It appears the Denver Broncos’ talented and productive backfield tandem from a season ago could be returning in 2022, after some comments George Paton made to the press at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine.
“We think Javonte [Williams] is ready to do whatever—full workload, shared carries. I think Melvin [Gordon III] and Javonte [Williams] really complemented each other well,” Paton said. “They helped each other. Melvin [Gordon III] was a total pro with Javonte [Williams], and I know Javonte [Williams] appreciated that relationship.”
Javonte Williams is still on his rookie deal, of course, but the contract Melvin Gordon signed back in 2020 is expiring and he’s set to hit the open market. Fortunately for Gordon, Paton went even further in making it seem like the Broncos are interested in keeping Gordon around.
“I’ve had really good discussions with Melvin [Gordon III],” Paton told the media. “We’d like to have him back. We still think he’s a really good [running] back. I think you need two or three runners in this league. They’re going to get nicked. It’s a tough position. But I couldn’t be more happy with [RB] Javonte [Williams] in his first year.”
Gordon gained over 1,100 yards from scrimmage for the Broncos in 2021 and breached the endzone 10 times. If Denver believes he’s able to replicate that production, it’s easy to see why they would want him back
That last comment goes beyond Gordon though, and points to a philosophical value of Paton — that he values the running back position, at least to the extent that he believes you need multiple quality runners.
That implies that, even if Gordon does end up leaving Denver this offseason, Paton will make an effort towards adding another talented backfield partner to join Williams.
