J.K. Dobbins just got paid, so the Denver Broncos running back is speaking out on social media about staying healthy.
Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins just got paid, so he’s back to being outspoken. Dobbins has always been something of a pop-off, so it wasn’t exactly surprising when a fan questioned the Broncos for paying him for “seven games a season.”
Dobbins didn’t hesitate to fire back.
“Go be a fan of a different team; lame (expletive) dude,” Dobbins tweeted. “And don’t try to turn around when I shut down the fluke injury (expletive) up this year.”
As Denver Post columnist Troy Renck noted, it would be more of a fluke if Dobbins stayed healthy. He’s started just 30 of 64 games so far in his career due to knee, Achilles and foot injuries, the most recent being a Lisfranc foot injury Dobbins blamed on an illegal hip-drop tackle.
Dobbins’ fans on social media love this stuff, although it’s fair to wonder if coach Sean Payton has the same kind of love. Payton has built a character-based crew that doesn’t generally do social-media nonsense with fans, and it would be foolish to assume the Broncos aren’t hunting for another running back.
Renck threw out a couple of interesting running-back names that make sense, noting that there’s a real possibility that Jadarian Price of Notre Dame and Mike Washington of Arkansas will likely still be around when Denver selects with the 62nd pick of the draft.
Price ranks higher in Renck’s estimation. The columnist believes the Broncos like him based on his impressive interview at the NFL combine, but there’s more to it than that.
Price split time with running back Jeremiyah Love, who might be the best player in the draft, according to Renck. Former Denver Broncos tackle Ryan Harris is currently working as an analyst for Notre Dame games, and he calls Price a “minotaur, an absolute horse who is going to have a great career.”
In non-mythological terms, that translates to Price being an above average NFL starter with a higher ceiling than Harvey, and he’s capable of getting tough yards inside while having some breakaway ability on the outside. He doesn’t project as a three-down starter at the moment, and that’s where things get tricky. It puts Denver back in the dreaded “running back by committee” formula, which didn’t exactly end well this year.
Washington, meanwhile, has some speed, and at 223 pounds he’s bigger than anyone on the roster. There are questions about whether he’ll go “north-and-south” with conviction, to use Renck’s words. That doesn’t sound like a back who meets Denver’s needs, which makes Price a far better choice given Harris’s assessment.