The Denver Broncos suddenly have a crowded backfield after signing Melvin Gordon to a two-year, $16 million deal in free agency. With Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman already on the roster, it will be interesting to see how Denver features each back in the offense.
Considering the fact that Gordon is making $8 million annually, he figures to have a prominent role with the Broncos in 2020. Prior to arriving in Denver, Gordon spent his first five seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers.
After choosing to holdout, Gordon compiled a career-worst 612 rushing yards with the Chargers in 2019. Nevertheless, Denver believes he can be a key contributor on offense for them. With that in mind, here are three bold predictions for Gordon in the 2020 season.
3. 10 rushing touchdowns
Even though Gordon is going to share touches with Lindsay and Freeman, he should see a fair share of scoring opportunities next season. Over the past four seasons, Gordon has accumulated 36 rushing touchdowns with the Chargers.
Again, given what the Broncos are paying Gordon, they are making it clear that he'll be utilized often in the rushing attack. In addition, even with Drew Lock entering his second season, Denver is making a concerted effort to run the ball more next season.
During his past four seasons with the Chargers, Gordon has alternated between 10 and eight rushing touchdowns. Due to the 2020 season being an even number, Gordon is destined to rush for 10 touchdowns in his first year with the Broncos.
2. More receptions than Phillip Lindsay
Since coming into the NFL in 2015, Gordon has been known as more of a physical running back. On the other hand, the Wisconsin product has also shown that he can be a receiving threat in the offense in his first five seasons.
In just the past three seasons alone, Gordon has compiled 150 receptions for 1,262 yards and nine touchdowns. While Gordon isn't in the same class as Christian McCaffrey, he is more than capable of catching passes out of the backfield.
However, with Lindsay also being a capable pass-catcher, Gordon could see a slight drop in receptions in 2020. With that being said, the former first-round pick will corral more passes than Lindsay next season.
1. 1,000 rushing yards
During his five seasons with the Chargers, Gordon's best season came in 2017 when he rushed for a career-best 1,105 yards. Surprisingly enough, that is the only season that Gordon has eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in his career.
At the same time, Lindsay has been remarkable for the Broncos, galloping for over 1,000 rushing yards in his first two seasons with the team. Even though Gordon is joining a timeshare with Lindsay and Freeman, he should get enough touches to have a productive season in 2020.
As bold as it may sound, Gordon will scamper for over 1,000 rushing yards for just the second time in his career in 2020. There's no doubt that Denver would consider Gordon's signing an absolute success if he garnered over 1,000 rushing yards next season.
Follow Us
Subscribe