I about fell out when I saw the new Denver Broncos depth chart. It is a lot to process, especially when you are looking for stability. The team officially listed J.K. Dobbins as their RB1 on Wednesday, RotoBaller NFL reported.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I want to love this. Dobbins is a talented man, and he looks good right now. But my heart just sinks when I think about his medical records. It feels like every time we get excited, something goes wrong.
The heavy price of a shaky history
We cannot ignore what happened last year. Dobb and the rest of the league saw him go down with a season-ending foot injury during his first year in Denver. It is hard to trust a player when his body keeps letting him down like that.
He was great when he was on the field, though. Last season in 10 games, he recorded 772 yards and four touchdowns on 153 rushing attempts, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. If he stays healthy, those are numbers we can celebrate. But “healthy” is a big if, isn’t it?
He has never even finished a full season in the NFL yet. That is a scary thought for anyone who relies on him for a fantasy lineup. I find myself holding my breath every time he takes a hit.
A crowded backfield in Denver
The Broncos are not just leaving him out there alone. There is a whole group of players ready to step in. Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports states that Dobbins is “for sure” the team’s No. 1 RB when he is healthy.
But even when he is fine, the workload might be split up. The team is looking at a committee approach. Here is what else is happening in that backfield:
- Second-year back RJ Harvey will have a “big role” as a pass-catcher, per reports.
- Rookie Jonah Coleman is expected to serve as the between-the-tackles backup.
It makes me think that Dobbins might not get the massive workload we all want. Even if he stays on the field, his ceiling might be lower than we hope. It is a bit like my grandkids playing tag—lots of running, but someone always ends up tripping!
The team is heading into a huge Monday night game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
