Melvin Gordon - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Broncos’ Melvin Gordon Signing

March 28th, 2020 at 4:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Having seen Phillip Lindsay become the first undrafted player in NFL history to start his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons, the Broncos have created interesting optics by signing Melvin Gordon. In an offseason that began with rumors of a possible Lindsay extension, the Broncos gave Gordon an $8MM-per-year deal that ranks sixth among running backs.

“I know there’s people going, ‘Why do you need another horse?’ Well, when you have an opportunity for Melvin Gordon to come in here, we felt like it was an addition to the team,” Broncos GM John Elway said. “He’s a guy that obviously has had a lot of success in this league. He’s scored a lot of touchdowns and has caught the football a ton. So we feel like with him — with Melvin, as well as Phillip — that we’ve got a great one-two punch, and we’ll only get better in the backfield.

“Ultimately, we have to score more points this year. We’ve struggled on the offensive side the last two, three years, and so we’ve got to get better on that side. I think Melvin will be one of those key pieces to help us get better.”

Lindsay, whose two 1,000-yard seasons are more than Gordon’s one, reached out to his new teammate but may now have an uncertain future in Denver. No team currently has multiple backs earning more than $3.5MM AAV. Lindsay is set to make just $750K in 2020 — less than Royce Freeman, whom Gordon is essentially replacing in Denver.

This arrangement would seemingly be untenable for Lindsay, but the Broncos are not prioritizing a re-up for their hometown success story at this time. Lindsay, 25, is set for restricted free agency in 2021.

Gordon’s abilities as a receiver helped influence the Broncos’ decision, with Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic noting that new OC Pat Shurmur sought a more complete back (subscription required). Lindsay caught 53 passes as a junior at Colorado but has yet to top 35 catches or 250 receiving yards as a pro. Gordon peaked at 19 grabs in a season at run-heavy Wisconsin but has caught more than 40 passes in each of his past four seasons. Gordon surpassed 400 receiving yards each season from 2016-18.

Last year, Gordon turned down a Chargers extension worth around $10MM per year. He held out into late September before reporting, and Austin Ekeler ended up outplaying him and landing a Bolts extension. Gordon said if given the choice again he would not hold out.

“I probably would come back just because — more so because of my legacy and what I’m trying to do as a player, my mark that I’m trying to leave,” the former first-round pick said, via Jhabvala. “Obviously, those are games that I can’t get back. Starting out slow and being able to catch stride towards the end of the season, but then it’s too late.“

AFC East Notes: Jets, Gordon, Lawson

March 23rd, 2020 at 12:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Devoting significant resources to retooling their offensive line, the Jets have not address their edge defender situation. Jordan Jenkins remains a free agent, but the team has not made a strong effort to re-sign their sack leader of the past two years, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY notes. As far as the bigger names out there, the Jets are still not prepared to pay up for Jadeveon Clowney and do not have Yannick Ngakoue on the front burner, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. The Jets have explored an Ngakoue tag-and-trade move but are not planning to pursue the disgruntled Jaguars defensive end, Cimini adds. Gang Green will need to make multiple moves outside, however. Tarell Basham resides as the top edge rusher on the Jets roster; he registered two sacks last season.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

The Bills may or may not have expressed interest in Melvin Gordon. While 9News’ Mike Klis tweets that the Bills submitted an offer better than the Broncos’ two-year, $16MM proposal, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter indicated Buffalo did not do so (Twitter link). Regardless of whether an offer emerged, Schefter adds (via Twitter) Gordon’s agent did contact the Bills about a deal. The Bills are all set to go with Devin Singletary again; Frank Gore is a free agent.
George Fant‘s three-year, $27.3MM Jets deal essentially doubles as a one-year, $9.25MM investment, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News notes. If the veteran tackle is still on the Jets’ roster by Day 5 of the 2021 league year, $4.45MM of his $8MM 2021 base salary becomes guaranteed, per OverTheCap. This still represents a nice deal for Fant, whom Mehta adds was only targeting $6MM per year before the Jets swooped in with their offer.
Shaq Lawson signed a three-year, $30MM Dolphins deal. While many teams prefer to backload free agency contracts, the Dolphins set Lawson’s up so he has a $10.3MM 2020 cap number, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes. Miami did this in order to lessen Lawson’s 2021 and ’22 cap hits, which OverTheCap lists as $9.3MM (’21) and $10.3MM (’22) figures.

Broncos To Sign Melvin Gordon

March 20th, 2020 at 12:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos have agreed to sign running back Melvin Gordon, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The former Bolts standout will receive a two-year deal worth $16MM, with $13.5MM of that sum being guaranteed.

Gordon made headlines for his prolonged holdout with the Chargers. When he finally returned to the field, he delivered mixed results.

In 12 games, Gordon averaged 3.8 yards per carry, a far cry from the 5.1 yards per tote that gave him so much leverage in 2018. The two-time Pro Bowler made a name for himself as a touchdown machine, but he didn’t find paydirt all that often – he had eight rushing TDs and one receiving TD, a big dropoff from the previous year’s total of 14 total scores.

There were bright spots, however, giving the Broncos and other teams plenty of reason to still believe in his ability. In Week 9, for example, he torched the Raiders for 108 yards. He also gave the Broncos an up-close look at what he can do in Week 12 – he came one yard shy of the century mark in Denver.

Last year, Phillip Lindsay became the first UDFA in league history to open his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. While he fights for a pay day of his own, the Broncos will add one of the league’s most notable tailbacks.

Melvin Gordon Encountering Weak Market?

March 19th, 2020 at 1:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Melvin Gordon appears to have overestimated his market value. The five-year Chargers running back has not received the kind of interest he anticipated, with Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reporting (via Pro Football Talk) the offers coming the two-time Pro Bowler’s way are not on the level of the one the Bolts submitted last year.

During a lengthy impasse, the Chargers offered their former starting back a deal in the $10MM-AAV range. While that was not quite on the top tier of running back contracts at the time, it was still a lucrative pact at a position that has seen its place on the NFL salary spectrum steadily plummet.

No team is proposing anything “remotely close” to what the Chargers did last year, Garafolo adds.

The Chargers broke off extension talks late last summer, and Gordon did not make his 2019 debut until October. Last season proved to be a down year for the Bolts and Gordon, who saw Austin Ekeler outplay him. Ekeler now has a Chargers deal averaging north of $6MM per year. Gordon is undoubtedly seeking a contract worth far more, but as of Day 4 of free agency, such a buyer may not exist.

Set to turn 27 soon, Gordon is probably the best back on the market. He totaled at least 1,375 yards from scrimmage from 2016-18 and has 47 touchdowns over the past four years. While he has missed time due to minor injuries throughout his career, Gordon was healthy throughout 2019. And although Gordon averaged less than four yards per carry in four of five seasons, he was placed behind mostly bad Bolts offensive lines in that span. But he remains in free agency and may have to accept a lesser deal than he envisioned signing.

Melvin Gordon To Test Free Agency

March 5th, 2020 at 1:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Melvin Gordon said as recently as late January he wanted to stay with the Chargers, it appears he will hit free agency. The expectation is the running back will be allowed to test the market, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.

This does not exactly come as a big surprise, given Gordon’s history with the Bolts. The 2015 first-round pick held out into last season, and the Chargers broke off negotiations until 2020. Talks certainly do not appear to have gone in a positive direction, and the two-time Pro Bowler will be one of the bigger names on the market.

However, Gordon’s free agency trip comes at potentially bad time. Deals for the likes of David Johnson, Todd Gurley and Le’Veon Bell have not worked out for the respective teams. With the running back market in a stagnant place before those contracts were authorized, and the draft set to produce more cheap labor, it is not a great time to be a free agent at this position.

Gordon has averaged fewer than five yards per carry in four of his five seasons, and last year, current RFA Austin Ekeler outplayed him in the Bolts backfield. Gordon, though, totaled at least 1,375 yards from scrimmage from 2016-18 and scored 12 touchdowns in each of those seasons. He will generate interest. This proposed CBA could produce major salary cap spikes over the next few years, possibly enticing a running back-needy team to offer a nice contract come March.

Melvin Gordon Wants To Stay With Chargers

January 30th, 2020 at 3:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

In addition to the murky status of Philip Rivers, the Chargers have another high-profile free agent on offense. Melvin Gordon is less than two months away from the open market.

Gordon played out his fifth-year option season, doing so after waging an unsuccessful holdout that cost him a chunk of it. Despite Gordon not enjoying a strong contract year and the Bolts falling well short of expectations, the former first-round pick would like to stay in Los Angeles and wants to re-sign before the start of free agency.

“Hopefully, I’m here,” Gordon said during an appearance on PFT Live. “Hopefully, I don’t have to wait til March to know where I’m gonna be playing.”

The two-time Pro Bowler, who will turn 27 in April, said he and GM Tom Telesco have talked “plenty of times.” But those discussions do not appear to have produced much momentum toward keeping the Wisconsin alum in L.A. The Bolts saw RFA-to-be Austin Ekeler outplay Gordon this past season. Gordon’s yards per carry dropped from 5.1 during a Pro Bowl 2018 slate to 3.8, and his 908 scrimmage yards trailed Ekeler by more than 600.

“When it comes to business, you have to take your emotions out of it,” Gordon said. “It’s not about if you deserve to be here or not. I’ve talked to Tom plenty of times, he tells me ‘You deserve to get paid’ but sometimes it just might not be the right situation.”

It sounds likely Gordon will be allowed to test the market. Running backs have not fared especially well in free agency in recent years, and Le’Veon Bell‘s rough Jets debut — after a top-market offer came in March — may hurt Gordon’s cause. The Chargers are projected to hold more than $54MM in cap space. Of course, if they decide to franchise Rivers, much of that will go toward their quarterback and limit the Bolts’ spending elsewhere.

Trade Notes: Chargers, Gordon, Howard

October 28th, 2019 at 5:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Some league officials have linked the Lions and Bills to Chargers star running back Melvin Gordon (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler). Both clubs could be in the market for running back help and both would make ample sense for Gordon – if the Bolts are willing to lower their asking price a bit.

The Chargers haven’t been too keen on moving Gordon, despite the drama-filled offseason and holdout that ventured into the regular season. It’s possible that he could be pried loose for the right price, however, since he’ll be out-of-contract following the 2019 season.

Through four games played, Gordon hasn’t looked like his old self: he’s got just 2.5 yards per carry, plus two touchdowns (one rushing and one receiving). Last year, in 12 contests, Gordon averaged 5.1 yards per tote with 14 TDs in total.

Here’s more from around the NFL as we gear up for trade deadline day:

The Dolphins are getting calls about cornerback Xavien Howard, Albert Breer of The MMQB reports. Howard says he’s not seeking a trade, and the Dolphins would do well to keep the 26-year-old for future seasons, but that’s not keeping other clubs from inquiring. Thanks to the five-year extension he inked with Miami in the offseason, Howard is under contract through the 2024 season.
Interest in Broncos cornerback Chris Harris seems to have cooled a bit, due in part to the asking price, Troy Renck of Denver7 hears. The Eagles and Texans were among the clubs with serious interest, but the Eagles’ D has turned things around and the Texans seem to have already address their CB needs. Meanwhile, the Broncos are paper thin at cornerback, so Renck senses that they won’t consider moving him for less than a third-round choice. Harris, meanwhile, wants to finish out 2019 in Denver, where he and his wife are expecting their fourth child.
In case you missed it: The Redskins are now open to trading Trent Williams.

Trade Rumors: Hopkins, Slay, Hooper

October 27th, 2019 at 11:59am CST by Rory Parks

The trade deadline is two days away, so there are plenty of rumors to pass along. Of course, many of those rumors center around this year’s non-contenders, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says that two such teams — the Redskins and Bengals — continue to rebuff inquiries concerning veterans who should be available. Rival GMs have grown increasingly frustrated with Washington and Cincinnati, and La Canfora says opposing clubs have become resigned to the fact that they are not going to be able to swing a deal with those obstinate franchises. That means that a number of big names — Trent Williams, Ryan Kerrigan, A.J. Green, and Carlos Dunlap, to name a few — are looking more and more likely to stay put.

Now for more trade rumors from around the league, starting with another nugget out of Cincinnati:

Michael Lombardi of The Athletic agrees that the Bengals are likely to stand pat at the deadline for the most part, but he does believe the club will move tight end Tyler Eifert.
Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is decidedly not on the trading block, but teams have still called Houston to ask about the star wideout, as Jay Glazer of FOX Sports tweets. That obviously sounds like clubs doing their due diligence more than anything else, and Glazer acknowledges that it would take an awful lot for the Texans to move Hopkins.
The Lions have received calls on CB Darius Slay, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. It would take a big offer to pry Slay from Detroit, but in the wake of Slay’s comments earlier this week, maybe the Lions will be more inclined to move him.
RB-needy teams have called the Seahawks to inquire on Rashaad Penny, as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reports (video link). Penny is not on the block, per se, but the 2018 first-rounder is drawing interest. In the same video, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network says Chargers RB Melvin Gordon could also be on the move.
Schefter reports that the 49ers have received calls on backup QB C.J. Beathard, whom Schefter suggests could be on the move.
The Falcons have fielded calls on DT Tyeler Davison, per Lombardi, but Atlanta has told other teams Davison will not be moved. The team is also going to hang on to TE Austin Hooper, as Schefter tweets.
The Giants are likely to cut Nate Solder after the season, so Lombardi believes Big Blue should go ahead and trade him now (though HC Pat Shurmur, whose job could be in jeopardy, would likely resist such a move). The Browns continue to be in the market for OT help, as Schefter writes, and the Patriots may also be interested in a reunion with Solder. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says Solder was not a viable option for Cleveland as of the middle of last week, but that could change in the next couple of days.
Janoris Jenkins is another member of the Giants who could be on the move, and while he is likely open to joining a contender, he just wants New York to be transparent with their plans for him, as Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post writes. That sentiment was also expressed by former Giants like Landon Collins and Odell Beckham Jr., who both felt as though Shurmur and GM Dave Gettleman were not straightforward with them. Dunleavy names the Chiefs as a potential landing spot for Jenkins.
Interest remains heavy on Broncos vets Chris Harris Jr. and Derek Wolfe, as La Canfora writes. Denver is open to moving Harris and Wolfe, and rival GMs expect the Broncos to make those trades happen.

Chargers Reduced Melvin Gordon’s Fines

September 28th, 2019 at 6:26pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Melvin Gordon is officially back with the Chargers. Not only has he reported to the team and ended his holdout, but he’s been activated and appears set to suit up and play in Week 4 against the Dolphins. However, contrary to earlier reports, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Gordon will only play in an emergency, which means Chargers fans may need to wait until next week to see him in action.

Gordon recently addressed the media for the first time, and revealed some interesting information. For starters, Gordon said that Los Angeles cut his fines in half to help entice him to report, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Gordon didn’t seem to be too peeved that he still had to pay some fines, and struck a conciliatory tone. “It comes with consequences siting out,” Gordon said. “To think the fines would be completely washed away, I knew if I got in this situation, it wouldn’t be. You do something against the rules, you pay the consequences.”

In a separate tweet, Williams notes that Gordon said he is retaining his same agent Fletcher Smith and Damarius Bilbo despite the tumultuous times. Gordon also revealed that his agents didn’t play any role in his holdout, and that they wanted him to report. “I was the reason I didn’t come in,” Gordon said. “They wanted me to come in, and I was like, ‘No.’”

The Chargers have limped to a 1-2 record, although the backfield hasn’t really been the problem so far. Head coach Anthony Lynn has said that Gordon will resume his normal featured role when he’s back in game-shape, and that current starter Austin Ekeler will go back to being the change-of-pace back.

Chargers Activate Melvin Gordon

September 28th, 2019 at 3:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Melvin Gordon looking likelier to make his debut earlier than expected, the Chargers took the official step by activating him in advance of their Week 4 game against the Dolphins.

The team announced the activation, along with the promotion of wide receiver Andre Patton from their practice squad. The Bolts waived cornerback Dontae Johnson and defensive end Chris Peace to make room on the 53-man roster.

Los Angeles’ initial Gordon plan was for a Week 5 debut, but with Justin Jackson out with a calf injury, Gordon is expected to play in a limited capacity. This is indeed the plan, per USA Today’s Mike Jones (on Twitter). The Bolts pulled a contract offer off the table and said they would not negotiate with Gordon until after the season, which stands to push the two-time Pro Bowler to free agency. But for now, the fifth-year running back will be positioned to help his team move to .500 and re-route its season.

Gordon will team with Austin Ekeler against the woeful Dolphins, who are 14.5-point home underdogs. This duo combined for more than 2,300 scrimmage yards last season. Anthony Lynn confirmed Gordon will return to his starting role soon, but on Sunday, the Chargers will likely keep Ekeler in the lead role.