Melvin Gordon can still return to Denver Broncos
Despite being on the open market since free agency began, running back Melvin Gordon may still end up re-signing with the Denver Broncos.
Melvin Gordon signed a two-year deal with the Denver Broncos in 2020. His contract expired when free agency began last week. The quietness regarding Gordon might be a sign that his return to the Broncos is imminent.
As of this writing, Gordon has not taken a visit with any NFL team since becoming a free agent on March 16. That certainly could change, with signings slowing down, but the longer this goes on, more and more running backs will be on their new team while Gordon is still out there.
Gordon turns 29 in a couple of weeks. Nearing 30 is not a great sign for any running back, but that fact will help a team sign him to a friendly deal. Nobody is going to overspend for a 30-year old running back.
We’ve seen the following moves happen over the last week or so:
- Leonard Fournette re-signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Chase Edmonds signing with the Miami Dolphins
- Cordarrelle Patterson re-upping in Atlanta
- J.D. McKissic heading back to the Washington Commanders
- Rashaad Penny re-signing with the Seattle Seahawks
- Brandon Bolden heading to Las Vegas
- Raheem Mostert going to the Miami Dolphins
- Matt Breida going to the New York Giants
Plus several others.
So, what exactly does this mean? The Denver Broncos have Javonte Williams, Mike Boone, and Damarea Crockett on the roster. Some believe that Boone could be a solid backup to Williams if the team decides that Williams is ready to carry the workload.
If the Broncos wanted to make a move and sign someone new, they probably would have already.
The thing is, the combination of Gordon and Williams worked quite well in 2021. Both running backs nearly reached 1,000 rushing yards while splitting carries. In 2020, Gordon split carries with Phillip Lindsay and still had 97 carries and 484 more yards than him.
Denver Broncos: Drafting a running back is in the cards too.
As I mentioned, Gordon is nearing the end of his career, so it would be wise for the Denver Broncos to look to the 2022 NFL Draft for more help at the position. (I didn’t say “Gordon’s replacement” because the Broncos hope that Javonte Williams is that answer).
While Gordon could be back with the team at some point, I previously wrote about five running backs the Broncos could sign or draft to replace him. You can check that out here.
If Gordon does not re-sign with the Broncos, adding a running back is probably more of a priority than before. As time goes on, the Broncos will have a better idea of whether or not Gordon will return.
There are players in the draft the Broncos could get, including Brian Robinson of Alabama, James Cook of Georgia, or Zamir White out of Georgia. The Broncos should also consider taking a look at Isaiah Spiller of Texas A&M and Zonovan White out of NC State.