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As the NFL offseason continues to progress, the Denver Broncos will have to assess their roster with the Kansas City Chiefs and, potentially, the Los Angeles Chargers in mind.
The Broncos are going to have to deal with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' high octane attack over the next decade. Denver will also have to contend with the Chargers and young quarterback Justin Herbert, who appears destined to be a star in the league.
Last offseason, the Broncos made a bold move to keep pace in the AFC West by signing a free agent running back to a relatively sizable contract. Melvin Gordon was signed on a two-year, $16 million deal, including $13.5 million guaranteed. He will be entering the second and final year of that contract in 2021.
Gordon wasn’t quite the difference-making back Denver was hoping for, but he still had a solid season. He appeared in 15 games and ran for just a shade under 1,000 yards. He was still effective with his touches, though, running for 4.6 yards per attempt.
As a receiver, Gordon finished with the fewest catches of any season of his career last year. But that may have been by design due to the talented young pass-catching core the Broncos have.
As Gordon heads into the final year of his deal, will Denver consider trading their running back before the contract reaches the start of the 2021 NFL season?
Reasons why the Denver Broncos should trade Melvin Gordon
There’s a perception in many NFL front offices that finding a productive running back isn't exactly difficult. Hence, they are leery of handing out lucrative long-term contracts to running backs.
We can look at the Carolina Panthers last year, who lost superstar running back Christian McCaffery for most of the season but received admirable production from reserve Mike Davis.
We can also pick out the Buffalo Bills backfield, which featured an average committee of Devin Singletary and Zack Moss. Teams with the highest-paid backfields aren’t always the most successful, which is one reason to part with Gordon early.
Reasons why the Denver Broncos should Keep Melvin Gordon
As interchangeable as running backs seem at times, Gordon has been in the top tier of rushers since his rookie season in 2015. He’s always been good for above-average production, both as a traditional ball carrier and as a receiver out of the backfield.
Gordon is also only 28 years old, which is still a couple of years shy of demarcation for running backs in the NFL. Additionally, the Broncos lost a big part of their running back committee, as Philip Lindsay left the team to sign with the Houston Texans. This leaves the depth chart very thin behind Gordon.
Verdict: Keep Melvin Gordon
At the end of the day, the Broncos are trying to make noise in 2021, and contend for a playoff spot. While trading Gordon would be a cost-effective move, it’s very likely the Broncos will take too large of a step back at the running back .
Having question marks in the backfield behind young quarterback Drew Lock would not make life easier for him as he tries to find his footing in the NFL. And catapulting Royce Freeman and Mike Boone into leading roles would be a lot to ask of players who have traditionally been complementary backs in their careers.
