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Philadelphia Eagles: Melvin Gordon should be the next veteran addition

By Andrew Cereghin

Oct 30, 2022; London, United Kingdom, Denver Broncos running back Melvin Gordon III (25) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third quarter during an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2022; London, United Kingdom, Denver Broncos running back Melvin Gordon III (25) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third quarter during an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports /
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Last week, the Philadelphia Eagles made two veteran additions that paid off in a big way in their win against the Indianapolis Colts. This week, another grizzled vet has been made available, and the Eagles should consider making one more addition.

The Denver Broncos have waived RB Melvin Gordon following Sunday’s 22-16 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Gordon has been vocal at times about his role in the offense since Javonte Williams was ruled out for the year with an ACL injury. After the Broncos added Latavius Murray and Chase Edmond to the backfield, they finally let Gordon go as he hopes he can find a larger role with a contending team.

Gordon is a 2x Pro Bowl running back; most recently in 2018, he’s topped 50 receptions twice in his career and has rushed for more than 900 yards 4 times. His role this year has come mainly in the receiving game, where he has caught 25 passes for 223 yards. This year Gordon has rushed for 318 yards on 90 attempts, giving him an average of 3.5 yards per carry.

The Philadelphia Eagles could bolster their backfield with Melvin Gordon.

Gordon is 29, the age where most running backs start to fall off due to usage, but there are cases where running backs play well into their 30’s; it’s unclear whether Gordon’s production has fallen off due to age or if it’s due to his role in the Broncos offense, either way, Philadelphia should look to add him to their backfield.

Last year the Eagles started to come together when they embraced their run-heavy identity, and while Jalen Hurts has made significant improvement as a passer this year, the offense is at its best when they have a solid running game.

Miles Sanders has been solid as the Eagle’s primary back this year, totaling 757 rushing yards on 156 attempts, but his work in the receiving game is almost a non-factor. His backup, Kenneth Gainwell, is supposed to make up for Sanders in the passing game, but so far, through 10 weeks, Gainwell has just nine receptions for 50 yards.

Gordon would not only make an impact in the run game, but he would make a significant impact on the passing game, as he can be used to fill the role that Gainwell was supposed to fill. Plus, with the Eagles being without Goedert for the next few weeks, it wouldn’t hurt to add whatever we can to the offense.

Howie Roseman has also not been shy of adding aging veterans where needed, as he added Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh to help in the run game. Could we see a similar move from Howie to add to another group that needs help? Gordon should still have gas left in the tank for a Super Bowl run, and Howie should take advantage of the opportunity.

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