Melvin Gordon Rumors: Latest on Free-Agent RB's Likely Landing Spots

In 2019, running back Melvin Gordon, in the final year of his rookie deal with the Los Angeles Chargers, held out through the first three weeks of the regular season in hopes of securing either a trade or a more lucrative contract. 

It didn't work, and he reported to the Chargers and ended up playing in 12 games for 612 total yards and eight touchdowns on 162 attempts. 

Now, as free agency is slated to open on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, it all appears to have been for naught, as the Chargers seem more than ready to let Gordon depart and claim their compensatory pick. 

Teams doing their homework on the 26-year-old understand he's capable of much better numbers than he put up last season. They could simply look to his 2017 campaign, when he crossed the 1,000-yard threshold, or the seasons that bookended it, in both of which he scored 10 rushing touchdowns.

Still, the Wisconsin product didn't necessarily give his camp the best negotiating firepower with his handling of last season, and now he'll find out exactly what his value holds in free agency. 

Let's take a look at the latest news and rumors surrounding Gordon's first-ever entry into free agency. 

Denver Broncos Have Interest in Gordon

On March 2, 9NEWS' Mike Klis reported the Broncos would be interested in adding a "starter type" running back in free agency.

On Saturday, he revealed the Broncos specifically are zeroing in on Gordon: "The Broncos are interested in Gordon, who showed All Pro flashes in his five years for the division-rival Chargers, but never quite put it all together."

Gordon's pass-catching ability would make the Broncos backfield, currently manned by Phillip Lindsay, that much more deadly. And new offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur will be looking for a player he can use that way in his offense.  

But despite Klis' report, there wasn't much activity of note between the Broncos and Gordon after Monday's negotiation window opened at noon ET. 

Denver has about $35.8 million to play with in cap space, per Spotrac (h/t The Broncos Wire), including the $11.441 million franchise tag amount for safety Justin Simmons. 

Despite Being Named as a Target, Not Much Movement Between Miami Dolphins and Gordon

Multiple sources have linked the Dolphins to Gordon in free agency, including Broncos radio analyst Benjamin Allbright and the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson. 

But according to Jackson, nothing is "percolating" on the Gordon front so far for the Dolphins:

The Dolphins are in the market for a running back to add to their rotation to supplement a player they hope to add through the draft, per Jackson, but perhaps that player won't be Gordon. Jackson also lists Jordan Howard and Carlos Hyde as options the Dolphins may explore. 

There's no question Miami needs to build out its running backs room. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was the team's leading rusher, at 243 yards, after Kenyan Drake was traded to the Arizona Cardinals.

One wrench in the works may be Gordon's asking price, which is in "double digits annually," according to Allbright (h/t Pro Football Network).

That may be too rich for the Dolphins given that Gordon made $5.6 million last season, even if it was on his rookie deal. 

Gordon's Market Down to Atlanta, Miami or Tampa Bay

Despite the rumored interest the Broncos have in Gordon, NFL Media's Michael Fabiano reported Monday that his market is down to the Atlanta Falcons, Dolphins or Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Fabiano did qualify his report with the fact that if Gordon is going to get work as a featured back in 2020, these are the teams that can offer him that opportunity. Denver, of course, already has heavy firepower in Lindsay. 

Before Monday's negotiating window opened, the Dolphins and Bucs were both listed in the top four of the teams with the most available cap space, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap, with the new salary cap set at $198.2 million for the upcoming season. The Falcons weren't in the top 10 most flush teams, though. 

Speaking of Atlanta, the team released Devonta Freeman with three years left on his contract, his agent, Kristin Campbell, told Vaughn McClure of ESPN. In so doing, it saved $3.5 million against the cap and has been left with $6 million in dead money.

Miami and Tampa Bay haven't been reticent about spending money during the negotiating window, though. The Dolphins will sign Byron Jones to a massive deal, making him the highest-paid cornerback in the league, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Miami also returned to the table later in the day to agree to terms with pass-rusher Shaq Lawson, per Rapoport. 

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay franchise tagged Shaq Lawson, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, and remain betting favorites to sign quarterback Tom Brady. 

That's not to say neither team has room to add Gordon. As we know to be true, while the player and his reps may have a desired number in mind for his new contract, his true value is ultimately only what the market will bear.