Chargers Editorial: Is Melvin Gordon Going to Be Alright?

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Mandatory Credit: UT San Diego
Mandatory Credit: UT San Diego

When the San Diego Chargers moved up to draft Melvin Gordon out of the University of Wisconsin, Chargers fans rejoiced. Now the same fans are getting restless about his production, or lack of it.

Melvin Gordon is a talented young running back. That talent does not always transition well to the National Football League. That is just the honest truth. Not to say Gordon is a bust, but he must truly work his hardest to grasp the knowledge necessary to sustain a productive football career.

The knock on Gordon early in camp was his receiving abilities and his pass blocking issues. He has shown strong hands out of the backfield and that does not seem to be an issue. His blocking skills are a work in progress, but that is to be expected from a rookie learning a new offense. According to Philip Rivers, Gordon has progressed and shown the ability to adapt to the new system. That is all you can ask from a rookie trying to make a team.

Melvin Gordon has gone 45 yards on 22 carries this preseason. Not impressive by any means as Gordon has struggled to find any separation. By failing to separate, Chargers fans have not seen the boost from Gordon. He has shown that he can break a few tackles and looks to be a tough runner between the tackles. He came to the Chargers with much hype and expectation, it’s natural for Chargers fans to be concerned about his slow start.

Melvin Gordon is only 22-years old, I think sometimes fans forget that. They expect players that are in their first year to just walk on the field and know everything. That can be the case for some extraordinary players, but normally it takes offensive rookies some time to adjust to the speed of the game. He clearly needs to adjust, but it is way too early to thrown in the towel on this talented young running back.

Will Melvin Gordon be alright? Yes, he should be. The skill set is there, and he has all the ability in the world. He needs to remain confident and soak up all the information he can gather from veterans like Danny Woodhead and Donald Brown. They can teach this young man the intangibles that are needed to succeed. It has been reported that Woodhead in particular has embraced educating Gordon.

Chargers fans will have to remain calm. One huge game or even one huge gain during the season could ignite this rookie. All he needs is the confidence that he can achieve anything. The game can be very mental for young players and the team has very high hopes that he will figure it out.

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