Melvin Gordon, entering his fifth season in the NFL and thus still on his rookie deal, is dissatisfied with his contract with the Los Angeles Chargers and is taking those frustrations public:
Los Angeles running back Melvin Gordon has informed the Chargers that unless he receives a new contract, he will not report to training camp and he will demand a trade, his agent Fletcher Smith told ESPN.
Elite backs in the NFL persistently face this issue. The five-year deals for first round picks lock them in at below market wages, and then when they hit their mid to late twenties the teams say they are nearing the end of their useful lives. Last year, Gordon missed four games with an injured knee, but when he was playing he averaged over five yards per carry. Gordon is slated to make $5.6 million this season.
Off the top of my head, if they could make the compensation work the Packers would be a great fit for Gordon. He is from and played college football at Wisconsin, and is the threat to catch passes out of the backfield that Aaron Rodgers has been sorely lacking. [Reply]
Originally Posted by RunKC:
Drafting Barkley over Darnold was as stupid as it gets.
That remains to be seen. Darnold hasn't done anything yet.
Regardless, there are a lot of players that went in the 1st round that Barkley is going to have a better career then. To say 'Never draft an RB in the 1st round!' is taking it too far when it comes to the reality of RBs losing their importance in todays pass happy NFL. [Reply]
Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy:
That's insane. There are a few RBs that deserve to go in the first round.
Now it is not like the 90s where it should be common place but you got a chance to draft an RB like Saquon in the 1st -- you do it.
The jump from good to great at the RB position is simply not big enough to justify the cost. You'll get a few years of hype and excitement from your RB (especially if you ave bad QB play) and then you'll be hamstrung. [Reply]
Originally Posted by O.city:
Go ahead and take running backs in the top 3. Good luck on that.
Year after year we see teams take backs in the 3rd round and have success, Hell the rushing champ this year was an UDFA.
Saquon is great. He had a great rookie year. They're drafting in the top 5 again and needed a QB.
I didn't say take an RB in the top 3 I said in the first round...
Tom Brady was drafted in the 6th round Montana in the 3rd, Mahomes was the 10th pick. You can find great players in any round. Doesnt mean you pass up on a player like Saquon in the 1st round cause he is an RB. That's nuts. [Reply]
Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy:
I didn't say take an RB in the top 3 I said in the first round...
Tom Brady was drafted in the 6th round Montana in the 3rd, Mahomes was the 10th pick. You can find great players in any round. Doesnt mean you pass up on a player like Saquon in the 1st round cause he is an RB. That's nuts.
One of these is not like the others.
Productive starting QB's taken in rounds 2-7 is rare. For RB's it's common.
If your team needs a RB and you're loaded everywhere else, then sure whatever. But now you're stuck having to dump him before his next contract no matter how productive he was. You simply cannot pay him. [Reply]
Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy:
I didn't say take an RB in the top 3 I said in the first round...
Tom Brady was drafted in the 6th round Montana in the 3rd, Mahomes was the 10th pick. You can find great players in any round. Doesnt mean you pass up on a player like Saquon in the 1st round cause he is an RB. That's nuts.
Which position is consistently found, year after year, in the mid to late rounds?
Interior OL and RB's.
Saquon was drafted with the 2nd overall pick, so if you wanted him, theoretically, you're gonna have to take him in the top 3.
Whats the difference in Saquon and say, James Connor as a player? Saquon is an A+ blue chip player, whereas Connor is a B player. The value in the difference isn't enough to spend a first round pick on said player. We have mountains of evidence that shows that running backs can be found year after year, anywhere. Literally, grab a mid tier FA running back for cheap.
I think Saquon is a great, generational type running back. Going to have a great career. I still wouldn't draft him over a potential franchise QB in the first round. I'd take a pass rusher, a LT, a Corner, hell, even a LBer over a RB in the first round.
The generational RB just isn't that much different in terms of value vs a good solid one. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Detoxing:
One of these is not like the others.
Productive starting QB's taken in rounds 2-7 is rare. For RB's it's common.
If your team needs a RB and you're loaded everywhere else, then sure whatever. But now you're stuck having to dump him before his next contract no matter how productive he was. You simply cannot pay him.
How many teams are actually loaded everywhere though? Truly?
I mean, sure if Saquon had dropped to pick 29, fuck I guess go ahead. Run him in the ground for 5 cheapish years and move on.
Taking him 2nd (same with taking Zeke, or Fournette high) is just dumb in that you aren't even getting the monetary value out of having a draft pick RB because the market for RB's just isn't high so they're already the highest paid player at their spot.
Take the Cowboys and Zeke draft. They took him at 4. Jalen Ramsey goes at 5, and the next RB isn't taken until 45.
Maybe this is just me, but Jalen Ramsey and Jaylon Smith sounds better than a RB at 4. [Reply]