The Chargers are holding firm on their approximate $10MM-per-year offer to Melvin Gordon, and the fifth-year running back moved to request a trade. But with the market for running backs not exactly booming, the Bolts do not appear to believe they will get the value they would seek in a trade, Albert Breer of SI.com notes (on Twitter). This is understandable, given the state of the running back position’s state in the modern game and Gordon’s injury history. He has missed time due to maladies in three of his four seasons, including 2018. Chargers backup Austin Ekeler led the team last season with 5.2 yards per carry (on 106 totes); the third-year back and 2018 seventh-rounder Justin Jackson sit atop the Bolts’ depth chart without Gordon.
Here is the latest from the AFC West, first moving to the divisional kingpin’s running back situation.
- A hamstring injury has shelved Chiefs RB1 Damien Williams throughout the team’s training camp, and it has created some uncertainty about who will primarily line up behind Patrick Mahomes. “I can’t tell you exactly when,” Andy Reid said, via the Kansas City Star’s Blair Kerkhoff, of Williams’ potential return. “He’s missed quite a bit, missed a lot of plays but it’s been great for the other guys. Carlos has done a nice job. He’s getting a lot of reps and he’s taking advantage of them.” The Chiefs signed Hyde to a one-year, $2.6MM deal this offseason. Williams is attached to a two-year, $5.1MM contract.
- Despite Antonio Brown‘s trip to see a Bay Area foot specialist, the Raiders wide receiver remains categorized as “day to day,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The 10th-year wideout has yet to go through a full Raiders training camp practice.
- Russell Okung‘s uncertain situation has led the Chargers to try guard Forrest Lamp at left tackle, Breer tweets. Lamp has not yet lived up to his second-round draft status, seeing a rookie-year ACL tear impact his career. However, the third-year guard may have a future at tackle. Although, that would leave Los Angeles’ guard group thinner. The Bolts are experimenting with various personnel up front, arguably their weakest area.
- The Broncos placed Billy Winn on IR this weekend and did so because of a torn tendon in his arm, Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post tweets. A veteran defensive lineman, Wynn was attempting to play in his first regular-season game since 2016.
We aren’t willing to pay you as a top 5 RB, but we want a trade with a return for a top 5 RB. Makes perfect sense to me.
4 yards a carry, mediocre in the passing game, 1 thousand yard season in 4, why would they pay him more than $10m a year?
Exactly! I don’t see the production or consistent health for a raise…..
Mediocre RB playing for the most irrelevant professional sports organization in the country. Not exactly – #breakingnews
Never really looked at Gordon’s numbers until today. He should be more than happy at $10 mil per season. Just by optics alone it seems to be an overpay.
The Chargers could basically plug in any average running back and get those results. So much greed and me ism in pro sports anymore. I also don’t want to hear he has “ a window” for career earnings. Most people in the US won’t make $10,000,000 in a lifetime more less in a year.
he has “ a window” for career earnings.
RB’s are replaceable gordon is not special
GMs are replaceable too and Telesco is not special.
Telesco has done gold star work finding players…improving roster after AJackass left. We have great backup RB…so let Yo Melvin sit and marinate. His agent should be fired. Bolts can hold him for 3 years. He has no leverage yet the agents first step is a public “or trade me”. Eff you and the goat you road in on.
AJ Smith is god! Drafted Rivers, Brees, Tomlinson…
Who knew that AB would get cold feet about being a Raider?