Seton Hall
NFL Headlines As The Season Nears
Date: August 21, 2019By: Jorie Mickens
With week two of the NFL preseason in the books, it was not the games that dominated NFL headlines, but the on-going contract negotiations, injuries and one significant reinstatement by the NFL.
Running backs Melvin Gordon of the Los Angeles Chargers and Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys are both amid contract negotiations that seem to be at a standstill. Earlier this summer, the Chargers offered Gordon $10-$11 million a year, which would make him the fourth-highest paid running back in the league. Gordon rejected the offer and has been training solo and away from the team for the past five weeks.
Recently, Gordon said that he was “Just waiting on the call” from the Chargers. It seems Gordon is ready to return to his team, but it might be too late. Throughout the preseason, Chargers running backs Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson have shown they can fill the void Gordon left in the Chargers running game. Don’t be surprised if the Chargers end up with a running back by committee situation come week one.
As for Ezekiel Elliot, the relationship between him and the Cowboys management does not seem cordial. Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, when asked about the performance of rookie running back Tony Pollard and if that gives Jones leverage in the contract negotiation with Elliott responded, “Zeke who?” This comment did not sit well with Zeke, saying he did not find Jones’ “joke” funny and found it disrespectful.
Gordon and Elliot are in different situations than running back Le’Veon Bell was last offseason. Bell was able to miss the entire 2018 NFL season and still become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. If Gordon and Zeke do not show up by week thirteen of the regular season, their contracts will “toll” into next season.
The two running backs will be in the same predicament they are in now, only a year older and have less leverage than they do at this moment. While the two are both expected to return to their teams, hedge your bets by selecting other standout running backs with your first-round pick.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has been dealing with a calf strain in his right leg throughout the summer, and the Colts are concerned if he will be ready to go week one against the Chargers. With Luck out of the lineup, that could have big fantasy implications for the Colts receiving core. Outside of his rookie season, T.Y. Hilton had career-lows in yards, receptions, targets and touchdowns in 2017 when Luck missed the entire season with a shoulder injury.
Tight end Eric Ebron had a career year in his one and only season with Andrew Luck last season, catching more touchdown passes than he had through his entire career. If Luck cannot play, shy away from the Colts receiving core.
The NFL reinstated controversial wide receiver Josh Gordon and he will return to the defending champion New England Patriots this season. Gordon has a troubled history with the law and drug abuse that dates to when he was in the seventh grade. Gordon also has received two season-long suspensions for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. When Gordon does play though, he is a nightmare for opposing defenses.
In 2013, where he only played 14 games, he led the NFL in receiving yards, yards per game and was second in yards per reception. In the eleven games he played with the Patriots last year, Gordon was on 16-game pace to break 1,000 receiving yards. This is the last straw for Gordon, but he could not be in a better place.
He is in a winning environment, has a Hall of Fame quarterback, a coach and team that believes in him and supports him, if Gordon can stay out of trouble, he and the New England Patriots will once again be a problem for the rest of the NFL.
Jorie Mickens can be reached at jorie.mickens@student.shu.edu.
