Clayton: Melvin Gordon is right to feel disrespected in NFL circles

During the offseason, Broncos running back Melvin Gordon said he felt disrespected in the NFL.

The initial reaction was that his ego was being too sensitive. Well, I agree with him. He has been disrespected. And it’s getting worse.

Former Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew ranked him as the 24th best running back in the league. Many around town believe second-round pick Javonte Williams will beat him out for the starting job in the Broncos backfield.

Someone give him some respect.

My guess is running backs in their second contract don’t get much respect unless they are among the league leaders in the stats. But Gordon has been to two Pro Bowls.

Even though the numbers weren’t great, Gordon was the highest paid free agent running back last year to move to a different team. He got a two-year deal at $16 million, an average of $8 million a year.

Last year, he played 15 games and rushed for 986 yards. Remember, there were only eight running backs who had 1,000-yard seasons in 2020.

Considering the Broncos 5-11 record and Drew Lock’s bad season, Gordon’s numbers were good. You can even go back to 2019 when Gordon said he felt disrespected in the NFL. At that time, he was trying to get a contract extension with the Chargers.

Of course, Gordon does have to take responsibility for a fumble with his Chargers negotiation. They eventually offered him $10 million a year. He turned it down. That was a big mistake. He had to take a $2 million a year paycut last year and move to a different team.

We’ll see how things go in training camp and during the season, but Gordon deserves some respect. He’s earned it.