Denver Broncos: Phillip Lindsay happy to have Melvin Gordon as a teammate
Phillip Lindsay had some good things to say about his new running back teammate on the Denver Broncos, Melvin Gordon but won’t give in to competition.
The signing of Melvin Gordon was a very splashy move by the Broncos and general manager John Elway. The Broncos didn’t really have a whole lot going on after Phillip Lindsay on the depth chart.
Royce Freeman was the second-stringer, though he still had a fairly decent season, rushing 132 times for 496 yards and three touchdowns.
But it’s time to move over, Rolls Royce. Here comes Gordon. Gordon came over from the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers. Lindsay had something to say about Gordon that is likely to sit well for Broncos fans, while also making sure that he won’t give way to Gordon.
"“Melvin’s not my enemy. He’s my teammate. He needs to do his job but best believe I’m going to do my job.’When camp comes around it’s going to be a battle,’’ Lindsay said. “I’m not just going to sit there and give somebody the job. They can. But I’m going to go out there and I’m going to battle.” (Broncos RB Phillip Lindsay to 9News)"
This is a phenomenal approach by Lindsay. The Broncos could absolutely use some competition at many positions and that’s exactly what will take place. Lindsay has rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his two seasons in the NFL after joining the Broncos as an undrafted free agent.
It is fair to question how much punishment he can take in the league, though. Just 5’8”, 190 pounds, Lindsay is considered small for a running back. He already suffered a wrist injury in 2018, which was bad, but it would be so much worse if something happened to one of his legs or knees.
The presence of Gordon is likely to be crucial to the longevity of Lindsay’s career. Hopefully, the Broncos have a plan to split the carries between the two so that the injury risk is lowered.
The Broncos may add another running back to the mix with Devontae Booker and Freeman being the odd guys out, but as of right now, that is not set in stone. It is just a guess at this point. Booker was not on the field a whole lot last year, so it would make sense if the team is looking to move on from him.
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Denver’s 2020 backfield will be led by Lindsay and Gordon. The Broncos, as well as everybody in Broncos Country, is hopeful that the two can become a spectacular 1-2 punch going forward.