It wasn’t pretty, but the Baltimore Ravens picked up a 25-9 victory over the Houston Texans in their season opener. Unfortunately for them, it came at a major cost as they lost two key contributors to injury.
Safety Marcus Williams is going to be sidelined for a while after suffering a pectoral injury. While it sounds like there is a chance that he will return to the field at some point this season, the same cannot be said for running back J.K. Dobbins.
Dobbins suffered a torn Achilles against the Texans, which will end his 2023 campaign. It is another brutal break for the Ohio State product, who has dealt with a serious injury after serious injury in his NFL career. This is essentially the second full season, out of four that he will miss as a professional.
With Dobbins sidelined, the Ravens will be turning to Gus Edwards, Justice Hill and potentially Melvin Gordon to handle the backfield work. It would not be surprising if they added another veteran to the mix to take Dobbins’ spot on the roster.
In the opinion of Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report, that is exactly what they should do. Ballentine has suggested that the Ravens add free agent running back Kareem Hunt to the mix as soon as possible.
“Dobbins’ season-ending injury leaves a big hole in the depth chart. Justice Hill responded with two touchdowns on the ground, but he had only nine yards on eight carries. Gus Edwards was the most efficient back with 32 yards on eight carries. It might be time to give Kareem Hunt a call. He has reportedly been “waiting for the right deal.” Taking over a significant role in an intriguing offense could be a good match.”
Hunt has taken visits with teams in recent weeks but seemingly didn’t like anything that was offered, otherwise, he would be signed. The New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts have been connected to him most often, but the Ravens would certainly make for an intriguing landing spot.
Baltimore knows Hunt relatively well after playing against him the last four seasons while he was a member of the Cleveland Browns. With plenty of passing down experience, he could bring another dimension to the Ravens’ backfield that they are currently missing with their potential trio.
