The Melvin Gordon Saga - Holdout Over

[Fleet]

Melvin Gordon said he wants "to end up with the Chargers."

"I want to end up with the Chargers," Gordon said. "That's my home. That's the team that blessed me with an opportunity, and I can't forget that. But like I said, I know I'm in an opportunity right now where I know I have to take advantage of it, and I want to get paid." The 26-year-old has threatened holding out and demanding a trade if Los Angeles doesn't meet his demands as he approaches the fifth and final year of his rookie contract. The sides still have a few weeks to negotiate before training camp gets underway.

[Formula 21]

Not signing Sproles long term cost this team too.

[Formula 21]

Here's why the Melvin Gordon situation could get even uglier for the Chargers

Melvin Gordon missing training camp might end up being the least of the Chargers worries

• by John Breech, CBS
• @johnbreech

Chargers running back Melvin Gordon has already threatened to sit out all of training camp if he doesn't get a new deal, but as it turns out, things could actually get uglier for Los Angeles if the two sides don't get a contract done before the start of the regular season.
During an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio this week, Fletcher Smith (one of Gordon's agents) was asked if his client would be prepared to sit out the entire regular season and based on Smith's answer, it appears that Gordon is going to play some serious hardball in negotiations.
"Oh, he's prepared to sit," Smith said. "We'll take it day by day, week by week and see how things go, but at this time, if he can't get anything done, he certainly won't be in training camp, and he's prepared to sit as long as he has to."
The Chargers should probably take that threat pretty seriously and that's because it's not the first time Gordon has hinted that he'd be willing to sit out a season in order to get a contract he views as fair. During an interview last year, Gordon was talking about the Le'Veon Bell situation with his dad and the Chargers running back noted that he would also sit out a year if he were ever in a situation similar to Bell's.

As things currently stand, Gordon is headed into the final year of his rookie deal, which is scheduled to pay him a total of $5.6 million in base salary in 2019. Although it's not clear what Gordon's asking price is in a potential new contract, it's pretty clear the Chargers haven't come anywhere close to meeting it.


Damarius Bilbo, one of Gordon's other agents, told NFL.com this week that Gordon has felt "disrespected" by the Chargers' offers.
"If we'd gotten a respectable offer, we wouldn't be here," Bilbo said. "But he felt disrespected. He's very serious."
Gordon is coming off a highly efficient season where he ranked fifth in the NFL in total touchdowns with 14, despite missing four games. Gordon, who finished the season 885 rushing yards, averaged 5.1 yards per carry in 2018, which was more than any of the NFL's top three leaders in rushing yards: Ezekiel Elliott (4.7), Saquon Barkley (5.0) and Todd Gurley (4.9).
Gordon was drafted in 2015, the same year as Gurley and David Johnson, and it kind of sounds like he'd like to get a deal similar to one of those two backs. Gurley received a four-year, $60 million deal in July 2018 while Johnson inked a three-year, $39 million contract in September.


"I know my value," Gordon said in June. "I know what I bring to this team, and I'm sticking with that. Todd's paid, so Todd don't care what anybody says right now -- him or David Johnson -- they can say what they want to say. They signed the dotted line. But unfortunately I haven't yet, so I've got to take the heat for some of the stuff that they're going through. But I'm not them, and like I said, I know my value."
The fact that the Chargers are hesitant to give Gordon a new deal likely boils down to two things: Teams aren't willing to overpay at the running back position anymore and Gordon has a history of injuries.
After watching the Gurley situation unfold across town, it's not crazy to think that the Chargers have some doubts about giving a contract to a running back in Gordon who's missed nine games over his first four seasons.
According to Smith, Gordon's plan is to stay in Los Angeles, but if the Chargers won't give him fair compensation, then the running back wants to be traded.


"We'll see how it plays out," Smith said. "Maybe he ends up, stays where he is, right there in Los Angeles. There's nothing to suggest that he does not want to be there. He just wants to be compensated. He'd love to stay [with the Chargers], assuming we can get something done. If we can't, he's prepared to move."
The thing about a trade is that there's not a huge market out there of teams looking to overpay for a running back, and Bell's a good example of that. When the former Steelers running back hit free agency, there weren't exactly a lot of teams bidding on his services. In the end, he got a four-year, $52.5 million deal with the Jets that included $27 million in guaranteed money.
If Gordon's situation does come down to a trade, Smith is confident that there will be at least one team out there willing to give the 26-year-old the contract he's looking for.
"Some teams are more creative than others. All we need is one team," Smith said. "For those teams that have a running back, but maybe he's not the back that they need, maybe trade a player and a pick. Right now, I don't know, because we have not been empowered to talk to other teams to discuss a trade, but all you need is one trade partner."


With Gordon and the Chargers locked in a stalemate, this seems like a situation that's only going to get uglier as the season approaches. In the end, the Chargers might be forced to do what the Raiders did with Khalil Mack and just trade him away to the highest bidder.

[jamrock]

Don't forget Fred Dean

[21&500]

As much as I want to win now, this is a good opportunity to secure more picks and target a first round qb in the next 2 years.
no offense mr. Stick

[Panamamike]

He is third in scrimmage yards since his rookie year in the league. He is second in TDs to Gurley is what I saw and zero his rook season. Considering he has missed games and not a very productive rookie season aren't these stats even more impressive. He had the highest PFF rating in the league when facing 8 or more men in the box. He has been getting better and better the more we have asked of him.

if u think he is worth or has producded 13-15 MM a season, i think u are crazy. Maybe Zeke should get QB money then.

Your stats depend on aggregates over a short specific time. They are skewed by singular season or most of season injuries, bell taking a year off etc. It ignores players like Zeke who have not played a season longer. In essence they are bullshit; aside from the in the box stat, which is impressive.

HE HAS 1 1000 rushing season
HE has 1 season over 4.0 ypc

YES, he has gotten better. But he was not good yr 1 and set the bar low tds aside....he was a fumble machine too.

If u honestly think he has earned top 3 RB money i strongly disagree. No way in hell can i give him 13-15MM. closer to half that is honestly is what i would pay him.

[wu-dai clan]

Fletcher Smith's script was ghost written by David Candor.

[Panamamike]

Here's why the Melvin Gordon situation could get even uglier for the Chargers

Melvin Gordon missing training camp might end up being the least of the Chargers worries

• by John Breech, CBS
• @johnbreech

Chargers running back Melvin Gordon has already threatened to sit out all of training camp if he doesn't get a new deal, but as it turns out, things could actually get uglier for Los Angeles if the two sides don't get a contract done before the start of the regular season.
During an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio this week, Fletcher Smith (one of Gordon's agents) was asked if his client would be prepared to sit out the entire regular season and based on Smith's answer, it appears that Gordon is going to play some serious hardball in negotiations.
"Oh, he's prepared to sit," Smith said. "We'll take it day by day, week by week and see how things go, but at this time, if he can't get anything done, he certainly won't be in training camp, and he's prepared to sit as long as he has to."
The Chargers should probably take that threat pretty seriously and that's because it's not the first time Gordon has hinted that he'd be willing to sit out a season in order to get a contract he views as fair. During an interview last year, Gordon was talking about the Le'Veon Bell situation with his dad and the Chargers running back noted that he would also sit out a year if he were ever in a situation similar to Bell's.

As things currently stand, Gordon is headed into the final year of his rookie deal, which is scheduled to pay him a total of $5.6 million in base salary in 2019. Although it's not clear what Gordon's asking price is in a potential new contract, it's pretty clear the Chargers haven't come anywhere close to meeting it.


Damarius Bilbo, one of Gordon's other agents, told NFL.com this week that Gordon has felt "disrespected" by the Chargers' offers.
"If we'd gotten a respectable offer, we wouldn't be here," Bilbo said. "But he felt disrespected. He's very serious."
Gordon is coming off a highly efficient season where he ranked fifth in the NFL in total touchdowns with 14, despite missing four games. Gordon, who finished the season 885 rushing yards, averaged 5.1 yards per carry in 2018, which was more than any of the NFL's top three leaders in rushing yards: Ezekiel Elliott (4.7), Saquon Barkley (5.0) and Todd Gurley (4.9).
Gordon was drafted in 2015, the same year as Gurley and David Johnson, and it kind of sounds like he'd like to get a deal similar to one of those two backs. Gurley received a four-year, $60 million deal in July 2018 while Johnson inked a three-year, $39 million contract in September.


"I know my value," Gordon said in June. "I know what I bring to this team, and I'm sticking with that. Todd's paid, so Todd don't care what anybody says right now -- him or David Johnson -- they can say what they want to say. They signed the dotted line. But unfortunately I haven't yet, so I've got to take the heat for some of the stuff that they're going through. But I'm not them, and like I said, I know my value."
The fact that the Chargers are hesitant to give Gordon a new deal likely boils down to two things: Teams aren't willing to overpay at the running back position anymore and Gordon has a history of injuries.
After watching the Gurley situation unfold across town, it's not crazy to think that the Chargers have some doubts about giving a contract to a running back in Gordon who's missed nine games over his first four seasons.
According to Smith, Gordon's plan is to stay in Los Angeles, but if the Chargers won't give him fair compensation, then the running back wants to be traded.


"We'll see how it plays out," Smith said. "Maybe he ends up, stays where he is, right there in Los Angeles. There's nothing to suggest that he does not want to be there. He just wants to be compensated. He'd love to stay [with the Chargers], assuming we can get something done. If we can't, he's prepared to move."
The thing about a trade is that there's not a huge market out there of teams looking to overpay for a running back, and Bell's a good example of that. When the former Steelers running back hit free agency, there weren't exactly a lot of teams bidding on his services. In the end, he got a four-year, $52.5 million deal with the Jets that included $27 million in guaranteed money.
If Gordon's situation does come down to a trade, Smith is confident that there will be at least one team out there willing to give the 26-year-old the contract he's looking for.
"Some teams are more creative than others. All we need is one team," Smith said. "For those teams that have a running back, but maybe he's not the back that they need, maybe trade a player and a pick. Right now, I don't know, because we have not been empowered to talk to other teams to discuss a trade, but all you need is one trade partner."


With Gordon and the Chargers locked in a stalemate, this seems like a situation that's only going to get uglier as the season approaches. In the end, the Chargers might be forced to do what the Raiders did with Khalil Mack and just trade him away to the highest bidder.

Todd and DJ have both been all-pro, and have each had a dominant season or 2. Dominant. Not MERELY 1 good season. GTF outta here with the disrepespect BS. HE HASN'T EARNED IT YET.

[21&500]

It doesn't even matter if MG "deserves to get paid"
if the organization doesn't think it's in the best interest of the team, they obviously shouldn't do it.
I think there's a fair debate going on here whether or not it's in the organization's best interest
i'm as worried as anyone about not having our best rb
but we can't send the message to other players that their agents can take things public, and the organization will respond.

[Sgt. Pepper]

Imo, it's not about whether Gordon has earned a big contract. It's about whether it is a wise investment for the Chargers or any team. The more I read the more I come to realize that paying Gordon what he is seeking is not a good investment for the Chargers. I don't think that the compensation he is seeking would be a good investment for any team. That is not a knock on Gordon as a person or even his talent, it is just brutal reality. I wish and I hope that Gordon would come to accept this reality before too many bridges have been burned for him to return to the Chargers. He probably won't earn significantly more than what the Chargers are offering him now, and in the short time he has left in his career his best shot at getting a ring is probably with the Chargers this and the next few seasons. If he forces his way out he probably won't have that chance with another team and he probably is not going to earn that much more money. I feel he is being heavily influenced by his agents, who probably have their best interests at heart and not Gordon's.

[BlazingBolt]

If u honestly think he has earned top 3 RB money i strongly disagree. No way in hell can i give him 13-15MM. closer to half that is honestly is what i would pay him.

i never said what he should get paid just that I think he should get paid and that he is under rated. We may have gone 4-0 with out him last year but it didn't pass the eye test, the running game and the offense was a shell of it self without him.

Last year him and Gurley and Zeke were the best RB in the league. Doesn't that mean he should be paid like one of the top backs in the league? He is third in scrimmage yards since his rookie season in the entire league. He has not been paid appropriately for that level of production. How many TDs would he have if he was given a chance to score as a rookie?

The team has only made known the intention that they want to sign him long term. He has made know he wants to be here. The only thing that's changed is he said he's not showing up to camp, did anyone actually expect him to with out a contract? This is a negotiation. This is a tactic. I think most of you are all way over reacting here and I think it's based on so many of you under rating what an absolute beast of a RB this guy is.

[BlazingBolt]

It doesn't even matter if MG "deserves to get paid"
if the organization doesn't think it's in the best interest of the team, they obviously shouldn't do it.
I think there's a fair debate going on here whether or not it's in the organization's best interest
i'm as worried as anyone about not having our best rb
but we can't send the message to other players that their agents can take things public, and the organization will respond.

BS. We don't need to be worried about caving or setting a precedent.

And I think most y'all are insane. This is a super bowl window that slams shut if you don't pay the guy. We don't know how long Rivers has left but we know it's not long. Why any of you worried about the potential of him not playing out his contract or having dead cap space or just having too much cap space in RB....we are talking about a chance at a Super Bowl and we have never one won ever before if you didn't know. Take off your salary cap nerd hats, drop your jealousy that the guy makes a lot of money, stop worrying about a guy who's earned his trying to get his, take a deep breath and stop freaking out. I think this gets done and there's really nothing to see here other than once again management dragging their feet getting a contract done trying to get the best deal.