Denver Broncos trade options with the Los Angeles Rams

1. Melvin Gordon

There are undoubtedly two sides to this argument, so let’s get into both of them.

First, why the Denver Broncos would be inclined to not offer Gordon in a trade. The primary reason is that Gordon proved himself to be an asset to the team last season, especially in the second half of the year. He had 10 total touchdowns and is a rare veteran skill player on an offense loaded with youth.

Gordon makes the Denver Broncos better and in a year in which the playoffs are probably mandatory, why would you trade a guy like that?

The reason the Denver Broncos might trade Gordon is actually not just a single reason, but multiple.

First, the team used a second-round pick on North Carolina’s Javonte Williams, a player they had ranked as the RB1 of the 2021 NFL Draft. With Williams in the fold, Melvin Gordon’s future with the team is murky at best.

If the Rams are willing to part with a valuable asset — say a day two pick — the Denver Broncos would have to seriously consider that and roll with a trio of Williams, Boone, and Royce Freeman for the 2021 season.

Trading Gordon would save the Broncos nearly $7 million in 2021 cap space with a dead money hit of just $2 million. Not that the Broncos need the cap savings, but the cash savings might be nice and if you can get cash savings plus a high draft pick, you might consider that.

The Rams, poised to compete for a title, may prefer to trade for a player like Gordon compared to the next option the Denver Broncos could offer…