Ravens' Gordon Speaks On RB Market: 'Think Twice!'

One of the biggest storylines in the NFL this offseason has been how devalued the running back position has become.

Across the league, top running backs have been fighting to get what they believe they're worth, only to come up empty. Some are stuck on the franchise tag for this season, such as Tony Pollard, Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs, the latter of which still has to signed his tender. Others were released while only being in their late 20s and are still free agents, such as Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook and Leonard Fournette.

Running backs league-wide, star or not, have been very vocal about their discontent with the current market. One of the latest to voice their concerns is Melvin Gordon, who just signed with Baltimore Ravens in late July. Gordon certainly didn't mince words, even advising younger players to reconsider playing the position.

“If you’re thinking about playing running back, think twice,” Gordon told the Baltimore Banner. “Unless you really, truly feel like God put you on this planet to run the ball, if you’re athletic enough to switch positions, I’d do so in a heartbeat.”

Gordon knows firsthand how brutal the running back market can be. With the Los Angeles Chargers in 2019, he held out for over two months in hopes of getting a contract on par with some of the top backs in the league. Despite his holdout extending into the regular season, he returned without a new deal and eventually left the Chargers after the season.

Now watching the plights of running backs across the league, Gordon has a fresh perspective on their struggles. Particularly interesting were his comments on his new teammate J.K. Dobbins. Dobbins is seeking a new deal of his own with an unofficial "hold in," but Gordon was completely unaware until he came to Baltimore.

“I didn’t even know he’s sitting out, but J.K. is sitting out,” Gordon said. “They’re not even making a big headline out of it, unless you’re in Indy, I guess. And they got other players sitting out. I didn’t even know J.K. was sitting out until I came here.”

Unfortunately for Gordon and other running backs, this is the reality of the NFL today. Gordon doesn't see that reality changing any time soon thanks to the current collective bargaining agreement lasting until 2030. With this bleak future, Gordon's best advice is just to steer clear.

“You better find something else to play,” Gordon said. “Play baseball. Play basketball or something else. Quarterback or DB or something. Running back just ain’t with the times. And I feel like it will change, but it won’t change until that CBA.”

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