The Broncos should be thinking about upgrading from J.K. Dobbins

With Jonathan Taylor and Tony Pollard reportedly available, the midday show says it’s time for the Denver Broncos to upgrade their backfield.

J.K. Dobbins came into the season promising to play all 17 games and lead the NFL in rushing. Halfway through the year, neither looks likely.

Through eight games, Dobbins has 306 yards and 3 touchdowns on 94 carries, about 3.3 yards per attempt. For a back who has averaged more than 5 yards per carry for his career, that’s a big drop. It has also cost him his spot at the top of the depth chart. In Sunday’s 28-24 win over Kansas City, rookie Jonah Coleman led the backfield with 11 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown, plus 63 receiving yards. Dobbins ran 7 times for 13 yards.

The Broncos are 6-2 and hold the AFC’s No. 1 seed. With Jonathan Taylor and Tony Pollard both reportedly available in trade talks, the question in Denver is whether the backfield can get better before the deadline.

On a recent edition of “Dover and Cecil” on 104.3 The Fan, Cecil Lammey said yes, and either option would work for him.

“I’d rather have Tony Pollard, Jonah Coleman, RJ Harvey. That’s a hell of a trio. I’d rather have Jonathan Taylor and Jonah Coleman, with a dash of RJ Harvey. That’s a hell of a trio,” Lammey said.

Both versions solve the same problem. Coleman has proven he belongs, especially as a receiver. Harvey, currently on injured reserve, gives Denver another pass-catching option once he’s healthy. What the room is missing is a dependable runner who can handle early downs. Taylor, a three-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro, would be the bigger move. Pollard would likely cost less and still give the Broncos a steady, productive back. Either one would take some of the load off a rookie being asked to carry a contender in the middle of a playoff race.

Lammey said Dobbins doesn’t fit that picture.

“J.K. Dobbins doesn’t really fit, because anytime you go to him, like you need more. God forbid you have more running back injuries, and then you have to go to J.K. Dobbins, that will fail,” Lammey said.

That’s the core of his argument. The Broncos already have one back on IR. If Coleman got hurt, Denver would be leaning on Dobbins again, and his production this season hasn’t given anyone confidence that the running game would hold up. Lammey would rather the Broncos have a plan that doesn’t depend on Dobbins at all.

Then he brought up last season.

“You already got screwed out of a Super Bowl last year from relying on J.K. Dobbins. I’m done,” Lammey said.

That’s a harsh way to put it, but it reflects how Lammey has felt about Dobbins for months. Last year, Dobbins was on pace for a big season before injuries took him out, and the offense struggled without him. Lammey has repeatedly said Dobbins is a top-five back when healthy, and just as often said nobody should trust him to stay healthy. Before Week 3, after Dobbins left the Jacksonville game early, Lammey said the Broncos “had better not trust” him and should start the best back available. Five games later, his production is the bigger issue.

A trade would also help Bo Nix. Joel Klatt said recently that Nix plays best when the offense can run play-action, bootlegs and RPOs. Those plays depend on defenses respecting the run, and Denver’s ground game hasn’t forced them to do that consistently. A proven back next to Coleman would help Nix as much as it would help the running game.

Getting Taylor or Pollard won’t be free. The Colts won’t give Taylor away, and any deal will cost draft picks. But the Broncos are leading the conference with a defense good enough to win a title, and Lammey doesn’t want them heading into the playoffs counting on Dobbins again.

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