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Buccaneers Favored to Sign Melvin Gordon; Falcons and Dolphins Among Top Landing Spots for RB

David Golokhov

by David Golokhov in NFL Football

Updated Mar 9, 2021 · 4:56 PM PST

Melvin Gordon coming off the field.
Which team will sign running back Melvin Gordon? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are favored. Photo by Jeffrey Beall (Wikimedia).
  • Melvin Gordon is finally a free agent and has the opportunity to sign with whichever team he wants
  • To date, just one unrestricted free-agent running back has agreed to a deal in 2020 free agency
  • See the odds to sign the longtime Charger, plus analysis on the best fit and the best bet

While there has been plenty of movement in the early part of free agency, running backs haven’t gotten much love. To date, just one free-agent running back has signed. One of the biggest left on the board is Melvin Gordon, who has been waiting for this day for a long time.

The table below shows the latest odds on where the longtime Charger will land for the 2020 season.

Melvin Gordon Free Agency Odds

Team Odds
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +250
Atlanta Falcons +300
Miami Dolphins +300
Arizona Cardinals +600
Philadelphia Eagles +700
Indianapolis Colts +900
Denver Broncos +1000
Pittsburgh Steelers +1000
Chicago Bears +1400

All odds taken Mar. 17.

Bucs Favored But Just Slightly

The Bucs are favored here because they are in desperate need of running back help. This is a team that led the NFL in passing, but finished 24th in rushing yards per game with just 95.1 per outing. They also averaged a paltry 3.7 yards-per-carry, which was 28th in the NFL.

The Bucs have been a disaster at the position for years; their leading rusher last season was Ronald Jones II, who had just 724 yards. Never mind a 1,000-yard rusher, this team hasn’t had a 900-yard rusher since 2015 when Doug Martin ran for 1,402. They clearly need assistance at the position.

Falcons Could Be The Right Fit

The Falcons will be looking for running back help as they just cut ties with Devonta Freeman recently. Freeman was the team’s leading rusher in 2019 but he only compiled 656 yards as the entire unit struggled. The Falcons finished with just 85.1 rushing yards per game, which was the third-worst mark.

The big concern here is that the Falcons don’t really have much salary cap space. They entered free agency with about $4 million to work with and, while that’s changed a little bit, they can’t exactly break the bank for Gordon. He would be a good fit in the Atlanta system, but they might not have the money for him.

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Dolphins Signed Jordan Howard

Miami has had a busy offseason, spending more than any other team. They signed Byron Jones to a five-year, $82.5 million contract; Kyle Van Noy to a four-year, $51 million deal; Shaq Lawson and Ereck Flowers to three-year, $30 million contracts; Emmanuel Ogbah to a two-year, $15 million deal;and now running back Jordan Howard.

The Dolphins still have plenty of holes to fill but keep in mind that they have a boatload of draft picks. They’ll be selecting fifth, 18th, 26th, 39th and 56th in the first two rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Miami definitely needs help at the position as they averaged a league-worst 72.3 rushing yards per game and 3.3 yards-per-carry. However, they decided to sign Howard to a contract instead of splurging on Gordon.

What’s The Best Bet?

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bucs land him not only because they need him but because this will help them lure the quarterback that they also need. If they go to Tom Brady or Philip Rivers and tell them that Gordon is also joining the fray, it makes the situation a little more attractive.

The Falcons don’t have as much financial freedom and I don’t see Gordon going to the Dolphins after they signed Howard, so I’d bet on the Bucs as the best landing spot for Gordon.

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