The worst possible news about J.K. Dobbins' injury from Week 1 on Sunday was confirmed by coach John Harbaugh after the Ravens beat the Houston Texans: the fourth-year running back tore his Achilles and is out for the season.
With the news came an immediate question: How were the Ravens going to fill the RB1 hole opened by Dobbin's absence?
Of the three possible options we explored on Monday, Harbaugh seemed to like the least impactful of them all.
Harbaugh held a press conference on Monday afternoon in which provided an update on all injured players while revealing the plans for the running back position.
"I like the guys we have. Melvin Gordon is here for a reason."
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 11, 2023
Coach Harbaugh on the RB group: pic.twitter.com/NoB8UC2d0A
If the coach was honest, then expect Baltimore to keep going with the players already in tow instead of exploring the free agent market, let alone trading for another superstar running back a la Jonathan Taylor.
"I like the guys we have," Harbaugh said, "Melvin Gordon is here for a reason." There you have it, folks. MG3 is your new RB1, or at least the newest member of the Ravens backfield for Week 2 and a few more matchups until Keaton Mitchell is eligible to play off IR in Week 5.
Gordon, who signed with the Ravens ahead of training camp, will be promoted from the Practice Squad before Sunday and play against the Bengals in Week 2. He will form a three-man committee along with Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, both of whom carried the ball eight times each in Week 1.
Edwards played most of the early-down snaps against Houston going for 32 yards while Hill was given the red-zone carries allowing him to end with two touchdowns on the day.
Gordon's under contract for just one season earning $1.1 million of non-guaranteed money. The Ravens released Gordon when they trimmed their roster to the initial 53-man squad, but re-signed the veteran two days later to their Practice Squad. Gordon was already a PS member for the Kansas City Chiefs last season when he went on to win the Super Bowl.
Harbaugh said he considers all the running backs in the roster "starters," adding "They all have to be able to play that well." According to the head coach, no external additions are needed because "they’re good enough to do it and all those backs are going to play quite a bit."
Had the Ravens decided to explore the FA and trade markets, it's believed that they could have pursued signing Leonard Fournette, Kareem Hunt, former Raven Kenyan Drake, or tried to complete a trade with the Colts for Jonathan Taylor.
On top of Gordon, rookie UDFA Keaton Mitchell is waiting on the wings and the youngster already beat MG3 to the initial 53-man roster before being put on IR. He will be able to return in Week 5.
Finally, Owen Wright was also signed to the Practice Squad and could get elevated to the active roster if any of Edwards, Hill, and Gordon go down injured in the next few weeks.