The Denver Broncos resigned running back J.K. Dobbins today, with Luca Evans of the Denver Post reporting that the deal was for two years. with terms undisclosed. The move ensures that the Broncos will have their leading rusher from last season back, and Dobbins seemed especially pleased to be returning to Denver.
“I’m a Bronco,” Dobbins said, at his end-of-year press conference. “I’m a Buckeye, and I’m a Bronco. I wasn’t drafted here, but I do firmly believe that I’m a Bronco.”
He also announced the news on Twitter, posting a picture of himself alongside guard Ben Powers and receiver Marvin Mims, Jr. with an orange heart, according to Evans.
"#Home," Dobbins wrote on the post.
Coach Sean Payton has made improving the running game a priority, and Dobbins’ versatility fits what the Broncos want going forward.
"That’s definitely one of the points of emphasis that I think we’ll research and look into heavily," Payton said in late January. "I want to play from the gun, but I will always want to play with a two-back or multiple-tight-end mindset, have that flexibility."
Dobbins has always been somewhat fickle about the way teams have treated him given his injury history and reputation for being fragile, and that was apparently a key part of this reunion for him. He put in a lot of work to get back on the field after the Lisfranc foot injury that ended his regular season, and he nearly made it back for the AFC Championship game.
"I was able to get back on the practice field in 2.5 months, and it’s because they gave me everything I needed," Dobbins said. "There were things I’d ask (owner Greg) Penner, and he’d get it to us, get it to me."
The running back posted excellent numbers before the injury, too. with 772 yards rushing on 5.0 yards per carry, before suffering the Lisfranc injury. Evans referred to Dobbins as the offense’s "engine,” and he also closed out games when Denver needed ball control to protect a late late or get a key first down in the many close games the teams played.
But this is also a shotgun marriage to at least some extent. Dobbins knows he had no real market after the injury, and the Broncos watched the division rival Chiefs add Kenneth Walker III to reinvent their running game, and other possible targets like Travis Etienne disappeared when the New Orleans Saints signed him. For Payton, this signing was an inexpensive hedge, but Denver will still likely look for a bigger back, either in free agency or via the draft.