Broncos should move on from Kareem Jackson, Melvin Gordon

After acquiring future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Russell Wilson in a blockbuster trade that reshaped their franchise, the Denver Broncos have been understandably and immediately propelled into win-now mode. The challenge, after five consecutive losing seasons, is daunting enough, but Wilson’s arrival also triggered something of an arms race in the AFC West, where the Kansas City Chiefs have dominated since Peyton Manning, Von Miller and the Broncos were Super Bowl champions following the 2015 season.

The Broncos haven’t been to the postseason since, and given the additions around the division — wideout Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders and pass rusher Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers, to name only two — it stands to reason that veterans who could accelerate the Broncos timetable would be welcome, especially if they’re already familiar faces.

That’s why much of the speculation around the Broncos prior to the draft now centers on safety Kareem Jackson and running back Melvin Gordon III, both effective players in their seasons as Broncos before becoming free agents this spring. Denver, with only $14 million or so remaining under the league’s salary cap, is clearly bargain-shopping in the scratch-and-dent aisle of the NFL’s free-agency lists. Not that long ago, neither Jackson nor Gordon would have been available at discount prices, but given how they’ve languished on the proverbial sidelines while other teams selected better, younger or cheaper models, perhaps there are deals to be had.

“We’ve spoken with both of their agents,” Broncos general manager George Paton said in late March. “It’s ongoing. We’d love to bring everyone back, but we just can’t do it. But we’re still talking with those two really good players.”

The question for the Broncos, however, shouldn’t be “could we?” It’s “should we?” And the answer in both these cases are almost certainly in the negative.

Jackson, who will turn turn 34 next week, may have been the last impactful free-agent signing that former general manager John Elway made before giving way to Paton prior to the 2021 campaign. Jackson, who converted from cornerback into a rangy, hard-hitting safety, had consistently been one of the Broncos’ best defenders from 2019-20. His skills eroded somewhat after that, resulting in Jackson re-signing with Denver on a one-year, $4.75 million contract that he accepted, but reportedly found almost insulting.

Unsurprisingly, his vaunted tackling skills continued to decline as his speed did. Jackson, by one advanced metric, missed more tackles than anyone else on the Denver defense last season. By the end of that 2021 campaign, fifth-round rookie Caden Sterns had claimed the starting position after Jackson suffered an injury, and the Broncos were happy enough with Sterns’ play that they haven’t yet addressed significant depth at the position in the offseason.

That hasn’t stopped Jackson from lobbying for a comeback.

“Yeah, definitely, they are making some major moves,” Jackson told NFL Network last month. “I didn’t have to call them because I’m right down the street from them, so I just walk down. We’ve been having conversations. So I mean, I’m definitely looking forward to possibly going back to Denver. Like I said, they are definitely making a ton of moves to turn that roster into a winning roster, and to compete and win right now in that AFC West division. So, definitely excited for my opportunity right now and I definitely would love to go back to Denver.”

While another mid-round rookie might not give Sterns the competition that the Broncos would like at the position, a free agent like Terrell Edmunds would. Edmunds, a first-round pick for the Steelers in 2018, has logged starter’s snaps in a career that’s admittedly been no better than average thus far. Still, Edmunds is only 25 years old, more durable than the aging Jackson, and likely has his best football in front of him.

At worst, a player like Edmunds would make for an outstanding backup safety — at a backup safety’s price point — or might even surpass Sterns and start alongside Justin Simmons for years to come. It’s hard to believe that Jackson’s return — at any price — would do the same.

At the running back position, second-round rookie Javonte Williams may well have ended the 2021 season as the Broncos’ best-overall player. He’s due for more than a platoon role this fall, something that even Gordon, who will turn 29 this week, suggested following Williams’ dazzling rookie season. Gordon, who reportedly ditched his agents after remaining unsigned in the first few waves of free agency, provided the Broncos with what they paid for in his just-concluded, two-year, $16 million deal, but in the end, he’s now probably a luxury that the Broncos can’t afford.

“I’ve had really good discussions with Melvin,” Paton said at the NFL combine in early March. “We’d like to have him back. We still think he’s a really good back. I think you need two or three runners in this league. They’re going to get nicked. It’s a tough position. I think Melvin and Javonte really complemented each other well. They helped each other. Melvin was a total pro with Javonte, and I know Javonte appreciated that relationship.”

For Gordon, the feeling is mutual.

“I have been wanting to come back. I would love to win a championship in Denver. I made a lot of great relationships with the guys,” Gordon told The Fan’s Denver7 Broncos Insider Troy Renck last month. “I feel like we have a really good team. To leave a talented team and go somewhere else would suck. It’s a job unfinished, and we need to finish the job. I would love to stay. I talked with George. We spoke on it. He told me he thinks highly of me. I really like the way he runs things and does things.”

What Paton did last season after moving in from fan-favorite Phillip Lindsay, however, was add running back Mike Boone from the Vikings and add Williams in the second-round — after aggressively trading up to do so. Paton’s certainly sincere when he says he’d like to have Gordon return — the pair comprised the most-effective part of the Broncos’ pedestrian-at-best offense last season — but only at a bargain-basement price. Unspoken is the understanding that if Gordon were to return, he wouldn’t be splitting carries with Williams anymore; he’d instead be the clear No. 2 in the Broncos’ backfield. When it comes down to it, neither of those outcomes are ideal for a running back nearing 30 years of age.

In the draft, it’s common knowledge that running back is the easiest position to project and has the simplest learning curve for rookies, making the backup role almost fungible in today’s NFL. Put simply, for Paton and the Broncos, that means that their money is probably better off being committed somewhere else.

It’s unfortunate for both Jackson and Gordon that they toiled for the Broncos in a post-Manning, pre-Wilson era that was all but bereft of hope, only to find themselves on the outside looking in when things finally began to turn around, but that’s the nature of the league. Both were well-compensated by the Broncos for their efforts, and it’s more than reasonable to hope that the pair remain gainfully employed for years to come.

Fairly or unfairly, however, the nature of the NFL isn’t one built on sympathy; it’s built on giving one’s team the best chance to win both immediately, and in the future. Because of that, for the Broncos, it’s time to turn the page.

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