One of the main storylines of the NFL offseason centered on the growing running back pay debate. The likes of New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley and Las Vegas Raiders standout Josh Jacobs entered the offseason hoping to sign off on a multiyear contract. Instead, Barkley and Jacobs each settled on a mere one-year deal.

The Baltimore Ravens will soon have to deal with such a dilemma, as J.K. Dobbins is set to become an unrestricted free agent next year. As a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Dobbins does not hold a fifth-year option in his rookie deal.

Dobbins revealed in August that he and his agent have had “conversations” with Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta regarding a possible contract extension deal. While Dobbins has made clear that he would like to stay put in Baltimore past the 2023 season, DeCosta is not yet ready to issue a final declaration on this matter.

"I try to keep that stuff in-house," DeCosta said during a press conference on Friday. "We're excited to see what he [J.K. Dobbins] is going to do this year. He's a talented player.

“I know he wants to be here; we want him here. … I think we've shown that over the last five years, we've really tried hard to bring back as many of our own players as possible, and that will continue to be what we do."

While several other teams have seemingly downplayed the value of the running back position, DeCosta does not necessarily see this matter through the same lens.

"We value good players," DeCosta said. “I can't speak to how other teams do it, but we want guys at every position who can make plays and help us win football games at the right time. That's across the board. We've paid inside linebackers. We've drafted safeties in the first round. We've drafted a center in the first round. Those aren't your typical 'most important positions.' We've paid left tackles a lot of money. We've paid corners a lot of money.

“We've paid quarterbacks a lot of money, so I do it based on how good the player is, not necessarily, 'Well this position you should give a ton of money to, and this position you can't give any money to.' For me, it really does depend on how good the player is.”

Dobbins, who is coming off back-to-back injury-riddled seasons, sure will look to prove his worth to DeCosta and the Ravens during the upcoming 2023 campaign.

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