It's rare in the NFL these days for backs to be like Derrick Henry or Saquon Barkley, capable of carrying a massive workload year after year and somehow managing to come back and do it all again. The majority of situations around the league require teams to be very intentional about keeping guys as fresh as possible, and running backs really have to maximize their touches.
The Denver Broncos obviously realize that as they have done some work over the last couple of months to upgrade what was arguably the worst position on the offense in 2024: The running back position. The Broncos used a second-round pick on UCF star RJ Harvey, and followed that up more recently with the addition of veteran JK Dobbins.
Dobbins was a high-profile free agent who started and played 13 games for the Los Angeles Chargers last year, finishing second in the NFL in Comeback Player of the Year voting. Dobbins's arrival is a big deal for everyone in Denver's running back group, but he's obviously going to very directly take carry opportunities away from a guy like Harvey.
The rookie is wise beyond his years, and had the perfect response to the team bringing in another back to join the fray.
RJ Harvey excited about Broncos recent addition of JK Dobbins
RJ Harvey on addition of J.K. Dobbins:
— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) June 10, 2025
“I’m excited to be in the room with him. He’s a vet. He’s been in the league for about, what, five, six years now. I’m excited to get to learn from him and all the other guys as well. I feel like we’ve got a great room.” https://t.co/OtBkylJpVz
While the perception from fantasy football fanatics is that the JK Dobbins signing is bad for Harvey, Harvey's perception is on the opposite end of the spectrum. The addition of Dobbins will not only help create healthy competition for the Broncos at running back, but it gives the young backs someone to learn from.
Dobbins may have missed a lot of time due to injury in his NFL career, but he's still been more productive -- when healthy -- than anyone on Denver's roster currently. He brings a true three-down skill set to the team with his ability to run between the tackles, catch passes, and pass protect.
Harvey's involvement in the offense is now going to be able to come along at a pace that is not forced. The Broncos will be able to utilize him in packages instead of just throwing him out there because he's the highest-drafted guy in the group.
You need a stable of backs in the NFL to truly have an effective running game. Even the best backs in the league need help. You want to be able to lean on your guys to maximize their production every opportunity they get.
And the Broncos now can be much more confident in the fact that they have a capable group of backs as opposed to just a group of backs that they're essentially being forced to use. They couldn't find the right formula the last two years, and the offense struggled plenty as a result of that. Now you have guys with vision who can break tackles and help out an offensive line that is creating running lanes. Your running game can truly help the quarterback.
The rookie Harvey obviously wants his number to be called (whatever that ends up being), but Sean Payton isn't a bell-cow back kind of guy. Just like a good defense brings pass rush in waves, he wants to keep his backs fresh and keep defensive coordinators on their heels by throwing different players out there at running back.