The quarterbacks have been garnering the bulk of the attention as the start of NFL free agency nears, but what about the men in the backfield?
While the running back market isn’t poised to be very strong, there still are a handful of backs who surely will generate hefty interest around the league. Derrick Henry tops this list, but Melvin Gordon wouldn’t be the worst consolation prize should you miss out on the 2019 rushing champion.
Gordon is coming off a fairly forgettable season that was shortened due to a contract holdout. Still, the 26-year-old managed to rack up eight scores on the ground over 12 games to go along with a receiving touchdown. The two-time Pro Bowl selection is among the league’s most versatile backs, and LaDainian Tomlinson believes he would be a great fit in South Beach.
“I think this young man ends up in Miami,” Tomlinson said on NFL Network’s “NFL Total Access.” “You think about what Miami is preparing for. They got an older quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick — ‘Fitzmagic,’ I should say — and there’s talk about them drafting a young Tua (Tagovailoa). With that being said, you need a running back like Melvin Gordon who can churn out yards for a team that hasn’t been able to run the football at all. When was the last time we’ve seen a dominant Miami team run the football? Ricky Williams, right? Melvin fits kind of in that same mold. Power runner, a guy with speed, can do a little bit of everything. So I think Miami is the team.”
The Dolphins find themselves without a true identity at running back after shipping Kenyan Drake to Arizona midway through this past season. While Miami probably has more pressing needs than RB, including offensive and defensive line help, it wouldn’t be totally shocking if the club pursued Gordon. There’s also a chance Gordon will be able to be had for cheaper money than expected given how the final year of his Los Angeles Chargers contract played out.
Gordon and his fellow impending free agents will be able to officially sign new deals when the upcoming NFL year begins March 18.
