EL SEGUNDO — When running back J.K. Dobbins approached the free-agent market this past spring, after five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, the team that drafted him in the second round in 2020, he took a good, long look around the NFL, and he asked himself several pointed questions.
Where was the best landing spot for him?
Where might he feel the most comfortable?
Where might he make the greatest impact?
Where could he find a winning culture?
Dobbins spied Greg Roman, newly hired as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator. Roman had been with the Ravens while Dobbins was with Baltimore. Dobbins spied Joe Hortiz, newly hired as the Chargers’ general manager after several decades filling various roles in the scouting department with the Ravens. Dobbins spied Jim Harbaugh, newly hired as Chargers coach and the brother of John Harbaugh, who was the coach of the Ravens while Dobbins was with Baltimore.
Southern California was starting to look good.
Dobbins then spied an open backfield after Austin Ekeler departed the Chargers to sign with the Washington Commanders as a free agent. Dobbins also spied Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, one of the league’s best passers, a player whose arm needed the assistance of others’ legs to fully succeed.
Southern California was starting to look very good, indeed.
So, Dobbins signed a one-year, $1.6-million deal with the Chargers on April 18.
It seemed like a great landing spot and a place he could be comfortable, given his familiarity with Roman, Hortiz and the Harbaugh family. It seemed like a place he could make an impact alongside Herbert. As for the winning culture, well, he could certainly help in that regard, given his background with the Ravens.
“I pride myself on being a winner and having a winning culture,” Dobbins said. “Coach Jim Harbaugh, winner. Joe Hortiz, we were at the same place with the Ravens and every time I played without injuries, we were in the playoffs. So, it’s a winning culture. Joe Hortiz brought the guys here, to me.
“A lot of people didn’t expect that. Just like a lot of people didn’t expect me to be doing what I’m doing now.”
What he’s done now, in his first season with the Chargers, has been to stay healthy after sitting out all of the 2021 season and playing only one game during 2023 because of injuries. He’s helped to balance the team’s passing and running games, and he’s more than halfway to his first 1,000-yard rushing season.
Dobbins has rushed for 620 yards and six touchdowns on 126 carries through eight games of the 17-game season. He’s nearing his career bests of 805 yards and nine touchdowns on 134 carries in 15 games as a rookie in 2020 with the Ravens. He’s gained 85 yards or more four times this season.
Not coincidentally, the Chargers are 5-3, second in the AFC West.
“This place fits my personality,” Dobbins said. “Just keep grinding.”
Roman called Dobbins “an energy giver to everybody around him.”
“We appreciate that every day,” Roman added.
Unlike the previous regime, the Chargers have stayed with the ground game, even though it’s appeared to be a slog at times. Case in point: On Sunday against the Cleveland Browns and their formidable front seven, Dobbins picked up modest gains until, finally, he broke free in the second and fourth quarters.
Dobbins scored on touchdown runs of 16 and 7 yards during the Chargers’ 27-10 victory over the Browns. He finished with 85 yards on 14 carries, which included a 34-yard run through a fatigued Browns defense that set up his 7-yard scoring run with 4:16 remaining.
“I’ve had (Roman) for my entire career, basically,” Dobbins said when asked about the Chargers’ determination to make the running game become an effective part of their offense. “I think it just shows the character of this team because in the NFL you can’t have a big play every play. In the passing game, you’re not going to have a big play every play, so you’ve got to stick with your identity.
“That’s what we’re doing.”
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It’s taken time this season, but it would appear the Chargers have established an identity. It’s not just a passing identity despite Herbert’s strong arm and his recovery from a badly sprained ankle earlier this season. It’s not just a running identity despite Dobbins’ sturdy legs. It’s a marriage of both.
It’s also a work in progress.
“I think we’re always trying to get better,” Herbert said. “I think that’s part of the game, part of the NFL. There are some things we can clean up and keep getting better at. I think it’s always interesting. When you’re in a new offense, it always takes time to pick up, but I think we’re doing a good job of picking it up.”