Melvin Gordon (Chargers) set to hold out (1 Viewer)

[superchuck500]

This year will be the final year (5th year option) on his rookie deal. He obviously sees where this is going with a potential tag for 2020 and the going into a potential work stoppage.

 

[SweetT]

Pay the man

 

[Shotgunred]

Need to keep an eye on how much this dude gets paid. I'm sure AK41 will be watching.

 

[saint_drago]

Hard to blame these young RBs for wanting new deals. These days RBs really have one chance to get a big time, multiyear contract. Teams can control their rights until they only have a few good years left. So then you have a 27 or 28 year old RB on the market and most teams would prefer to go younger and cheaper.

 

[SaintKenKen]

Hard to blame these young RBs for wanting new deals. These days RBs really have one chance to get a big time, multiyear contract. Teams can control their rights until they only have a few good years left. So then you have a 27 or 28 year old RB on the market and most teams would prefer to go younger and cheaper.

Agreed. I'm not sure what the compromise is, though. Maybe an escalator clause in the contract that ups the money in years 4/5 based on performance?

 

[saint_drago]

Agreed. I'm not sure what the compromise is, though. Maybe an escalator clause in the contract that ups the money in years 4/5 based on performance?

That might be a good place to start. The position has such a short shelf life, if they could have some performance escalators built in that would be good.

I don't know if anything can or even should be done about it. For every other position a 28 year old player is considered to be in his prime. For a RB though, 28 is near retirement. It's just the nature of the position. The players obviously want the big bucks while they can get them but most teams don't want to spend big bucks on a position prone to injury. Supply and demand is a major factor as well. Everybody thought the Steelers would be hurting without L. Bell, but James Connor stepped in and rushed for more TDs than Bell ever has and for a fraction of the cost.

The drop off from the #1 RB in the league to the #15 RB isn't as dramatic as it is with the #1 QB and the #20 QB. Most teams are comfortable with having Mark Ingram for 5 mill a year instead of Todd Gurley for 14.4 mill a year.

 

[los226]

I don’t blame these bell cow RB’s for demanding a contract. The elite players at the RB position have the quickest expiration date in the NFL.

 

[Swimmer]

That might be a good place to start. The position has such a short shelf life, if they could have some performance escalators built in that would be good.

I don't know if anything can or even should be done about it. For every other position a 28 year old player is considered to be in his prime. For a RB though, 28 is near retirement. It's just the nature of the position. The players obviously want the big bucks while they can get them but most teams don't want to spend big bucks on a position prone to injury. Supply and demand is a major factor as well. Everybody thought the Steelers would be hurting without L. Bell, but James Connor stepped in and rushed for more TDs than Bell ever has and for a fraction of the cost.

The drop off from the #1 RB in the league to the #15 RB isn't as dramatic as it is with the #1 QB and the #20 QB. Most teams are comfortable with having Mark Ingram for 5 mill a year instead of Todd Gurley for 14.4 mill a year.

Really good point Drago. I think another side story to these young talented RBs are the Powerful, Strong O-Lines. Bell sat out and Connor rocked it. Word out of Steelers camp is this young RB Samuel (sp?) is looking great and may force a time share with Connor this year. I think the bottom-line is that these great, powerful O-lines can make decent RBs look really good and actually make the RBs somewhat replaceable.

I'm not trying to take away from the Kamara's, McCaffreys, Elliotts, Gordons, Conors of the game. They are a pure joy to watch with their skill level. I just don't think that the great O-lines get as much credit for the monster yards some of these backs are amassing. And the playing life of an O-lineman is 2x to 3x that of an RB

 

[DerrickB]

You can't fault the man for holding out, especially at the position he plays.

 

[superchuck500]

You can't fault the man for holding out, especially at the position he plays.

His highest leverage for a new deal is now. He will have less leverage in the season and then the tag scenario plays out next year. I think the Chargers will probably do the right thing, they seem to be pretty well run and they have plenty of cap space - but it depends on what he's looking for.

 

[Swimmer]

You can't fault the man for holding out, especially at the position he plays.

100% agree. The NFL is brutal on paying RBs. The only problem I have with them holding out for more money, which I think is a very wise business option for some of them, is that they don't tell us if they are REALLY going to sit out or are just posturing. Why, because I drafted Bell with the #2 pick in my FF league and his actually sitting out ruined my season.

lmao - guess I'm being a wee bit selfish here. Maybe a ton selfish. But we gotta laugh because life can be so depressing at times.

 

[saint_drago]

Really good point Drago. I think another side story to these young talented RBs are the Powerful, Strong O-Lines. Bell sat out and Connor rocked it. Word out of Steelers camp is this young RB Samuel (sp?) is looking great and may force a time share with Connor this year. I think the bottom-line is that these great, powerful O-lines can make decent RBs look really good and actually make the RBs somewhat replaceable.

I'm not trying to take away from the Kamara's, McCaffreys, Elliotts, Gordons, Conors of the game. They are a pure joy to watch with their skill level. I just don't think that the great O-lines get as much credit for the monster yards some of these backs are amassing. And the playing life of an O-lineman is 2x to 3x that of an RB

Very true. The value of a RB depends on the system and the O Line. Teams with a great O Line can afford to let a high priced vet walk and replace him with a less talented, but still capable, RB. The Steelers last season are the perfect example.

Another example would be the Rams late in the season last year. Todd Gurley was the best RB on earth for most of the season but then his knee started acting up. So they pull C.J. Anderson away from a Pizza Hut buffet and he promptly rushes for 167 yards and a TD in week 16, 132 yards and a TD in week 17, and then 123 yards and 2 TDs against the Cowboys in the playoffs.

 

[robsmith32]

I really hope it backfires on him Kamara uses the same agency that represents Melvin Gordon.
make him play under the contract he has, since he wants to play hardball and be cry baby to get redone early.

 

[Saint Greg]

I don’t like the holdout. In some cases teams draft players in the first round specifically to get the 5th year option. If you can come to an agreement early, great. If not play out your contract.

 

[saintszks]

He should hold out. This is his last chance at a big payday and he needs to take it. He also knows the chargers are in position to compete and he is crucial to that next season. The NFLPA needs to have a major holdout for better pay and guaranteed contracts. That 5th year option is insane. That 5th year with the franchise tag essentially allows teams to control the player as they see fit. That usually works out for positions like QB, WR, DE, but for a RB it’s just an awful tool that is used against them.