Melvin Gordon trade rumors: RB's lack of touches vs. Chargers fuels speculation of a move away from Broncos

Melvin Gordon fans have to be down bad right now as nothing seems to be going right for the Denver Broncos running back. When Javonte Williams went down with a season-ending injury in Week 4, Gordon ought to have gotten more snaps for the Broncos. Unfortunately, that has not been the case in Broncos Country.

Melvin Gordon has been getting fewer and fewer snaps since his running back mate was ruled out for the 2022-23 NFL season. Against the Los Angeles Chargers, it finally reached a tipping point. He had a disappointing three carries and left the game with eight total years on the ground.

As a result, speculation has arisen that the back is on his way out of Denver.

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Who could replace Melvin Gordon in Broncos Country?

Melvin Gordon is one of the most durable players at his position in the league. However, with his declining stats, the Broncos could understandably be looking for greener pastures.

In our opinion, there are two standout players would be solid options to replace Gordon as the default ball carrier for the Broncos. The two being Cam Akers of the Los Angeles Rams and Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers.

Cam Akers was recently announced by Rams head coach Sean McVay to be on the trade block. The Broncos thus looking into a trade wouldn't be a bad idea. Akers is an extremely versatile back and has significantly less career mileage than Gordon.

The other option is Christian McCaffrey, a gem of a player trapped in the Carolina Panthers firestorm. On a good day, a player of Christian McCaffrey's stature would be unavailable at this stage of the season. However, there is a potential rebuild in Carolina and McCaffrey will surely be worth a significant amount of capital.

Hence, the Denver Broncos could package Melvin Gordon and a few other assets to Carolina for McCaffrey's services. That would instantly strengthen Denver and kick off the rebuild in Carolina.

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Melvin Gordon's utility in an offense

The eighth-year back's skillset enables him to fill a variety of roles in any offensive system. Even tracing back to his days with the Chargers has he proved his value in both the running and passing game.

Standing at 6-foot-1 his strong frame allows him to be an excellent ground-and-pound power back who can dominate the trenches. Additionally, his speed and agility allows him to break runs to the outside for big open-field gains.

Moreover, his ball awareness makes him an ideal extra receiver in the passing game. He's a terrific checkdown back who can reliably catch balls out of the backfield.