The Denver Broncos could lose Melvin Gordon in free agency. Who are some names that could replace him?
Melvin Gordon has been the leader in the Denver Broncos backfield since arriving as a free agent from the Los Angeles Chargers two years ago. That being said, could he be on the move to a new team? While nothing is official, Gordon is an unrestricted free agent in March.
Gordon shared the running back workload with rookie Javonte Williams in 2021. They split carries exactly even with Gordon rushing for just 15 more yards than Williams (918 to 903).
It is pretty hard to allow that production to leave in free agency, but for the purpose of this article, he does end up signing with someone else.
Gordon will turn 29 before the season, nearing the problematic years of running back decline—30-year old rushers.
The running backs I’m going to highlight are not near that age group, and I feel they may be able to add to an already strong running back room.
Here are five running backs that, if they had to, the Denver Broncos could look at signing if Gordon ends up leaving.
Could Phillip Lindsay return home to take the starting job from Melvin Gordon?
Welcome home, old friend.
While Lindsay signed a one-year contract with the Houston Texans last offseason, the team released him in late November. He signed with the Miami Dolphins and played in four games for the team after 10 with the Texans.
Can you imagine Lindsay and Williams together on the same field? You’d have two guys who can outrun almost anybody if they get into the open field. Lindsay is a small running back at 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds while Williams is quite a bit bigger at 5-foot-10, 220 pounds.
The combination of these two could easily tire out opposing defenses and if the Broncos end up going uptempo, it could lead to huge gains and open up the passing game for whoever (Aaron Rodgers?) is at quarterback.
The question is, will Lindsay want to return home to the state in which he went to college, or will he seek to head to a sure-fire playoff contender? The name I mentioned in the last paragraph may lead Lindsay back home.
How about taking someone from the former team of Melvin Gordon?
Justin Jackson may not be highly prioritized by the Denver Broncos in free agency, but it would be strategic in the sense that they would be taking him away from the Los Angeles Chargers.
Jackson is a backup to Austin Ekeler and averaged 5.4 yards on just 68 carries in 2021. That’s good news for anyone who wants to sign Jackson—he didn’t have much tread on his tires in 2021. In fact, 68 carries last year was his career-high.
Jackson didn’t run for 100 yards in any game last year, but against the Kansas City Chiefs in one of their meetings, he ran for 86 yards. That production, along with Javonte Williams, is something the Denver Broncos could absolutely use.
A knock on Jackson would be that he did have over 1,100 carries during his collegiate career. The thing is, I don’t think that he’d necessarily be a long-term answer, but Javonte Williams should turn into that guy.
I don’t think that Jackson will command a ton of money so this move makes some sense.
Melvin Gordon replaced by big star running back?
Chris Carson isn’t currently a free agent and he probably won’t be released by the Seattle Seahawks. However, the word on the street is that Carson may have played his last game with the team.
Carson carries a cap hit of $6,425,000 in 2022 and Ty Dane Gonzalez sites that as a reason for the Seahawks potentially moving on from the star running back.
Carson has started 48 of 49 career games for Seattle and has 3,502 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns to show for it. Unfortunately, he was hurt the majority of the 2021 season and that could be another reason Seattle may choose to move on from him. If they do, it would be an absolute steal for the Denver Broncos.
Carson is a year younger than Gordon, so hypothetically, they could get more out of Carson for a longer period of time, especially with the lesser workload he would bring to the Denver Broncos.
This would be a really fun addition. If they added Carson along with Aaron Rodgers, the offense would have the potential to be a top offense in the league.
The question will be, how much money would Carson command? If they get Rodgers, they should go for it with Carson.
Isaiah Spiller and Zonovan Knight could replace Melvin Gordon in the 2022 NFL Draft
Isaiah Spiller is expected to be one of if not the top running back taken in the 2022 NFL Draft. His balance is something that will impress any NFL team.
Both Spiller and Zonovan Knight’s scouting reports highlight their patience behind the line of scrimmage. If the Denver Broncos improve their offensive line, either of these backs could be stars in the offense with Javonte Williams.
Spiller stands at 6-foot-1, 225 pounds, and is a very solid player in the pass protection.
While Spiller doesn’t necessarily have a lot of speed, he can still help a team move the chains as he’s tremendous at falling forward after being hit, instead of backward.
Knight could also help in the kickoff return game, as he had 30 returns for 923 yards and three touchdowns throughout his collegiate career.
Potential landing spots for QB Teddy Bridgewater
Where will Teddy Bridgewater land in free agency? Here are three potential landing spots for the soon-to-be former Denver Broncos starting quarterback.
Spiller rushed for over 1,000 yards in two of his three seasons at Texas A&M. Though he didn’t reach 1,000 yards during his freshman season, he was not too far off, reaching 946 yards on the ground. I do like either option to potentially replace Melvin Gordon.