Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta spoke to the media on Friday for his end of season press conference, and touched on a plethora of topics. It was the first time he took to the podium since Baltimore’s 2021 season ended with a Week 18 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
When DeCosta was asked about J.K Dobbins and Gus Edwards as well as possibly addressing the running back position in free agency and the draft, he talked about the duo’s injuries as well as what the team could be thinking of doing to potentially add reinforcements at running back.
“There’s always uncertainty with those guys, due to the nature of their injuries. That being said, I know both guys, I know their work ethic, determination. We’re optimistic, of course, but there’s always … As we learned this year, there’s always going to be an unknown with injuries and how guys respond and how fast they get back. So, we’ll be conservative, I think, with those guys, for sure. We’ll assess the market, we’ll assess free agency, we’ll assess the Draft, and we’ll make the best decision we can regarding that position. [I] certainly expect that those guys will be back at some point. I don’t know exactly when, but we’re confident. Both guys are young, so that bodes well in their favor. But we’re confident that, at some point this year, those guys will be playing football for us.”
EDC on Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins: pic.twitter.com/39nOGKeARx
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) February 4, 2022
It was noticeable how much explosiveness the running back room was lacking in 2021 without Dobbins and Edwards on the field. Veterans Devonta Freeman and Latavius Murray had some nice moments, so it wouldn’t be shocking if either was brought back in free agency, but the team could also look to add a proven veteran or get even younger at the position by adding a rookie to the mix.