Ravens' J.K. Dobbins did not participate in mandatory minicamp due to contract situation, per report

Dobbins says he wants to continue his career in Baltimore

Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins was not present at voluntary workouts this offseason and reportedly did not participate at mandatory minicamp this week. Dobbins was at the team facilities, but did not take the field, ESPN reports. He has since revealed that he sat out due to his contract situation.

"The business side is very hard. It's very different," Dobbins told WJZ Sports. "But it's part of it. It's part of the dream and it's something I'm blessed with -- to deal with the business side of that. You saw with Lamar [Jackson] it's never just roses and daisies. It can be hard at times you know, and it's business though."

Dobbins, who was selected by the Ravens with the No. 55 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, is entering the final year of his rookie deal. In 2022, he's scheduled to make $1.39 million, per Spotrac. 

Dobbins rushed for 805 yards and nine touchdowns in his rookie season, but tore his ACL in the final preseason game going into his second season and missed the entire year. Dobbins returned to the field in Week 3 this past season, but was placed on injured reserve after Week 6 with another knee issue that required surgery. He returned to the lineup in Week 14 and played four out of the final five games of the regular season. In all, Dobbins finished with 520 rushing yards on 92 carries and three total touchdowns. 

Despite sitting out of minicamp, Dobbins told WJZ Sports that he wants to remain in Baltimore.

"The thing I can say is I would love to be a Baltimore Raven for the rest of my career," Dobbins said. "I would love to because I love the city, I love the people. It feels like family here. It feels like my second home. And I hope that happens." 

This has been a dramatic offseason for running backs. We witnessed the releases of Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott. Plus, Tony Pollard, Josh Jacobs and Saquon Barkley have not received the contract extensions they were hoping for, Austin Ekeler did not find a trade partner after making a request for a change of scenery and Aaron Jones took a pay cut with the Green Bay Packers. It will be interesting to see how the Ravens respond to this situation.