We all had hoped for awhile now that Melvin Gordon would end up in Tampa Bay, but instead he wound up in Mile High to join Philip Lindsay and Royce Freeman in the Broncos backfield. It’s an interesting move especially after Lindsay had rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored 7-plus touchdowns in each of his first two seasons — while also counting for next to nothing on the salary cap. He seemed to have a strong grasp on the lead back role over Freeman, who hadn’t lived up to the expectations the team had when he was drafted in the third round back in 2018.
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Melvin Gordon is coming off a 612 yard, 8 touchdown season with the Chargers, but once again only suited up in 12 of 16 games. It became clear over the course of the season that Austin Ekeler was the best back on the team and once he began to take on a larger role, he essentially squeezed Gordon out of town and into free agency.
However, when Gordon has been healthy and not bitched about his contract, he’s been one of the league’s top three-down backs with a heavy workload.
Following his rookie season, Phillip Lindsay saw an increase in usage, totaling 224 carries on the year. But, with Gordon in the picture, this number should dramatically decrease in 2020. Then there’s Royce Freeman, who either looks like he’ll either be moved by training camp or stapled to the bench.
Overall, it’s a very peculiar signing and it’s one that’s not encouraging for Lindsay owners. I’d be willing to bet on Lindsay and his talent though, as he should be able to keep himself on the field. Plus, he doesn’t carry the same injury bug label that Gordon has had throughout his career.
We’ll just have to wait and see who new offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, the well-known bellcow breeder, favors more as his lead back in Denver.
Following the addition, Lindsay slid to our RB38 (-12 vs ECR), while Gordon landed at RB18, right at the ECR.
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