Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins suffered an ankle injury in the 3rd quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Texans. He went back to the locker room with trainers and is officially questionable to return. Stay tuned for an update.
Garrett Downing of the Ravens' official website expects RB J.K. Dobbins to be heavily involved in new OC Todd Monken's offense. "We've seen throughout training camp that the RBs are catching a lot of passes," Downing says. "I think that bodes really well for J.K. Dobbins. He has nice hands out of the backfield. ... I expect him to have a big role in that regard in this offense." Dobbins has totaled just 25 catches in 23 NFL games. But he wasn't asked to do much in the passing game in previous OC Greg Roman's offense. That'll change under Monken. And remember that Dobbins caught 71 balls in three college seasons.
The Ravens released RB Melvin Gordon. They'll carry RBs J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, and rookie Keaton Mitchell into Week 1.
Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins said Thursday that he's back to 100% after his 2021 multi-ligament knee injury. "I do think that healthy, I can be one of the top backs in the league," Dobbins said. "That flashes sometimes, but I just got to prove it and I am going to prove it one day. One day it will happen." Dobbins sure looked healthy -- and like one of the best backs in the league -- when he averaged 6.6 yards per carry over the final five games of last season (including playoffs). If he can avoid injury this year, Dobbins will return big value from his fifth-round ADP.
The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec writes that Ravens RB Justice Hill's stock is up. "You no longer should be asking whether Hill is a lock to make the team," Zrebiec adds. "It’s probably more pertinent to ask whether he’ll have a notable role on offense. He’s earned it with how he’s practiced this summer and played in the preseason." Hill has turned six preseason touches into 86 total yards, while playing ahead of RB Gus Edwards in the first exhibition. We still don't expect Hill to have tangible fantasy value behind a healthy RB J.K. Dobbins. But Hill might be the Ravens RB to own if Dobbins misses time.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh said Monday that RB J.K. Dobbins is "100% healthy." He spent the first 2+ weeks of training camp on the PUP list, but this is basically confirmation that his absence was contract-related. With Dobbins evidently resigned to playing out 2023 under his current contract, he's primed to take over as the clear lead back in new OC Todd Monken's offense. Dobbins has been a big value in Round 6 or 7 of recent drafts. We'll see where his ADP moves from here.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Ravens are activating RB J.K. Dobbins off the physically unable to perform list today. There has been no real indication this designation was actually injury related, as Dobbins has been seeking a new contract (along with approximately every other NFL RB). HC John Harbaugh has said he maintained contact with Dobbins throughout the RB's absence and has been awaiting his return. We expect Dobbins to quickly claim the top spot on the depth chart and have not moved him down our RB rankings amid the holdout.
Update: ESPN's Jamison Hensley adds that Dobbins took part in individual drills at Monday's practice.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh said Tuesday he expects RB J.K. Dobbins to return to the team soon, according to Sarah Ellison of Ravens Vault (and former editor for the team website. Harbaugh said: "Generally speaking, to be a great player you need to put in the time and effort and get with the team and just get right. And he wants to do that in his case, and that's why I expect him back here pretty soon." We've seen Dobbins' ADP slip in recent drafts. That makes him even more attractive if you have a draft before he returns. We haven't moved Dobbins down our RB rankings at all.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh said he keeps in contact with RB J.K. Dobbins but remains unsure about a potential return. "I don't know. It's a fair question," Harbaugh began. "And there is a point when it becomes a concern because - and he knows - JK and I talked last night. We talk a lot. He wants to be out, and he needs to be out there, just like any player does. Other than that, there's nothing else that I can really add because I don't know when he's gonna come back. But I know I'm gonna be really happy when he does.” Baltimore opens up the preseason on the 12th vs. Philadelphia.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh called the current situation with RB J.K. Dobbins "complicated." Dobbins opened training camp on the PUP list after missing time in the spring with an alleged sore hamstring. But it sure seems like his absence from the practice field has more to do with his contract. Dobbins is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is set to make just $1.39 million in 2023. “That’s a J.K. question,” Harbaugh said when asked about the RB's absence. “I wish there was a simple answer. There’s always a lot of things that go into football, but there’s some complexity to it. We’re working through all that, and we’re looking forward to when he’s out there.” We'll keep you updated on the situation. Consider Dobbins a risk/reward pick at his current late-fourth-round ADP.
The Ravens placed RB J.K. Dobbins on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Dobbins reported to training camp on Thursday but won’t be ready for the start of team practices. We'll see what news comes out of Baltimore in the coming days. Dobbins, of course, has been plagued by knee trouble since tearing his left LCL, ACL, and meniscus in 2021.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley believes the Ravens “could” field a top-5 O-line in 2023. This unit features three former first-round picks, including LT Ronnie Stanley, C Tyler Linderbaum, and RG Kevin Zeitler. Baltimore should be in fine shape as long as Zeitler (age 33) and RT Morgan Moses (32) remain above-average starters. However, LG is one spot to watch in camp after the offseason loss of Ben Powers. (Powers was Pro Football Focus’ second highest graded guard in 2022.) Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, John Simpson, and Patrick Mekari look like the top candidates to fill in. View our fantasy football rankings to see expectations for key Ravens like Lamar Jackson, J.K. Dobbins, Mark Andrews, and others.
ESPN analyst Matt Bowen expects the Ravens to play at a faster pace this season. That wasn’t the case last year; Baltimore ranked bottom-5 in plays per minute (1.63) and no-huddle rate (4.4%). “They decided last year under [OC Greg] Roman they were going to control tempo by slowing it down,” Bowen said. “[It was] a lot more condensed formations; they had much different personnel than you’ll see this year. [Fullback] Patrick Ricard last year played a critical role in that offense; I don’t know that he has a pivotal role this year with what I expect to see out of Monken." Bowen, a former NFL safety, shared more on his forecast for the 2023 Ravens. “This year, and I have old playbooks of Todd Monken, is a lot more spread, a lot more trips, a lot more empty," he continued. "What they’re trying to do with pace of play is to be more aggressive and control tempo in terms of creating more tempo.” We detailed more of Monken’s impact in a new article on NFL Coaching Changes. Overall, we’re bullish on this offense making considerable improvements.
Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic published a report on Monday that should excite fantasy managers about the Ravens' offense in 2023. Zrebiec wrote that new Ravens OC Todd Monken has "prioritized" the team playing with "a faster pace" and integrating RBs into the passing game more often in OTAs and minicamps. This is particularly good news for RB J.K. Dobbins, a player who has only seen 32 targets in 23 games (1.39 per game) in his career. His fantasy value would take a sizable leap forward in PPR formats if he can add pass-catching to his repertoire. Fortunately, throwing the ball to Dobbins more often than the Ravens did under former OC Greg Roman is a low bar to clear. That said, fantasy managers should pump the brakes a little before getting too happy. It's tough to say how much of an increase Dobbins will see with Monken at the helm. In four NFL seasons as an OC (Buccaneers 2016-18, Browns 2019), only three RBs have received 40 or more targets in a Monken-led offense: Nick Chubb (49 - 2019), Kareem Hunt (44 - 2019), and Jacquizz Rodgers (45 - 2018). We currently have Dobbins projected for 43.4 targets in 2023. Check out where currently he sits in our RB rankings.
The Ravens are hiring Todd Monken as their OC. Monken spent the past 3 seasons as Georgia's OC, helping the Bulldogs to National Championships in both 2021 and 2022. The offense improved each season, climbing from 41st to 26th and then to 5th in yards per game. Monken spent the 4 years before that Georgia stint as an NFL OC. The first 3 came with the Bucs, who climbed from 18th in total yards to 9th and then 3rd with QB Jameis Winston. Monken then headed to Cleveland, where his 2019 Browns struggled to a 22nd-place finish in total yards in QB Baker Mayfield's 2nd season. Each of Monken's final 3 NFL offenses ranked higher in pass attempts than rush attempts. All 4 were at least league-average in terms of Pass Rate Over Expected, with the 2017 Bucs finishing at +2% and the 2018 Bucs finishing at +5%. That makes this a fascinating hire considering the Ravens were a run-leaning offense under former OC Greg Roman. We'll keep an eye on Monken's exact plans for the 2023 Ravens.
Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins rushed 13 times for 62 yards in Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati. He saw only 1 more attempt than Gus Edwards (12-39) and added 4-43-1 as a receiver. Afterwords, Dobbins expressed frustration with the lack of carries. "I'm a guy who feels like I should be on the field all the time," Dobbins said. "It's the playoffs. Why am I not out there?” The 24-year-old was specifically referring to QB Tyler Huntley’s 4th-quarter fumble on a goal line sneak. 2023 turns up a contract year for Dobbins.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins will not play against the Bengals today "and instead will begin focusing on next weekend’s wild-card game." Dobbins was not listed on this week's injury report but had the August 2021 ACL tear and surgery on that same knee this October. Assuming he didn't suffer a setback over the past couple of days, Dobbins should be busy in next weekend's Wild Card game. His absence today figures to leave Gus Edwards as Baltimore's lead ball carrier, with Justice Hill and Kenyan Drake behind him.
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