Does Broncos' Melvin Gordon Addition Have Pat Shurmur's Fingerprints all Over it?

The Broncos made Melvin Gordon one of the highest-paid running backs in the game. Could it be the result of OC Pat Shurmur pounding the table?

John Elway has held firm with his cautious approach to free agency this offseason. The Denver Broncos' GM has changed tactics by adding to the roster by using low-value draft capital in exchange for high-caliber players, as exemplified by the Jurrell Casey trade. 

This approach has filled two big defensive needs, with Casey bolstering the trenches and A.J. Bouye providing the Broncos with a bonafide No. 1 cornerback.

If Elway leaned on his in-house defensive guru Vic Fangio for the new additions on that side of the ball, then his subsequent moves for offensive help in free agency smacks of new OC Pat Shurmur's wants. While Elway’s $16 million (over two years) splash to obtain RB Melvin Gordon has certainly divided opinion within the fan base, one thing is clear; it has Shurmur's DNA profile written all over it.

Shurmur’s comprehensive review of available offensive weapons quickly led to his agreement with Broncos' top brass that second-year QB Drew Lock is worth building the entire franchise around. There would be no going back to the well of finding a burned-out veteran signal-caller this time around, even with a glut of them available on the open market.

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Committing fully to Lock as the future of the franchise has subsequently led to Elway being aggressive in supplying the components that Shurmur will require to fast-track the QB’s development. Early in free agency the Broncos signed G/C Graham Glasgow from the Lions. After last season’s constant struggles in pass protection, this was a clear and obvious priority.

If that move reeked of common sense, the decision to trade away ever-popular fullback Andy Janovich to Cleveland was all about realizing Shurmur’s offensive philosophy and the pieces that will be needed to run it. Shurmur's favored spread/West Coast offense hybrid renders the fullback all but obsolete as it features a slot receiver instead. Inevitably, something had to give with the Broncos special team’s ace.

Gordon’s splashy signing might be a working blueprint of how Shurmur sees the Broncos' backfield improving and operating much better in 2020. Already it’s been made clear that Devontae Booker isn't needed and even Royce Freeman, who carried the ball 132 times last season, could be sweating about his own job security in the wake of Gordon's arrival. 

Core to Shurmur's vision for his running back reboot is for all his backs to be genuine dual-threat players, providing Lock with additional receiving options. It’s a good bet that Shurmur made it clear to Elway that he currently didn’t have the preferred RB prototype on the current roster and so the wheels were set in motion to go get Gordon in the fold.

This could also be seen as a slight on the talents of Phillip Lindsay, who has admitted to his own struggles in running routes and holding onto passes at times. Some of the cash that might have been earmarked for Lindsay’s own contract extension now ends up in the pocket of his backfield mate, which could make for an interesting locker room dynamic between the pair.

Lindsay’s fighting spirit and underdog persona will most likely re-double his efforts to prove himself to his new OC and remind Elway that he should also be receiving a raise. Shurmur is well aware that he will need both backs to remain healthy and put up big numbers if the Broncos are going to get closer to Kansas City in the AFC West, which could portend for an RB by committee next season.

Gordon, just like Lindsay, will have no shortage of motivation to prove that the L.A. Chargers were wrong to not pay him and let him walk. It’s even been rumored that the 27-year-old took less money to stay in the Division in order to compete against his former team. 

Having missed the entirety of last year’s training camp with the Chargers due to a holdout, Gordon should be in better shape both mentally and physically to flourish in the new Shurmur offense. Putting together an elite one-two punch behind Lock is exactly the type of confidence boost that a young, inexperienced QB will need while he rides out the tough NFL learning curve.

Expensive as it may be in the short-term to acquire Gordon, the impact will really crystalize whether Elway can pick up a speedy receiver via the draft to add to the Broncos' stable of gameday weapons. After all, if the Chiefs have proven anything, it's that you can never have enough weapons in the NFL. That is, so long as you can fit them under the salary cap.

Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.