Recent trade scenario has Melvin Gordon going to Buffalo
By Travis Wakeman
Melvin Gordon is still a member of the Los Angeles Chargers despite a prolonged holdout and countless trade rumors.
If you’re a fan of Gordon being on the Chargers’ roster, you might be sick of hearing about these trade rumors. But there’s certainly good reason as to why they keep popping up.
Gordon took some obviously terrible advice and held out for the preseason and continued that holdout into the regular season. He was looking for a new contract, which he didn’t get, and to make matters worse, the Chargers did fine without him, mainly because Austin Ekeler stepped up in a big way.
Gordon ran for just 31 yards on 12 carries in his 2019 debut, which took place this past Sunday against the Denver Broncos.
Because of all of those factors, Bill Barnwell of ESPN included Gordon on a list of potential trades. Under this scenario, Gordon would end up as a member of the Buffalo Bills.
Between now and the trade deadline of October 29, you’ll read about a good amount of trade ideas. It’s like that every year around this time. Of those, about 0.3759 percent actually come to fruition, but they are always fun to discuss.
This one would make a little bit of sense.
Many may look at that trade and deduce that the Chargers are not getting enough in return. T.J. Yeldon, a veteran running back, hasn’t had a ton of success in the league and the team would just be getting an earlier pick in the draft, though that could be valuable.
The Bills definitely get the best of this deal, adding a star to their stable of running backs that without Yeldon, would just include an aging Frank Gore and a hobbled Devin Singletary.
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After improving to 4-1 following a win over the Tennessee Titans this past Sunday, the Bills would certainly be considered “buyers” right now and might even be willing to sign Gordon to a new deal following the year. At worst, they get a short-term rental for their potential postseason push.
For the Chargers, it would be tough to let Gordon go at this price. However, the team would get something in return. That’s important.
After the season, the Chargers could place the franchise tag on Gordon or just accept a compensatory pick if he were to sign with a new team. That might be the best route to go. In addition, there’s no indication that the Chargers even want to move on from Gordon as the two sides seem to be getting along amicably following Gordon’s absence.
If the Bills (or any other team for that matter) wanted to try and get Gordon to wear their jersey, they should have to come to the table with a better offer than this one.