J.K. Dobbins won’t be playing football for the rest of the season, as John Harbaugh confirmed the Baltimore Ravens running back is out for the year with a torn Achilles. The setback will affect the Ravens running game, which will now be carried by Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, and Melvin Gordon (who is currently on the practice squad).
The Ravens will elevate Gordon, but don’t expect Harbaugh to seek any outside help.
“I think we’re good. I like the guys we have,” Harbaugh told reporters Monday. “Melvin (Gordon), he’s here for a reason, and (we) certainly didn’t expect it to be this quick, but that’s why he’s here. That’s why he wanted to stay here because he likes it here. He likes the offense, and he likes the environment, and he’s a heck of a talented guy.
“You saw him in the preseason. He’s a proven back. So, I’m very, very glad that he’s here.”
Melvin Gordon
Could the Ravens pivot if the guys on the roster don’t perform? Don’t count on it, as Harbaugh is set to roll with the backs he has.
“That’s not what I’m looking to do, but if you want to ask (general manager Eric DeCosta) what his thoughts are, give him a call,” Harbaugh said with a laugh. “We have backs, and we play our backs. They all play. They play well. We love our backs.”
Baltimore won’t have a lead back with Dobbins out, going with a committee approach the rest of the way with Edwards, Hill, and Gordon. How the Ravens split those carries will be determined by the matchup, as Harbaugh didn’t declare a “lead back.”
This isn’t the same situation as Dobbins.
“We love all of our guys, and it’s just nowadays, in the NFL, a lot of guys have to play,” Harbaugh said. “That’s pretty clear, and you roll guys, you play personnel groups, there’s a lot of strategy to it, and every single guy on your roster has to be able to win for you as a starter. So, you pretty much consider all the guys starters, really.
“(I’m) just being truthful about it. They all have to be able to play that well. They’re on the team for a reason. It’s because they’re good enough to do it, and all those backs are going to play quite a bit.”
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