Former two-time Pro Bowl running back Melvin Gordon III has signed a one-year $3.1 million deal, according to Adam Schefter.
Veteran Running Back Melvin Gordon III Signs with the Ravens
Gordon spent a large portion of his NFL career with the San Diego/ Los Angeles Chargers, starting from the day he was drafted in 2015 until the conclusion of the 2019 season, before signing with the Denver Broncos in 2020, where he spent two and a half seasons running routes in the mile high city before getting waived by the team and picked up by the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs even though he had been relegated to the team’s practice squad.
Gordon’s prime years may be in the rear-view mirror, but having an experienced running back splitting the workload between fellow running backs Justice Hill, JK Dobbins, and Gus Edwards may be beneficial despite the fact that Baltimore is moving toward a more pass-happy offense under Todd Monken.
Gordon isn’t the first veteran running back to join the Ravens. The team had former Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram II from 2019 to 2020 and last year Kenyan Drake. Ingram and Drake had eight and six years behind them at signing, respectively.
Former Broncos RB Melvin Gordon (25) – Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports
Gordon will bring a good veteran presence to the Ravens with four seasons where he rushed for over 900 yards and he can be a somewhat decent receiver with 14 receiving touchdowns as of this article.
However, Gordon is at the point in his career where running backs typically aren’t as explosive when they first enter the league. He could potentially be used in short goal-line runs for the endzone or on certain teams, depending on what the situation is on the field.
When Mark Ingram II was on the Ravens in 2019, he had 1,018 rushing yards on 202 carries and scored ten touchdowns, while Kenyan Drake had 482 rushing yards on 109 carries and scored four touchdowns during his lone season in Baltimore. Gordon’s stats with the team could be a hit or miss depending on how he performs in training camp and on the field.
Either way, Gordon signing with the Ravens is a good veteran pickup for the 2023 NFL season.
