With Quinshon Judkins rehabbing from a broken leg suffered late last season, the Cleveland Browns could really use another legitimate running back, even after Judkins returns. One free agency option could be J.K. Dobbins, who has dealt with plenty of health issues himself, but is an excellent player when on the field, something Todd Monken never got to experience.
Dobbins had a prolific career at Ohio State, becoming the first Buckeye to run for 2,000 yards in 2019. The Baltimore Ravens took him 55th overall, and he burst onto the scene as a rookie by averaging 6.0 yards per attempt. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn ACL in the 2021 Preseason, which was only the beginning of his struggles with injuries. After sitting out the entire 2021 campaign, he missed another nine games in 2022 due to a knee issue, though he was still very effective when on the field. He then tore his Achilles in the 2023 season opener, costing him the rest of the year. He managed to play 15 games for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024, rushing for a career-high 905 yards and turning that into another one-year deal with the Denver Broncos, and was having another great year before going down in Week 10 with a Lisfranc injury that required season-ending surgery.
That's quite the list of serious injuries for Dobbins, and it's really unfortunate because he's a special player when healthy. It's hard to watch Dobbins and not be reminded of prime Nick Chubb; he doesn't have Chubb's size, but his elite vision and ability to chop his feet and string multiple cuts together to find open space is impressive. The hope is that he'll be able to return to form following his recovery, but that's not a guarantee.