The Denver Broncos kept Melvin Gordon in the AFC West on Friday, reaching a two-year deal with the former Los Angeles Chargers running back.

This now gives the Broncos a backfield of Gordon and Phillip Lindsay and essentially pushes Royce Freeman, who was expected to be the club's No. 1 back when he was drafted in 2018, out the door.

But just how good can this Gordon-Lindsay tandem be?

Let me just start by saying this: Lindsay should be the top back. His first two seasons in the NFL have been better than anything Gordon has done. During his rookie campaign in 2018, he racked up 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 5.4 yards per carry. This past year, Lindsay totaled 1,011 yards and seven scores on the ground, logging 4.5 yards per attempt.

Meanwhile, Gordon has only averaged four yards per carry or better once in his career.

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about how these two can work in conjunction with one another.

While Lindsay should be the featured back, Gordon does bring something else to the table: receiving ability out of the backfield.

Not that Lindsay can't catch. He has accumulated 70 catches across his first couple of seasons, but he has only recorded one touchdown and has averaged just 6.2 yards per reception.

Gordon, on the other hand, has posted over 50 grabs twice in his career, and through five NFL seasons, he has totaled 11 receiving scores.

No, he isn't Christian McCaffrey or Saquon Barkley. Still, Gordon is at least a very capable pass-catcher and can make some things happen after the catch, which Lindsay hasn't really done up until this point.

Plus, in an NFL where you rarely see teams employ just one running back anymore, Lindsay and Gordon can help keep one another fresh to help prevent fatigue and injuries.

Let's also bring Drew Lock into the equation.

Now entering his second year, Lock is coming off of a rookie campaign in which he started the final five games of the season and led Denver to a 4-1 record in those contests.

For the most part, Lock looked really good, and that was with a rather questionable assortment of weapons.

I'm not saying that the Broncos' offense is suddenly going to be scary, but now, Lock will have Courtland Sutton and Noah Fant at his disposal in the aerial attack and a two-pronged rushing attack to support him.

This type of security is exactly what a young quarterback like Lock needs, and I'm sure Denver had that in mind when it decided to sign Gordon.

Look: I don't think there was ever a time when Gordon was an elite running back. He has been solid, but his lack of efficiency has been a problem, and he has never been at the level of some of the very best halfbacks in the NFL.

But when you put him alongside of a back like Lindsay and have the two of them work together? That is another story.

Pairing Gordon with Lindsay is just what the doctor ordered for Lock and Denver.