The Baltimore Ravens losing players like Geno Stone and Patrick Queen in free agency is bad enough, but losing them to division rivals and fellow contenders in the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers stings even more. Running back JK Dobbins might be on the verge of yet another backstabbing move.
Dobbins, who seems to be looking elsewhere for a job after the Ravens agreed to terms with bell cow running back Derrick Henry, has been cleared for football activities just a few months after tearing his Achilles. This was the second major injury for the former Ohio State star in four years.
Dobbins has been visiting with the Los Angeles Chargers, who recently hired Joe Hortiz as general manager and Greg Roman as offensive coordinator before signing former Ravens Hayden Hurst and Gus Edwards. The next team on his radar is also in the AFC West, though they have a much higher ceiling.
Dobbins is currently visiting with the Kansas City Chiefs, who could look to upgrade on Clyde Edwards-Helaire as they try to find a backup for Isiah Pacheco. Dobbins joining an AFC North team would be bad, but going to Kansas City gives Baltimore's main competition in the AFC even more firepower.
J.K. Dobbins to visit with Chiefs on Tuesday. https://t.co/XfzQFdArot
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 2, 2024
JK Dobbins joining Chiefs would be a nightmare for the Baltimore Ravens
Dobbins has averaged 5.8 yards per carry in his career, showing the big play skill from his days at Ohio State was able to translate over to the NFL. Imagine the light boxes he would be running into with Patrick Mahomes' mighty arm taking some of the pressure away from him.
While the Ravens might not like it, going to Kansas City might be an ideal spot for Dobbins. Not only do they have enough money kicking around to compensate him well for a one-year "prove it" deal, but the presence of Pacheco means Dobbins won't be asked to tote the rock 20 times a game.
The Ravens have said in the past they want to retain Dobbins, but his touches will be quite limited with Henry joining the mix. With just 27 catches in his career, Dobbins hasn't proven enough to warrant extra touches as a receiver.
The real issue with Baltimore's offseason isn't the fact they lost so many quality veteran starters. The big problem is losing them to contenders like Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Kansas City might be the next in line for Dobbins' services, and those Lombardi trophies might be hard for Dobbins to turn down.