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Aug 13, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; A helmet from a San Diego Chargers player in a preseason NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys at Qualcomm Stadium. The Chargers won 17-7. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Home » Blog » Melvin Gordon trade rumors: Chargers want first-round pick

Melvin Gordon trade rumors: Chargers want first-round pick

Matt Verderame NFL

The Los Angeles Chargers want a first-round pick (and more) for running back Melvin Gordon. I want a mint green Ferrari sitting in my driveway. Neither thing is happening.

Melvin Gordon has been holding out since July in hopes of a lucrative contract extension. The Chargers haven’t budged in their opposition to such a deal. As a result, Melvin Gordon has been a spectator to training camp and the preseason. With the regular season only a few days away, Los Angeles has given Gordon’s representation permission to seek a trade. General manager Tom Telesco also went public in a conference call about the team’s reluctance to continue negotiations into the campaign.

 

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Gordon is a fine player, but getting first and fifth-round picks for a non All-Pro running back is a tall order. Additionally, the team acquiring Gordon needs to sign him to a massive extension to make giving up draft capital worth the while.

With the running game devalued more than at any other time in the league’s history, it’s tough to see any franchise going all-in for a back. Gordon has rushed for 1,000 yards in a season once in four years (and had 997 yards in another), all while dealing with injuries throughout much of his time in the NFL. Gordon isn’t Ezekiel Elliott and Le’Veon Bell. He’s a second-tier player at a non-premium position.

Telesco landing a second-round selection seems more reasonable. The Chargers shouldn’t settle for much less, considering the team could wait out Gordon and see if he returns at some point this season. If he doesn’t and eventually walks, the Chargers are likely looking at a third-round compensation pick in 2021.

 

Read: Jadeveon Clowney a ‘Rare Football Player’ – Carroll

 

Without Gordon in the lineup, the Chargers are mostly relying on Austin Ekeler and second-year man Justin Jackson to shoulder the burden. Ekeler was one of the best reserve backs in football last season, averaging more than five yards per carry. Jackson was used sparingly, but shined when given the opportunities. It makes sense for Los Angeles to believe in its current depth chart, perhaps allowing Telesco to ask for a larger return while waiting out Gordon.

Regardless of how things play out this season, it’s all but certain Gordon will be elsewhere soon enough. The Chargers are hoping to land a bounty on his way out of the proverbial door, albeit far more hope than realistic belief.

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