Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins said Monday that he's 100% recovered from the torn Achilles he suffered last September. "It was like a walk in the park, it was like a sprained ankle," Dobbins said. "It was very easy, because I had the knee [injury] -- the knee was pretty hard. The Achilles was, I would say, easy, just because that's my mentality. It was pretty easy to me." We'll file this under "believe-it-when-we-see-it." Full health is not the same as full effectiveness. RB Cam Akers quickly made it back from an Achilles injury but hasn't been the same runner since. Dobbins still isn't a player to invest heavily in at this point. But we'll be keeping a close eye on him this spring and summer. The Chargers' backfield will be a key situation for fantasy owners to monitor, with Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and rookie Kimani Vidal duking it out for touches.
The Chargers added Troy RB Kimani Vidal in Round 6 of the NFL Draft. Despite offers from LSU and South Carolina, the Georgia native took his talents to the Sun Belt Conference. Vidal averaged 11.2 carries per game as a true freshman and led the team in rushing – something he’d do in all four seasons. But his workloads really picked up from 2022-2023 for the run-heavy Trojans. In fact, Vidal was among the busiest college RBs with 526 carries (plus 44 catches) over that stretch. He held up well, too, missing only one game due to injury in his career. At nearly 5’8, 213 pounds, Vidal has bowling ball size and runs with matching intensity. Per The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, the 22-year-old’s 94 missed tackles forced ranked second in the FBS last season. He’s not special out of the backfield, but Vidal’s tape shows a capable receiver with more pass protection refinement than the average rookie. He lands in a nice spot under run-loving HC Jim Harbaugh in a relatively wide-open backfield alongside J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. It shouldn’t be considered a surprise if Vidal pushes for snaps in 2024.
Former Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins plans to sign a one-year contract with the Chargers, according to multiple reports. This comes after Dobbins visited several teams. He lands with the franchise that already signed his former teammate Gus Edwards. We'll see about the specific terms of Dobbins' deal, but Edwards landed a two-year pact worth $6.5 million total, with $3.375 million in guarantees. We'll bet that Dobbins gets significantly less coming off his September Achilles' tear (and checkered injury history). The former second-round pick will be interesting to watch this summer, especially in a backfield that could present open competition for touches. But Edwards stands as the better bet for work right now. And we'd bet on the Chargers adding a RB in the draft. For now, don't let Chargers RBs factor heavily into your draft plans -- despite their modest best ball ADP numbers.
RB J.K. Dobbins (Achilles) has been cleared for football activities, his surgeon wrote in a letter to teams on Tuesday. Dobbins looks “outstanding” after his rehab from September Achilles surgery, Dr. Neal ElAttrache said. Dobbins is expected to begin taking free-agent visits soon, according to NFL Network's Pelissero. A torn ACL and torn Achilles have limited Dobbins to just nine games over the past three seasons, and it's fair to wonder if the 25-year-old can regain pre-injury form. He's no more than a late-round flier in early fantasy drafts. We'll see where he lands in free agency.
As many expected, the Ravens have agreed to terms with former Titans RB Derrick Henry. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Henry will get a two-year, $16 million deal -- with a $20 million max value and $9 million guaranteed for 2024. That means Henry will take over the backfield for at least the coming season. Despite last offseason's OC switch and other investments in the passing game, Baltimore finished 2023 as the league's most run-heavy offense (50.3% of plays). QB Lamar Jackson skews that rate with his scrambling, but it's clearly a good situation for Henry. His Underdog Fantasy ADP sits at RB15 as of this writing, at the end of Round 5. If Henry stays in that range, he'll be smash pick for best ball. Check our best ball rankings to compare our outlook for Henry with the market's. J.K. Dobbins, meanwhile, just got easier to drop in dynasty formats -- in case you were on the fence. Keaton Mitchell? We'll have to watch his progress throughout the summer as he returns from a December ACL tear.
Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins is running short sprints and jogging on a treadmill in a recent video posted to social media. He's 5.5 months removed from surgery to repair his torn Achilles. It was the latest setback for a guy who's been snakebitten by injuries, most notably the Achilles and a multi-ligament knee injury in 2021. Dobbins has averaged a big 5.8 yards per carry across 234 NFL attempts, but there's no guarantee that he makes it back to pre-injury form. We'll continue to track his rehab from this latest injury but consider him just a late-round flier in early fantasy drafts.
RB Gus Edwards' contract with the Ravens voided on Monday, setting him up to hit free agency next month. Edwards led Ravens RBs and set career highs last year with 198 carries, 810 yards, and 13 TDs. His 4.1 yards per carry was a career low, although Edwards still ranked a respectable 20th out of 49 qualifying RBs in NFL Next Gen Stats' Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. Edwards turns 29 in April and offers next to nothing in the passing game. But he's still capable of helping as a between-the-tackles and short-yardage back. We'll see where he lands in free agency. The Ravens' RB depth chart, meanwhile, is topped by a couple of guys recovering from serious injuries in J.K. Dobbins and Keaton Mitchell. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported recently that Baltimore could target a RB "with pedigree" in free agency. Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard, and D'Andre Swift highlight the free-agent RB class.
Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins will undergo surgery on September 15 to repair his torn Achilles, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports. Dobbins is "aiming" for a return in six months, per Pelissero, which would put him back on the field in March. That'd be a big win for Dobbins, who will turn 25 in December and hit free agency in March. We'll track his rehab, but Dobbins' dynasty value has taken a major hit. There's no guarantee that he returns to pre-injury form.
The Ravens confirmed a torn Achilles for RB J.K. Dobbins. We’re expecting a committee approach with Justice Hill and Gus Edwards going forward. Next up is a road matchup with Cincinnati.
NFL Network reports that Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins is feared to have suffered a torn Achilles. He's scheduled for an MRI to confirm. It'd be a season-ending injury for Dobbins, who had seemingly just worked back to 100% from his devastating 2021 knee injury. Dobbins' absence would leave Baltimore's backfield to Justice Hill and Gus Edwards.
Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins suffered an ankle injury in the 3rd quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Texans. He went back to the locker room with trainers and is officially questionable to return. Stay tuned for an update.
Garrett Downing of the Ravens' official website expects RB J.K. Dobbins to be heavily involved in new OC Todd Monken's offense. "We've seen throughout training camp that the RBs are catching a lot of passes," Downing says. "I think that bodes really well for J.K. Dobbins. He has nice hands out of the backfield. ... I expect him to have a big role in that regard in this offense." Dobbins has totaled just 25 catches in 23 NFL games. But he wasn't asked to do much in the passing game in previous OC Greg Roman's offense. That'll change under Monken. And remember that Dobbins caught 71 balls in three college seasons.
The Ravens released RB Melvin Gordon. They'll carry RBs J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, and rookie Keaton Mitchell into Week 1.
Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins said Thursday that he's back to 100% after his 2021 multi-ligament knee injury. "I do think that healthy, I can be one of the top backs in the league," Dobbins said. "That flashes sometimes, but I just got to prove it and I am going to prove it one day. One day it will happen." Dobbins sure looked healthy -- and like one of the best backs in the league -- when he averaged 6.6 yards per carry over the final five games of last season (including playoffs). If he can avoid injury this year, Dobbins will return big value from his fifth-round ADP.
The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec writes that Ravens RB Justice Hill's stock is up. "You no longer should be asking whether Hill is a lock to make the team," Zrebiec adds. "It’s probably more pertinent to ask whether he’ll have a notable role on offense. He’s earned it with how he’s practiced this summer and played in the preseason." Hill has turned six preseason touches into 86 total yards, while playing ahead of RB Gus Edwards in the first exhibition. We still don't expect Hill to have tangible fantasy value behind a healthy RB J.K. Dobbins. But Hill might be the Ravens RB to own if Dobbins misses time.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh said Monday that RB J.K. Dobbins is "100% healthy." He spent the first 2+ weeks of training camp on the PUP list, but this is basically confirmation that his absence was contract-related. With Dobbins evidently resigned to playing out 2023 under his current contract, he's primed to take over as the clear lead back in new OC Todd Monken's offense. Dobbins has been a big value in Round 6 or 7 of recent drafts. We'll see where his ADP moves from here.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Ravens are activating RB J.K. Dobbins off the physically unable to perform list today. There has been no real indication this designation was actually injury related, as Dobbins has been seeking a new contract (along with approximately every other NFL RB). HC John Harbaugh has said he maintained contact with Dobbins throughout the RB's absence and has been awaiting his return. We expect Dobbins to quickly claim the top spot on the depth chart and have not moved him down our RB rankings amid the holdout.
Update: ESPN's Jamison Hensley adds that Dobbins took part in individual drills at Monday's practice.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh said Tuesday he expects RB J.K. Dobbins to return to the team soon, according to Sarah Ellison of Ravens Vault (and former editor for the team website. Harbaugh said: "Generally speaking, to be a great player you need to put in the time and effort and get with the team and just get right. And he wants to do that in his case, and that's why I expect him back here pretty soon." We've seen Dobbins' ADP slip in recent drafts. That makes him even more attractive if you have a draft before he returns. We haven't moved Dobbins down our RB rankings at all.
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