Dan Morgan may be on the lookout for a new running back this offseason. The Carolina Panthers got more than they bargained for with Rico Dowdle, but his regression down the stretch and his likely contract demands make it difficult to envisage a future with the club.
If, or when, Dowdle takes his chances elsewhere, the Panthers will be left with Chuba Hubbard, Trevor Etienne, and the returning Jonathon Brooks, who's missed the best part of two years with consecutive ACL tears on the same knee. That might suffice, but Morgan won't be leaving anything to chance.
Going down the draft route with a later-round pick might be the play if more is required. However, with the Panthers embarking on an NFC South title defense and Brooks and Etienne's youth, another experienced ball-carrier should also be considered.
Carolina Panthers projected to replace Rico Dowdle with J.K. Dobbins in free agency
That would be more costly, depending on how robust the market for veteran running backs is. Still, Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus thought J.K. Dobbins would be an outstanding, cost-effective fit to potentially thrive behind the Panthers' crushing run blockers on the offensive line.
"The Carolina Panthers had the fourth-highest team run-blocking grade last season. They have Chuba Hubbard, under contract, and Rico Dowdle, who is a free agent, and both are better than [J.K.] Dobbins when contacted early but not as good as Dobbins when the blocking is solid. Dobbins would be a better fit for the offense, showing the potential to make several big plays. While he would have to compete for snaps with Hubbard, he has the potential for a larger workload in Carolina compared to competing with R.J. Harvey in his second season with the Denver Broncos."Nathan Jahnke
Dobbins has dealt with several frustrating injuries over the years, but he's always been able to churn out yards either in between the tackles or off the edge. His 5.0 yards per carry with the Denver Broncos last season from 10 games was encouraging, and his ability as a pass blocker is something else working in his favor before another trip into free agency this spring.
According to Spotrac, Dobbins is expected to command an annual salary of $2.55 million on a two-year, $5.1 million contract. That is certainly affordable, even if the health issues raise some legitimate concerns.
If Brooks gets back to anything like his college form, which could go either way after so long away from the gridiron, the Panthers would need a complementary piece and nothing more. Morgan and his staff will know how far along the Texas product is or isn't, so their actions in free agency will be telling.
Dobbins makes sense as a short-term stopgap. Whether the Panthers move in this direction or not is another matter.