The Denver Broncos did everything possible to lead people to believe that they were going to wine, dine, and sign free agent running back JK Dobbins.
And then he left the Mile High City without a contract. But why?
The Broncos brought Dobbins into town for a visit that spanned multiple days, almost identical to the visit they had with tight end Evan Engram (who also left town initially without a deal). Dobbins was taken out to dinner by the team and then came back to the facility for a visit the next day.
Head coach Sean Payton even spoke publicly about the visit and said that Dobbins is a player he feels can help this Broncos team win.
Broncos show serious interest in JK Dobbins, only to not strike a deal
“Just another good football player that we’ve seen first-hand [that] I’ve seen for a while. Just the importance of that position group. We really like the group right now we’re working with. It’s just another opportunity to possibly bring in another good football player to help us win.”
- Sean Payton (via Broncos PR)
Dobbins was 7th in the NFL last season in yards after contact per carry and 4th in the NFL in total broken tackles despite playing in just 13 games. Injuries have been a huge issue for Dobbins in his NFL career, but he racked up over 1,000 yards from scrimmage last year and was 2nd in the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year voting.
Dobbins presents an intriguing potential floor-raiser at one of the weakest positions on the roster from a season ago. He's only 26 years old and has done much more recently than Javonte Williams, who the Broncos let walk in free agency.
If the team feels like he can add to the competition and help the team win, then why isn't he signed yet?
There could be a number of factors leading to that, and it could just be a matter of timing, but the fact that he left town without a deal in place is probably the most unexpected development of the already surprising saga.
Dobbins was posting from his flight about landing in Denver. He posted a highlight from last season, seemingly in anticipation of having a new team for 2025. The Broncos didn't just bring him in for an arbitrary workout, but instead gave him a true recruiting type of visit.
We'll see what happens as time goes along, but you can't help but wonder what kind of snag there might have been if these two parties were motivated to make a deal happen and nothing materialized on a multiple-day visit.