargers,” Ben Rolfe wrote. “For the most part, Dobbins proved it, finishing with 905 yards and nine touchdowns on 195 carries. He added a further 153 yards on 32 receptions with an 84.2% catch rate.
“However, he had a success rate of just 36.4% on run plays and 28.9% on receptions. Additionally, Dobbins missed four games through injury, which only adds to the durability concerns that teams will have around him. Over the last three years, Dobbins has played just 22 of a possible 51 games. That means he is fresher than the average 26-year-old but is not someone teams will feel comfortable relying on as their lead back.
“In space, Dobbins looked electric at times, but his -8.7% boom/bust rate ranked 41st among 73 qualifying backs (minimum 50 touches). He ranked 16th in average yards before contact per rush but was down at 31st in yards after contact.
“There is definitely still some upside in Dobbins’ profile, and he has the most upside in this free agency class. Anyone who takes a chance on him will get a home-run hitter who can be a very effective part of a committee. As he gets further away from those injuries, we should hopefully see more of his pop return.”
Spotrac estimates Dobbins will earn $4.1 million annually based on his current market projection, and the Browns will have the requisite cap space to make that happen. But if they re-sign Chubb and he somehow returns to his past form, bringing in Dobbins is still a sensible move, giving Cleveland an awesome complementary piece.