Imagine, if you will, Jonathan Taylor in the same backfield with Lamar Jackson.
Many Ravens fans certainly have since the moment running back J.K. Dobbins ruptured his left Achilles tendon last Sunday against the Texans.
Taylor joining Jackson is a tantalizing, delicious thought, and one that makes a lot of sense on a lot of levels for a Ravens team that just invested $260 million in its franchise quarterback and is in a win-now mode.
Baltimore hasn’t had a true No. 1 running back in Jackson’s five years as quarterback. Running back for the Ravens has been a revolving door, most recently because of injuries.
Taylor, who has been embroiled in a nasty contract dispute with the Colts and was given permission late in the summer to seek a trade, is wasting away out of football at the moment. And that’s a shame, considering he has been one of the league’s most dynamic players the past three seasons, amassing 3,841 rushing yards and 33 rushing touchdowns in 43 games.
Jackson’s rare running ability and his ability to escape pursuit is always going to be one of his superpowers. But Jackson leading the Ravens in rushing yards, which he has the past four seasons, isn’t ideal for Baltimore considering the injury risk for a player it just invested that much money in, nor should it be the formula.
Now, add Taylor — who rushed for 1,169 yards and 11 TDs in his rookie season in 2020 then led the NFL with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 TDs on 332 carries in 2021 and had 802 yards and three TDs last season in 11 games because of an ankle injury — and the Ravens’ offense could be devastating.
Taylor is currently on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from his offseason ankle surgery, but according to reports he could be ready to return to the field in another few weeks.
There should be motivation on all sides to get a deal done.
From the Colts’ perspective, this impasse appears to have reached the point of no return, as far as Taylor playing for them again. From Taylor’s perspective, with him coming off a down 2022 season and the importance and emphasis of the running back position reaching the point of extinction on the pass-happy NFL, the longer he’s out of the game, the more he loses relevance.
From the Ravens’ perspective, having a dynamic No. 1 back alongside Jackson enhances their chances to win the AFC North and go deep into the playoffs for the first time since they won the Super Bowl in the 2012 season.
After the Dobbins injury, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said the team will not look to add a running back from outside the organization, and his plan is to use a committee of backs — which includes Gus Edwards, Justice Hill and former Pro Bowler Melvin Gordon III.
After Dobbins went down, Edwards rushed for 32 yards on eight carries and Hill was used in the red zone, scoring two TDs against the Texans.
“I pretty much consider all the guys starters, really,’’ Harbaugh told reporters. That’s like a coach saying he has more than one starting quarterback, which means he has none.
In the past couple of seasons, the Ravens have gone through running backs like toilet paper — adding Latavius Murray, Devonta Freeman, Kenyan Drake and Le’Veon Bell, with no great results.
Yet Harbaugh didn’t sound as if he wants to bring in anyone else at the moment, which may prove to be a mistake, particularly as it pertains to Taylor.
“I think we’re good,” Harbaugh said. “I like the guys we’ve got.”
He’d like Jonathan Taylor a lot more, and so would Ravens fans.