Report: Ex-Broncos RB Melvin Gordon Signs With AFC Contender

Former Denver Broncos running back Melvin Gordon has a new NFL home. According to Adam Schefter, Gordon has signed a deal with the Baltimore Ravens.

"A RB deal: Veteran free-agent Melvin Gordon reached agreement today on a one-year deal worth up to $3.1 million with the Baltimore Ravens, per league source," Schefter tweeted on Friday.

A RB deal: Veteran free-agent Melvin Gordon reached agreement today on a one-year deal worth up to $3.1 million with the Baltimore Ravens, per league source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 21, 2023

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On the heels of a Week 12 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Broncos cut bait with Gordon after his fifth fumble of the season. It was a costly turnover, and the Broncos finally bit the bullet, waiving Gordon.

The Kansas City Chiefs picked Gordon up, signing him to the practice squad. While the veteran running back finished the 2022 season with a Super Bowl ring, he never saw the field for Kansas City. Not one single solitary snap.

The Broncos originally signed Gordon back in 2020 to a two-year deal worth $16 million. Then-GM John Elway surprised many by not only signing a big-name running back, but handing him a sizable contract to boot, despite the Broncos boasting a back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher and Pro Bowler at the time in Phillip Lindsay.

The Gordon signing turned out to be a bad omen for Lindsay, who went on to deal with injury issues in 2020. After the season, Elway stepped down as GM, hiring George Paton to succeed him, who promptly placed the right-of-first-refusal restricted free-agent tender on Lindsay, which was the lowest possible tender with a minuscule corresponding guaranteed salary.

Considering his contributions to the Broncos, Lindsay was displeased that Paton used the lowest tender, and requested that it be rescinded so he could find a contract in the wider NFL commensurate with what he thought he was worth. Paton obliged, and Lindsay signed with the Houston Texans, where he didn't last the season before being waived.

Meanwhile, Gordon went on to lead the Broncos in rushing in 2021 with 918 yards. Despite no Lindsay to split carries with, Gordon fell short of his 2020 rushing total by 68 yards. By the end of his initial contract, Gordon had produced 1,904 rushing yards in Denver with 17 touchdowns, to go along with 371 receiving yards and a trio of additional scores.

The two seasons prior to Gordon's arrival in Denver, Lindsay rushed for 2,048 yards and 16 touchdowns, with 437 receiving yards and one additional score through the air. Some might argue that the difference was negligible, but Elway's decision to sign Gordon was another fateful move with a more lasting impact than many NFL analysts realize.

Lindsay was a net positive for Denver. All of Gordon's attributes were offset by his fumbling, which often cost the Broncos dearly in games.

After the 2021 season, the Broncos let Gordon languish on the free-agent market until the doorstep of the NFL draft, re-signing him to a one-year deal. He didn't play out that deal, as his fumbling woes that were so detrimental to the Broncos eventually cost him his job.

In, let's say, two-and-a-half seasons in Denver, Gordon put the ball on the ground a whopping 12 times. Meanwhile, Lindsay is still yet to fumble in the NFL on 724 combined touches.

Good luck with that, Baltimore.

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