The Cleveland Browns made significant changes on the offensive side of the ball, including the running back room. They let longtime fan favorite Nick Chubb sign with the Houston Texans in free agency and replaced him with second-round pick Quinshon Judkins and fourth-round pick Dylan Sampson.
Judkins and Sampson certainly have a ton of talent and will play a large role as early as their rookie campaign. Jerome Ford had a solid 2024 campaign and deserves a chance going forward. However, the Browns are still missing an RB1 in the immediate and missed a big opportunity to sign the best one left in free agency.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on Tuesday that the Denver Broncos were signing J.K. Dobbins. It should have been the Browns making the big swing for a high-upside rusher like Dobbins.
BREAKING: The #Broncos are signing RB JK Dobbins, per multiple sources.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) June 10, 2025
The former Ohio State star had 1,058 yards from scrimmage last season with 9 TDs. pic.twitter.com/ViOzZ15S6q
Browns Made a Mistake by Not Signing J.K. Dobbins
Browns fans are familiar with Dobbins as he was with the Baltimore Ravens for four seasons. Even though he was dealing with devastating injuries throughout his stint there, he has shown how electric he can be when he is available. In the 24 games he suited up for in Baltimore, Dobbins averaged a whopping 5.8 yards per carry, scoring 12 touchdowns in the process.
He spent last season under Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles. He had the healthiest and most productive season of his career, coming up second in the Comeback Player of the Year voting. He put up 905 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games.
There is certainly a risk in signing an injury-prone player like Dobbins. However, the Browns already had guys like Ford and the two rookies to take up the workload if Dobbins were to miss extended time. Not taking advantage of a high-upside player who could make an immediate impact like Dobbins could come back to bite the Browns next season.