Potential landing spots for Broncos Melvin Gordon in 2022
Denver Broncos running back Melvin Gordon has fulfilled his first contract with the team and he will be an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins in March.
In two seasons with the Denver Broncos, Melvin Gordon has been a steady producer on offense. Though he’s not quite the game-breaking runner many thought he would be as a first-round pick in 2015, he has run for 1,904 yards in two seasons with the Broncos.
Gordon has also found the end zone a total of 20 times during his two-year stint with the Broncos but the team will clearly be looking to get Javonte Williams even more involved next year. The rookie was incredibly impressive this season and may have been the team’s overall most valuable player.
However, Gordon could be a bit expensive for a No.2 running back if that is how the team sees him and the decision to re-sign him or not is going to be a difficult one for many reasons.
While Gordon has been a solid piece of the team’s offense, it is hard to discount his seven lost fumbles in two seasons with the team, which is just far too many. Some of those fumbles, like the one in the 2021 season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs, have come at the most inopportune times.
Should the Broncos decide to move on from Gordon, there are several soft landing spots for him to potentially be in place.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have gone a while now since having a true No.1 running back and though Myles Gaskin can make some plays, you could do a lot better in that area.
Both Phillip Lindsay and Malcolm Brown will be free agents this offseason, leaving the Dolphins as one of the teams that could be looking for a new runner as much as anyone.
Gaskin led the team with 612 yards rushing this season. No.2 was Duke Johnson, who was a late-season addition and played in just five games.
The Dolphins could really help out their young quarterback Tua Tagavailoa but giving him a more dependable, sturdier running back and Gordon fits the bill.
The Dolphins have pushed for a playoff spot in each of the last two years so Gordon could join a team looking to contend and he would probably enjoy playing in that warm Florida weather as well.
The Dolphins also have more available cap space than any team in the league as of this moment, according to Spotrac, and should be busy on the free-agent market this year.