Melvin Gordon arrived in Denver during John Elway‘s final offseason as GM. Despite a rocky tenure and the Broncos changing coaching staffs, the former first-round pick is on the radar to stay.
George Paton said this week he would like to retain Gordon, and the ex-Charger confirmed he has spoken with the second-year GM this offseason. Gordon, 29 in April, would prefer to return for a third Broncos season.
“I have been wanting to come back. I would love to win championship in Denver. I made a lot of great relationships with the guys. I feel like we have a really good team. To leave a talented team and go somewhere else would suck,” Gordon said, via Denver7’s Troy Renck. “It’s a job unfinished, and we need to finish the job.
“I talked with George. We spoke on it. He told me he thinks highly of me. I really like the way he runs things and does things.”
Gordon’s 2020 arrival marginalized Denver native Phillip Lindsay, leading to the latter’s RFA tender being rescinded last year, and his presence minimized Javonte Williams‘ rookie-year role. Gordon was also arrested for a DUI in 2020, but the charges were eventually dismissed. He also fumbled seven times over the past two seasons — tied for second-most in the NFL in that span.
The Wisconsin alum also topped 900 rushing yards each year, exceeded 4.5 yards per carry in both Denver seasons and totaled 20 touchdowns as a Bronco. His presence almost certainly helped Williams stay fresh in his debut season.
A return likely comes down to Gordon’s market. The Broncos gave him a two-year, $16M deal previously. Younger free agents like Leonard Fournette, James Conner, Chase Edmonds and Rashaad Penny are also set to hit free agency. While the Gordon-Williams pairing makes sense to a degree, the team has needs at higher-value spots and is prepared to devote significant funding to a quarterback upgrade. With Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick now on veteran deals, that also stands to eat into money that could go toward a Gordon return. Third-stringer Mike Boone is also under contract for 2022, on a $2.1M cap number.
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