3 Questions worth asking after Day 8 of Ravens training camp: Is there a new RB1?

3. J.K. Dobbins is sitting. Are the Ravens preserving Gus Edwards just in case?

A few days ago, new Ravens running back Melvin Gordon inadvertently revealed that J.K. Dobbins is, in fact, "sitting out" practices and Baltimore's training camp. Coach John Harbaugh spoke earlier this week and seemed to confirm Dobbins' "hold-in" position and tensions with the organization.

Following Thursday's practice, OC Todd Monken took to the mic and said (as quoted by Clifton Brown of BaltimoreRavens.com) that the offense "is a work in progress" and that the unit is "not nearly where [it] needs to be." The veteran coach added that "It's early in camp, we have a lot of work to do."

Monken, as expected, was asked about Dobbins: "We'd love to have J.K. out there, there's no question about it," Monken said. "We look forward to when he does get out there. I don't control that."

Avid observers, such as Tony Lombardi of Russell Street Report, think something is smelly around Baltimore's training camp.

"It appears that the heavy lifting in the running game is being done by Melvin Gordon and Justice Hill," Lombardi wrote in a piece with notes about what has gone down at The Castle. "Gus Edwards has been a participant but judging from his workload, Monken is protecting [Edwards]."

Keyword: protecting. Of course, as Lombardi himself goes on to explain in his piece, this makes sense amid the Dobbins "hold-in/sit-out" saga. If Dobbins is willing to sit games once the regular season starts (let me doubt it), then the Ravens would do good to enter the year with a healthy Edwards as their no. 1 rusher.

Baltimore, even though adding Gordon under a "no-money" type of deal loaded with incentives and bonuses and nothing guaranteed, still signed the veteran for a reason. Expectations are growing bigger that Dobbins is going to be stubborn enough to miss at least some time, so you have to cover all of your corners.

And with that scenario in mind, then the new Ravens' depth chart at the running back position reads RB1 Edwards, RB2 Hill, RB3 Gordon, RB4 Dobbins/Keaton Mitchell.

It is what it is, and Dobbins must start accepting he's the odd man out not because he's sitting, but rather because the Ravens don't have room, let alone money, to use in someone that refuses to play games on top of having an already-big bill of injury concerns attached to his name.

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