JK Dobbins is still on the market and could add another layer to the running back room
Kyren Williams of the Los Angeles Rams seems firmly committed to staying with the team that drafted him three years ago as contract negotiations continue in the offseason, but are they done adding to the running back room in 2025?
The Rams could make a crowded backfield even more competitive by adding free agent J.K. Dobbins to the mix.
Williams has been a short-yardage machine and a deadly weapon in the end zone for LA after his rookie season was derailed by a freak injury on special teams. In 2023, he led the team in touchdowns with 12 and again in 2024 with 14 while eclipsing the 1000+ mark in both years. While he is worth to the team can’t be undermined, his inability to create explosives in the run game and his fumbling habit can be. Les Snead added Blake Corum in last year’s draft as insurance if Williams were to get hurt and go out for a number of games and in this year’s draft added Jarquez Hunter to diversify the backfield.
But Dobbins could be one more piece.
It’s CRIMINAL that JK Dobbins isn’t on a NFL Roster right now !
Even Miles Sanders got signed pic.twitter.com/v678t1heHz
— Fizzle Dolla (@FizzleDollas) May 19, 2025
Who is J.K. Dobbins?
While Dobbins would not look to overthrow Williams as the number one guy he could add a veteran presence to a young running back room with the ability to break free and create explosives for the offense. In his lone season with the Los Angeles Chargers, Dobbins finished the season with 905 yards rushing despite missing four games. He started the season hot with two games of 130+ rushing yards back-to-back with longs of 61 (Week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders) and 43 (Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers). According to PFF he ranked 11th last season in explosives with 27 (10+ yard) carries and 13th in yards per attempt. Comparatively, Williams finished 33rd in yards per attempt (4.1) and tied Dobbins with 27 explosive runs but had 142 more run snaps than him in 2024.
Sean McVay and Snead seem to be high on Hunter after moving up to grab the former Auburn alumni with the 117th pick of this year’s draft, but for a team that is in position to win it all adding a veteran piece to the board could be the difference between an early out in the playoffs and another Lombardi trophy on the mantle. Dobbins would easily rise to up the depth chart as the number two back and provide a change-of-pace compliment to Williams that would leave defenses guessing.
Chargers applied the unrestricted free-agent (UFA) tender to running back JK Dobbins, who remains eligible to sign with any team. Dobbins now will still count against the compensatory formula if he signs with another team before training camps open in July. But the Chargers will… pic.twitter.com/MvyFHgkLqI
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 29, 2025
It wouldn’t be a huge cap hit to sign the free agent either. In 2024 he played on a one-year deal with a base salary of $1 million. His performance could get him a better pay day in 2025 and may be the reason he is holding out from signing with a team this late into the offseason. According to Spotrac his market value would be a four-year deal with $11.7 million or an average annual salary of $4.1 million.
Should the Rams add another piece to the equation, or do you believe they are set at the running back position?
