Getty Baltimore Ravens running back JK Dobbins trying to make a play during an NFL game.
The New York Jets could shop in the bargain section to find some great value this offseason.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report suggested that very path in a recent column for Bleacher Report.
“The New York Jets could kick the tires on [J.K.] Dobbins as a complement to Breece Hall after the Dalvin Cook experiment failed to pan out,” Knox explained. “A cheaper free-agent option like Dobbins would be perfect for the Jets, who are projected to have $7.6 million in cap space available.”
The Jets Plan at RB Is Set to Change in 2024
Last offseason the green and white overspent at the running back position. The green and white doled out over $7 million to Dalvin Cook on a one-year deal. It flopped.
This offseason the Jets have a chance to do the opposite. Knox explained how many big names will flood the running back market in free agency.
“Meanwhile, Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins is likely to be a free-agent afterthought because of injuries. He missed all of the 2021 season with a torn ACL, appeared in only eight games the following season, and then suffered a torn Achilles one game into his 2023 campaign,” Knox explained. “Dobbins is almost sure to command a one-year, prove-it deal, likely at the league minimum. Whichever team takes a flier on him could be getting a steal, provided he can stay healthy. The 25-year-old is a capable dual-threat who combines power and explosiveness.”
If Dobbins was going to play on the league minimum that price tag would be $1.08 million. Depending on how much service time you have in the NFL changes how much the veteran minimum is for each player.
Spotrac’s calculated market value believes Dobbins will make slightly more than the league minimum. He is projected to sign a two-year deal for $4.3 million. That $2.1 million annual salary would make him the No. 31 highest-paid running back in football, per Over The Cap.
Dobbins Is Close Friends With Jets QB Aaron Rodgers
The Jets have a need at the running back position and Dobbins could fill that role. Beyond that, he is also close friends with Aaron Rodgers which doesn’t hurt his chances of signing in New York.
During Rodgers’ rehab from a torn Achilles, he continued to do his weekly interviews with Pat McAfee. On the October 10 episode of the show, Dobbins crashed the interview and poked fun at Rodgers for doing more talking than working out.
Dobbins was at the same facilities as Rodgers recovering from his own Achilles tear.
J.K. Dobbins crashed Aaron Rodgers interview on the @PatMcAfeeShow to get back to his rehab 😂
“You are not working. … I’m out here working, I see [Aaron Rodgers] on the TV talking on the phone. … I’m on my second sweat.”
Dobbins has only been in the NFL for four seasons and he has yet to stay healthy for a full season of action. That checkered past will likely scare a lot of teams away.
Dobbins, 25, is still young and any team that signs him in free agency would be getting him at an insane discount. When he has been on the field, Dobbins has proven to be a playmaker.
The former Ohio State product has run for over 1,347 rushing yards, has scored 13 total touchdowns, and has averaged 5.8 yards per rush.