The Denver Broncos seem to be on the verge of potentially adding running back JK Dobbins to the roster in 2025, a move that would disappoint Los Angeles Chargers fans yet again this offseason.
The Broncos are reportedly wining, dining, and potentially signing Dobbins, who is on a multiple day visit to the team facility, which includes dinner on Wednesday night and a visit to the facilities on Thursday, along with meeting coaches. The Broncos know how to recruit, just ask Evan Engram.
Engram was brought to Denver earlier this offseason shortly after he was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he left Denver initially without a deal. He took a visit to Los Angeles with the Chargers, who were also hot on his trail, but even after visiting with the Chargers second, Engram wound up signing with the Broncos on a two-year deal.
Broncos set to steal another free agent from division rival Chargers
What is even more hilarious about this move is that Dobbins has already protected himself from the rigors of NFL free agency by signing an extremely rare unrestricted free agent tender with the Chargers. Essentially, that tender allows him to still count against the compensatory formula and gives the Chargers exclusive negotiating rights after July 22, the start of training camp.
The Broncos will obviously try to not only steal the Chargers' 2024 startig runing back, but figure out a way to make sure the Chargers don't benefit from it at all, if possible.
The Chargers might be kicking themselves over letting Dobbins go, at least when it comes to bringing in Najee Harris in free agency. That move feels like a lateral move in some ways, and a downgrade in others. Dobbins was 7th in the NFL last year in yards after contact per rushing attempt and 4th in the NFL in broken tackles. In the same categories, Harris ranked 19th and 8th, respectively, and that's with 70 more carries overall.
Getting Dobbins in the fold would force Chargers fans to eat their (kind) words about Dobbins, who finished second in the NFL in Comeback Player of the Year voting last year and had his first season with over 1,000 yards from scrimmage.
At this stage, losing JK Dobbins doesn't mean much to the Chargers. They have Harris and they used their first-round pick on Omarion Hampton. Still, the Broncos are one of the last teams the Chargers and their fans would want to see Dobbins sign with, and everyone involved in Denver undoubtedly knows that.
