Chargers reach deal with ex-Ravens RB Dobbins

Former Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins has signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, the team announced Thursday.

The move reunites him with Greg Roman, his former offensive coordinator in Baltimore, as well as his former Ravens backfield mate Gus Edwards.

Dobbins was the Ravens’ lead back when healthy. He brings a style different from Edwards’ that features elusiveness and the ability to catch passes out of the backfield.

The Ravens didn’t do a ton of throwing to running backs, but in Dobbins’ rookie season with Roman, he caught a career-high 18 passes. The Chargers and quarterback Justin Herbert relied heavily on former running back Austin Ekeler in the passing offense in the past, and Dobbins could potentially have an impact there.

Dobbins’ signing continues a wave of former Ravens who are now Chargers that extends to the front office, from GM Joe Hortiz to tight ends coach Andy Bischoff and tight end Hayden Hurst.

Dobbins is one of the most explosive backs in the league but has struggled with injuries. Over the past three seasons, he was sidelined for 42 of the Ravens’ 51 games, including the last 16 of last season because of a torn Achilles.

Dobbins, 25, has averaged 5.8 yards per carry during his career, which is the highest among running backs with at least 200 carries since 2020. He has produced a run of 10 or more yards on 15.4% of his attempts (36 of 234 carries) over the past four seasons, which ranks behind only Nick Chubb (17.1%) and Jaylen Warren (15.5%) among running backs.

After setting a Ravens rookie record with 9 touchdowns, Dobbins was set to take over the starting running back spot in 2021 until he suffered a season-ending left knee injury in the preseason finale. In 2022, he wasn’t at full strength and missed nine games while trying to recover from that knee injury.

Heading into the 2023 opener, Dobbins declared himself 100% healthy for the first time in three years. Then, five minutes after halftime of the Week 1 game against the Houston Texans, Dobbins took a short pass in the right flat and injured an Achilles when he was wrestled to the ground 2 yards shy of the end zone.

A second-round pick out of Ohio State in 2020, Dobbins has totaled 1,347 rushing yards and 12 touchdown runs in 24 games with Baltimore. He is one of three running backs to be drafted in the first two rounds by the Ravens (Jamal Lewis and Ray Rice were the others).

ESPN’s Kris Rhim and Jamison Hensley contributed to this report.