Getty Former Denver Broncos running back Melvin Gordon walking off of the football field.
The New York Jets are still searching for an answer at running back after losing rookie sensation Breece Hall earlier this year.
One option the team could consider is recently released veteran running back Melvin Gordon. On Monday, November 21 the Denver Broncos announced that they had cut ties with the former two-time Pro Bowler, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Broncos announced they have waived RB Melvin Gordon III.
Melvin Gordon Connected to the Jets
Broncos Insider Troy Renck of Denver7 listed the Jets as a possible landing spot for Gordon whether that be as a free agent or a waiver wire claim.
He wasn’t the only one to connect the dots on social media. Sam Wagman, a content manager for Vegas Insider, simply stated that Gordon “you are a New York Jet” following the news of his release.
Gordon was released by the Broncos in large part due to his fumbling issues this season. The former Wisconsin product coughed up the ball on Sunday during a 22-16 overtime loss versus the Las Vegas Raiders.
That was the fifth time this season that Gordon has fumbled the ball.
Throughout his eight-year career in the NFL, Gordon has proven to be a dynamic offensive piece:
- 6,462 rushing yards
- 69 total touchdowns
- Averages 4.8 yards per scrimmage touch
Michael Carter and James Robinson Have to Be Better for Jets
The Jets are 6-4 this season and at their core, they want to ground-and-pound the football.
That strategy was working wonders earlier this season when Hall was dominating the NFL. Unfortunately a torn ACL, ironically enough versus the Broncos, ended his season and forced the Jets to call an audible at the line of scrimmage.
The Jets immediately pivoted to a James Robinson trade via the Jacksonville Jaguars. During his brief tenure with Gang Green he has been hit and miss thus far. Michael Carter has also shared an up-and-down nature to his game.
For example, the latest game against the New England Patriots featured a strong game plan built around the running game. Unfortunately it fell flat in more ways than one.
MC1 had eight carries for 19 yards which translated to a 2.4 yards per-clip average. Robinson didn’t fare any better with eight carries for 19 yards which equated to a 1.4-yard per clip average.
Zach Wilson, the Jets’ second-year quarterback, led the team in rushing with 26 yards on the ground.
If the Jets want to see their playoff hopes transform into reality, they need a consistent running game to balance out the offense. Without that, all of their dreams could go up in smokes through the final seven games of the 2022 season.
Perhaps Gordon could provide the group a spark and give the Jets a nice three-back tandem for the rest of the year. While the fumbling issues are a major concern, the lack of any juice in the ground game for the Jets is even more concerning.
The future is bright at running back when Hall returns in 2023, but he isn’t going to return in 2022 so this Jets team needs to find some answers in that room.