When Najee Harris signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Chargers, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost half of what had been a dynamic backfield duo in the AFC North.
Harris’ unique blend of explosiveness in the open field with the physicality to force missed tackles using blunt force trauma made him an ideal fit in Pittsburgh’s offense, and he just might thrive in his new home as Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s lead back.
However, the Steelers may turn to a familiar face to replace Harris.
Could the Pittsburgh Steelers Sign J.K. Dobbins?
With NFL free agency well into its second wave, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox put together a list of each team’s ideal free agent target, including the Steelers signing former Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins, to help replace Harris in Pittsburgh’s backfield-by-committee.
“Dobbins certainly carries injury concerns,” Knox admits, while writing forB/R. “But he can provide value as a starter or a high-end complementary back.
“The Steelers, who ironically lost starter Najee Harris to L.A. in free agency, should be interested. Dobbins can be the physical between-the-tackles runner that Pittsburgh needs to complement Jaylen Warren.”
The Steelers have seen plenty of Dobbins over the years, since he was chosen by the division-rival Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Dobbins could form a powerful one-two punch alongside Warren, after averaging 5.2 yards per carry and scoring five rushing touchdowns through his first four seasons.
Last season, Dobbins proved he could carry the workload, and shrugged off some of those aforementioned injury concerns while tying a career-high nine rushing touchdowns.
If the Steelers are looking for a bargain running back signing, rather than possibly prioritizing the position in the NFL Draft, Dobbins could be on Pittsburgh’s radar.
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