Melvin Gordon will still play a pivotal role for the Broncos this season

Training Camp 2022 is officially underway for the Denver Broncos. With Russell Wilson under center, Broncos fans will no longer dread watching their team’s offense. Wilson has multiple weapons at his disposal, but one of the most important is polarizing – Melvin Gordon.

Gordon has had an interesting career in Denver. In his two seasons in Denver, Gordon has been placed in the unenviable position of sharing carries with two of the most-popular players on the Broncos.

When Gordon was signed in 2020, some saw it as disrespect to Phillip Lindsay. Lindsay, a hometown player with an explosive style, is beloved in Denver. Gordon was viewed almost as a villain here to replace Lindsay.

In 2021, Broncos fans fell in love with Javonte Williams. Williams was a rookie with a bruising style that is exciting to watch. Many wanted to see more carries go to Williams over Gordon.

Gordon was able to produce in both seasons. Recording 986 yards and 918 yards in each season respectively. To go with that, Gordon scored 10 touchdowns (rushing and receiving) in each season. Gordon has only missed two games during his two seasons in Denver, making him reliable.

For a player that didn’t receive a lot of support from fans or media, Gordon was the most-consistent offensive player for the Broncos the last two seasons. For 2022, the Broncos were able to bring him back at a bargain rate and his presence on this Broncos roster should not be undervalued.

Gordon’s two biggest plays while in orange and blue, coincidentally, both came in New York. Against the Jets in 2020 and Giants in 2021, Gordon had two long touchdowns at the end of those games to seal the victory for the Broncos.

With a more high-powered offense ready to take the field in 2022, the Broncos will have more late leads which will require a strong running game to close out the victories. They’ll need a finisher.

Gordon can run, catch and pass protect. While Gordon is not elite, he is complete. The ability to do all three makes Gordon a player that can be on the field for any situation, including two running back sets with Williams. When Gordon is on the field, it doesn’t tip off the defense as what the offense will be doing.

Williams should be receiving the bulk of the carries, but Gordon is available to come in fresh and continue to wear down a defense. Further, Williams style of running draws a lot of contact. If Williams gets injured, Gordon can come in the game and the offense shouldn’t miss a beat.

As we saw with the Avalanche in their Stanley Cup run, depth is what wins championships. Gordon is an ideal depth player.

To be fair, Gordon hasn’t endeared himself to Broncos Country. There is a lot of fair critiques to point out, as our guy Zach Bye has pointed out. The running back not attending OTAs, his quotes in the media and his off-the-field issue in 2020 have alienated some that might have otherwise supported him.

On the field, Gordon has fumbled, which like receiver drops loom large in our memories. This issue must be cleaned up as the Broncos will be in a tight AFC playoff race and one turnover can cost them an important victory.

The criticisms of Gordon are valid, but in a more specialized role, he can be very valuable to this Broncos team. Gordon isn’t the next Terrell Davis or Clinton Portis and he won’t one day be in the Ring of Fame, but he can contribute to this current Broncos team.

It’s probably best we accept that Gordon’s relationship with fans and media has been tenuous and it might not ever be perfect. But with his current contract, Gordon is a luxury and could prove to be one of the most important players on this team.

For Gordon, it’s an imperfect relationship that we need to accept. After all the drama, he has helped the Broncos more than he’s hurt the Broncos since he came to Denver. As a role player, he can be dangerous to opponents and help the the Broncos in 2022.

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