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October 28, 2019 | Empowerment

Melvin Gordon needs a contract. The Los Angeles Chargers running back is preparing to hold out and demand a trade if he doesn’t get one soon. Gordon informed the Chargers that unless he receives a new contract, he will demand a trade and will not report to training camp,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported. ESPN first reported the news. Chargers veterans report to training camp on July 24. LATEST ANALYSIS ??? Team matches for best staying FAs ??? Ranking deepest place groups ??? NFL triplets positions: Who’s No. 1? ??? NFC West primer: Camp questions ??? Rank: Could Redskins surprise? Gordon would be subject to fines of around $40,000 for each day missed if he does not report, each the collective bargaining agreement. Damarius Bilbo, among the representatives who reps Gordon, told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport the running is serious about holding out. “He’s very serious,” Bilbo said. “He’s worked his butt off and also the fifth-year option is a consequence of where he had been drafted. It is what it is. However, if we’d gotten a respectable offer, we wouldn’t be here. But he felt disrespected. He’s very serious.” Gordon is entering the fifth and last year of his rookie contract, set to make $5.6 million. He wants the security which comes with guaranteed money on a long-term deal. His 2019 salary is the 11th highest among running backs for this year. The 26-year-old likely looks at the list and sees a whole lot of springs used significantly less than himself and who aren’t as vital to a team’s offensive operation getting paid more. “We received an offer — discussions had been dead — but we obtained an offer which wasn’t a fair deal based on what Melvin has done, where he had been drafted, and how he’s performed, making two of the last four Pro Bowls,” Bilbo said. “It was disrespectful.” The Chargers told NFL Media they don’t have any comment on the matter. The do-it-all back has been a keystone piece of the Chargers offense since his second year in the league, compiling more than 1,300 scrimmage yards each of the past 3 seasons, with 38 total touchdowns. Gordon proved his worth to the L.A. crime last season while handling knee problems. The Chargers offense wasn’t exactly the same without the bruising back at full threat-level. The 2015 first-round pick skipped all the offseason workouts, but attended mandatory minicamp in June, in which he explained”I don’t understand,” when asked if he would hold out of training camp without a new contract. It is possible a holdout could extend to the regular season. “We will cross that bridge once we get there,” Bilbo told Rapoport when asked when he would sit out regular-season games. “If Melvin is not paid rather, he’ll want to be traded.” It’s possible the situation across town using Todd Gurley’s knee can give the Chargers pause to cover Gordon. The Rams handed Gurley a pile of money and today are dealing with a back that might have chronic knee difficulties. Given Gordon’s accident history, the Chargers might be reticent to hand their back a ton of guarantees. Gordon addressed these concerns throughout June minicamp: “It is an issue with everybody else,” Gordon said. “However, I know my worth. I understand what I bring to this team, and I’m sticking with this. Todd’s paid, so Todd don’t care what anyone says right now — him or David Johnson — they could say what they want to say. They signed the dotted line. “But sadly I haven’t yet, so I have to take the heat for some of the things they’re going through. But I’m not them, and like I said, I know my worth .” The dual-threat back understands his value. He’s prepared to hold out and demand a trade to someone who will compensate him as such, if the Chargers will not. Perhaps not having Gordon are a huge setback to the L.A. offense, one that looks poised to compete for a deep playoff run. But paying running backs in 2019 can be a precarious proposition for NFL teams. Gordon’s only leverage to have the deal he desires is to withhold his services. The running back is preparing to do so. Read more: free nfl football betting tips

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