The Melvin Gordon Saga - Holdout Over

[Sgt. Pepper]

Film study + reading sources I respect.

It is possible to be willing or to be pretty good at pass pro, and for that to not be enough at the pro level.

I've never seen Ekeler or Justin Jackson miss a blitz pickup. If you have link to video, please post it, I would really like to see it. The sample size on both players is small and I don't know how many times they have been tasked with blitz pickups. I concur that this is one of Melvin Gordon's strengths and one of the biggest concerns of Ekeler and Jackson replacing him. But I know of no evidence to suggest either player is a liability in blitz pick up.

[wu-dai clan]

I've never seen Ekeler or Justin Jackson miss a blitz pickup. If you have link to video, please post it, I would really like to see it. The sample size on both players is small and I don't know how many times they have been tasked with blitz pickups. I concur that this is one of Melvin Gordon's strengths and one of the biggest concerns of Ekeler and Jackson replacing him. But I know of no evidence to suggest either player is a liability in blitz pick up.

Visualize Ekeler, Jackson blocking speed to power guys,
like Frank Clark, Von Miller, Bradley Chubb, Clelin Ferrell. And we open with Justin Houston/Indy.

Sorry, I have no links, but I will be renewing my NFL Game Pass on August 1st @ $99/yr.

BTW, did you see that Ekeler took the initial snaps in camp, Sgt. ? I think the one area we disagree the most on is who starts. I REALLY like Ekeler as a COP RB.
It's cool.

[jamrock]

I'm stealing this post from another Charger board:

ust perusing the NFL.com article regarding Zeke's holdout, and I stumbled upon this nugget that I was totally unaware of, primarily because players under contract haven't held out since the new CBA has been in place in 2011:

• Every day Elliott misses training camp going forward could cost him $40,000 (should the Cowboys choose to impose daily fines). While it's the first day of Cowboys camp, it's also a day closer to Aug. 6, which is the reporting deadline to acquire a year of service toward free agency. The service time is not accrued if a player fails to report to his squad at least 30 days prior to the first game of the season.
  
  www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001037281/article/jerry-jones-on-ezekiel-elliott-hes-a-nonreport

Maybe, just maybe, there is a good reason why players under contract haven't held out???

[SDBORN]

Agreed completely. One thing though. Melvin is really good at picking up blitzes.
The others, not so much. I tout JJ too. But this is concerning.

I am hoping MG III comes in before too much of the season is gone.

Other great thing about Gordon, is how good he has learned to be when it comes to protecting the rock. The guy rarely fumbles. He is proven in this regard.

It's such a basic thing, but so fundamental.

[Formula 21]

I'm stealing this post from another Charger board:

ust perusing the NFL.com article regarding Zeke's holdout, and I stumbled upon this nugget that I was totally unaware of, primarily because players under contract haven't held out since the new CBA has been in place in 2011:

• Every day Elliott misses training camp going forward could cost him $40,000 (should the Cowboys choose to impose daily fines). While it's the first day of Cowboys camp, it's also a day closer to Aug. 6, which is the reporting deadline to acquire a year of service toward free agency. The service time is not accrued if a player fails to report to his squad at least 30 days prior to the first game of the season.
  
  www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001037281/article/jerry-jones-on-ezekiel-elliott-hes-a-nonreport

Maybe, just maybe, there is a good reason why players under contract haven't held out???

That doesn't apply to Gordon because he already has the 4 years of service required to qualify for free agency. Its that 5th year option for first rounders that kills him.

[Steve]

The important part of the thing, IMHO, is both Elliott and Gordon realize that the RB market is potentially on the verge of being upset with 2 of the top 3 players (maybe even the 3rd) being cut, and the rest of the market is very, very low compared to the top 3. Without those top 3 to gauge their value, they will get screwed. They need to get into the same contract neighborhood now, before the market crashes. So this season is far more important.

That being said, there is a very, very good chance that both Elliott and Gordon will be at least the 2nd and 3rd highest-paid RB. But that could be anywhere from the supposed $10-11 mil deal we offered to Gordon, to down too just a bit more than Freeman is getting, which is about $8.5 mil per season.

Elliott has a lot more leverage, and for good reason. He is more important to his offense because it is built around his skills. MG is more of an Edgerrin James, complimentary RB to the QB. BUt all the other arguments about the value fo RB is still in play.

[blueman]

I think those cows are already out of the barn, the money just ain't gonna happen.

[Topcat]

The important part of the thing, IMHO, is both Elliott and Gordon realize that the RB market is potentially on the verge of being upset with 2 of the top 3 players (maybe even the 3rd) being cut, and the rest of the market is very, very low compared to the top 3. Without those top 3 to gauge their value, they will get screwed. They need to get into the same contract neighborhood now, before the market crashes. So this season is far more important.

That being said, there is a very, very good chance that both Elliott and Gordon will be at least the 2nd and 3rd highest-paid RB. But that could be anywhere from the supposed $10-11 mil deal we offered to Gordon, to down too just a bit more than Freeman is getting, which is about $8.5 mil per season.

Elliott has a lot more leverage, and for good reason. He is more important to his offense because it is built around his skills. MG is more of an Edgerrin James, complimentary RB to the QB. BUt all the other arguments about the value fo RB is still in play.

Gordon is like the 2nd class passenger on the sinking Titanic who is more concerned with moving up to a 1st class suite, instead of hopping onto the lifeboat...

[Topcat]

Rivers on our running backs and Gordon's holdout:

"They're going to get a lot of work. It certainly is a deep position for us, and those guys all love to play and work hard. We love Melvin, but we're going to go with what we've got. It's a pretty dang good group."

https://thebiglead.com/2019/07/26/melvin-gordon-philip-rivers-holdout-chargers/

[Maniaque 6]

The comparison is good but there's no crash in view.
The RB's market can go up and down every year.
Average of the 5 highest salary...
2018: about 8.5 millions
2019: possibly 12 M
2020: possibly 10 M
2021: ?????

[jamrock]

That doesn't apply to Gordon because he already has the 4 years of service required to qualify for free agency. Its that 5th year option for first rounders that kills him.

you sure? What's the point of the 5th year option if the player can sit it out?

[Topcat]

you sure? What's the point of the 5th year option if the player can sit it out?

"If a team decides to use its option, the player can face substantial fines for refusing to report to camp on time and/or at all. Players can be fined up to $30,000 per day of training camp missed and a fine equal to one week's regular season (1/17 of P5 Salary) check for any preseason games missed.

The Fifth-Year Option is intended provide teams with more security when it invests a valuable first-round pick on a player."

https://frontofficenfl.com/2017/03/27/nfl-rookie-contracts-explained-fifth-year-option/