Latest On Chargers, Melvin Gordon
Chargers camp is underway, and it doesn’t sound like running back Melvin Gordon is particularly close to coming back. Gordon has said he won’t report until he gets a new deal, and it doesn’t seem like there’s been much progress.
There is now “mounting pessimism” that Gordon “will be reporting anytime soon and his holdout threatens to go into the regular season,” sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Chargers GM Tom Telesco did say a couple of days ago that he offered Gordon a contract extension, but wouldn’t say how much he offered. Whatever Telesco offered he’s apparently set on, as a source told Josina Anderson of ESPN that the Chargers “are not willing to move off a certain number” (Twitter link).
Gordon has said he wants to stay with the team, but both sides don’t look like they’re backing down any time soon. Gordon, a 2015 first-round pick is set to enter the final year of his rookie deal. Gordon has said he’s willing to sit out as long as it takes, but this is the first real news we’ve heard that he’s apparently in danger of missing regular season time.
If Gordon were to miss time, Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson would be asked to pick up the slack in his place. Gordon had by far the most efficient year of his career last season, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Gordon is also an asset in the passing game, and is likely looking for one huge payday before he’s deemed over the hill.
Gordon, who will be 27 in April, is apparently looking for something comparable to what Todd Gurley, David Johnson, and Le’Veon Bell have recently gotten on their deals. Another thing to keep an eye on is the fallout from comments Philip Rivers made at training camp today. Gordon apparently objected to Rivers saying the team was “deep” at running back and was happy with the group they had, per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.
AFC West Notes: Chargers, Gates, Chiefs, Hill
The Chargers have had private talks with Antonio Gates about his status, GM Tom Telesco tells reporters (Twitter link via Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com). Williams’ read on the comments is that Gates will not be back, which makes sense since we have not heard much about the 39-year-old in recent months.
The Chargers brought Gates back for a 16th season after losing Hunter Henry to a season-ending injury, but they no longer have a dire need for tight end help. Barring something unforeseen, it sounds like they’ll finally move on from the eight-time Pro Bowler.
Here’s more from the AFC West:
- There are ways the Chiefs could protect themselves in a potential new Tyreek Hill deal, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com writes. The Chiefs usually favor deals with substantial signing bonuses, but in this case, they could follow the 49ers’ team-friendly blueprint of bonuses that are metered out at specific dates. For example, they could advance the dates for injury guarantees, pack much of the compensation into annual per-game active roster bonuses, and broad language to shield against future incidents.
- Raiders fullback Keith Smith suffered a knee injury while training and will be out a few weeks to begin training camp, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It’s possible they’ll sign another fullback as he recovers and Michael Gehlken of the Review-Journal (on Twitter) suggests that rookie Alec Ingold may push for a 53-man roster spot in his absence. Smith is due a $1.4MM salary in 2019 while Ingold is slated for just $495K.
- The Broncos ended their kicking competition this week while opening up a punting battle.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/24/19
Here are today’s minor moves, which feature a few recognizable names:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR/RS Jaydon Mickens, G Norman Price, DL Bijhon Jackson
- Waived: RB Elijah Hood, G Ian Silberman, DT Elijah Qualls
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: QB Taryn Christion
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: C Daniel Munyer, RB Aca’Cedric Ware
- Waived: DE Dadi Nicolas, G Nico Siragusa
Kansas City Chiefs
- Released: TE Neal Sterling
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB Derrick Gore
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: LB Jayrone Elliott
New York Giants
- Claimed: WR Da’Mari Scott
- Released: CB Tony Lippett
- Signed: TE Isaiah Searight
- Waived: TE Eric Dungey
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Temuchin Hodges (formerly known as Bucky Hodges)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DL Damontre Moore
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: TE Troy Niklas
- Waived: WR Xavier Ubosi
Chargers Made Offer To Melvin Gordon
- Chargers GM Tom Telesco says he did offer an extension to RB Melvin Gordon, as Eric Williams of ESPN.com tweets, but there are no reports on how much the offer was worth. Gordon is holding out from camp and was put on the reserve/did not report list.
Russell Okung Could Miss All Of Training Camp
Reports last month indicated that Chargers left tackle Russell Okung was dealing with an undisclosed injury, but that may not be quite accurate. As Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com tweets, the team placed Okung on the NFI listed with an undisclosed illness, and GM Tom Telesco said that Okung started dealing with a “pretty serious medical issue” in early June (via Daniel Popper of The Athletic on Twitter).
Popper adds that Okung could miss all of training camp, though there is no word yet on whether his regular season (or his career) are in jeopardy at this point. Telesco said that the 31-year-old is doing better and getting great care, and Okung plans to provide additional details when training camp opens tomorrow.
If Okung is forced to miss time, it would be a huge blow to the Bolts, who are widely considered to be a legitimate championship contender. Okung earned a Pro Bowl nod during his first year with the Chargers in 2017, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the 11th-best tackle in the league in 2018.
The No. 6 overall pick in the 2010 draft has missed just one regular season game in each of the past two seasons, and he suited up for both of Los Angeles’ playoff contests last year.
Chargers’ Melvin Gordon To Skip Camp
As expected, Melvin Gordon will not be on hand for training camp (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). Gordon, of course, is holding out in an effort to land a lucrative new deal. 
For each day that Gordon misses in training camp, the Chargers can fine him up to $40K. It’s a major risk and a major blow to his bank account, but in Gordon’s estimation, it’s worthwhile.
When looking at the history of running backs in the NFL – and their injury history in particular – Gordon’s push for financial security makes plenty of sense. Granted, running back holdouts don’t necessarily pay off. Le’Veon Bell famously skipped the 2018 season in an effort to preserve his body and reach free agency riches, but his four-year, $52MM deal with the Jets fell shy of his asking price.
This week, we heard that the Chargers have not budged in talks. Gordon, meanwhile, has expressed a desire to stay with the Chargers for the long haul.
Chargers Won’t Budge In Melvin Gordon Talks
The Chargers’ aren’t budging in talks with Melvin Gordon. Barring a change in his camp’s expectations, an extension isn’t coming soon for the running back, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) hears. 
Gordon has threatened to hold out, but the Bolts appear willing to call his bluff. The Bolts aren’t shaken, probably because Gordon would sacrifice roughly $330K per week by missing games, representing 1/17th of his $5.6MM salary. He also wouldn’t unshackle himself from the Chargers by skipping the whole year – the Chargers could still hit him with the franchise tag in 2020 if he sits out.
The timing of the new round of CBA negotiations also isn’t helping matters. It’s anyone’s guess as to how the future revenue split or salary cap machinations will impact future deals, so the general uncertainty may also be making the Chargers skittish.
For what it’s worth, Gordon says he ultimately wants to stay in L.A.
“I want to end up with the Chargers. That’s my home,” Gordon said recently. “I’m not going to sit here and be like, ‘Man, I don’t want to go back to the Chargers, dah, dah, dah.’ Like that’s the team that blessed me with an opportunity. They started my life. They changed my life. Of all 32 teams, that was the team that called me. I can’t forget them for that.”
Gordon Says Teammates Have His Back
One of the biggest stories in the league over the past week has been the situation involving Melvin Gordon and the Chargers. Somewhat out of nowhere, we heard that Gordon was threatening a holdout and a trade demand unless he received a new contract from Los Angeles. The 2015 first-round pick is set to play out the final year of his contract under the fifth-year option. Gordon struck a somewhat conciliatory tone recently, saying that he wants to end up back with the Chargers at the end of the day. Sometimes disputes like this can cause locker room issues and other chemistry problems, but Gordon isn’t worried about that here.
In a sit-down interview with Sam Alipour of ESPN, Gordon said of his Chargers teammates, “they’re all behind me. They all got my back.” Gordon continued, saying “they all told me, ‘You know what — we don’t really speak on contracts — but you just go and do what’s best for your family.’ And I’m glad I got that support from them.” Running backs across the league have bonded together as they’ve seen their value get questioned by many in recent years, and Gordon said that he’s heard from a ton of them. “A lot. A lot of starters. A lot, a lot of backs,” have reached out to him “just saying go out and get what you deserve,” he revealed. Gordon will be an interesting case-study, as the Chargers likely don’t want to pay him top of the market money. Backs like Le’Veon Bell, Todd Gurley, and David Johnson have commanded in the area of $15MM annually, and Los Angeles seems hesitant to pay that much. As we’ve broken down, Gordon doesn’t have all that much leverage because he can’t sit out the season like Bell did without his contract tolling.
- Training camps are already opening across the league, but there are still some relatively big names left on the market. They’ll likely be snatched up in the coming weeks, and Gil Brandt of NFL.com took a stab at projecting where they’ll land. Notably Brandt picks receiver Kelvin Benjamin to go to the Giants, cornerback Morris Claiborne to go back to the Jets, defensive tackle Corey Liuget to go back to the Chargers, and running back Jay Ajayi to go to the Colts. Recently we did our own breakdown on the best landing spots for Ajayi. Brandt connects a lot of dots, including the fact that current Giants GM Dave Gettleman drafted Benjamin in the first-round during his time in Carolina. Brandt also thinks Eric Berry will eventually land in Cleveland after all, and that Tre Boston will end up in San Francisco since the 49ers could use some safety help.
Eagles T Tyreek Burwell Retires
Eagles offensive tackle Tyreek Burwell has announced his retirement, as the Cincinnati product announced himself on Instagram (h/t Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk). Burwell posted the following statement:
“Man it’s hard for me to sit here and put this into words but after careful consideration I’ve made the decision to retire from the NFL. This journey has been unbelievable! I’ve been blessed to have been able to play this game since I was 7 years old. Playing in the NFL has been a dream come true and this game has taught and given me so much.”
Burwell signed with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2015, and though he was a victim of final cutdowns in September of that year, he was signed to the club’s practice squad shortly thereafter. He ultimately suited up for nine games in his rookie campaign, and five more in 2016, seeing minimal snaps in both seasons.
He was waived by the Bolts in September 2017 and then joined the Colts’ practice squad. He played in one game for Indianapolis that year, the last time he would see regular season action.
The Colts cut him last September, and the Eagles signed him to a reserve/futures contract in January. He was obviously a long shot to make Philadelphia’s 53-man roster.
Melvin Gordon's Leverage Is Limited
In examining the contract impasse between the Chargers and running back Melvin Gordon, both Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk and Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com emphasize one factor that has been largely overlooked in other reports and opinions concerning Gordon’s threat to sit out the entire season: if Gordon makes good on his threat, his contract would toll and he would still be under club control in 2020 at the same salary he would earn in 2019. So Gordon really doesn’t have a ton of leverage here, which is why Fitzgerald believes the 2015 first-round pick will ultimately be on the field come Week 1 regardless of whether he has a new deal in place.
- Fitzgerald notes that Gordon does not fit neatly into either the top tier of the league’s running backs, who have contracts paying at least $13MM per season, or into the second tier, which tops out at an AAV of $8.25MM. Fitzgerald believes that, if the Chargers want to keep Gordon for the long haul — which is still up in the air at this point — the two sides will come together on a pact that pays Gordon around $10MM per season.