Gordon is Ready

Melvin Gordon may not have received the massive contract he was hoping to get last season, when he decided to hold out, but he does appear to be excited about the change of environment and the potential of local live poker online options he now has having signed with the Broncos.

The move to hold out may have worked for Le’Veon Bell, but it failed miserably for Gordon, as he had his worst season performance-wise during the course of his career, and killed the value he had built in the years beforehand. He came back in late-September looking sluggish and out of shape, and never really returned to his explosive, dominant form of old.

As such, he was forced to settle for a two-year, $16 million deal, which was much closer to a “prove it” theme than a “you’re worth it” one. Still, he does appear excited to play for the Broncos, as he’ll actually get to experience fans cheering for him in the stands — something he didn’t get at Dignity Health Sports Park in the past.

It was a shot at the Chargers, but Gordon’s not wrong at all. Nearly every home game featured the stands being taken over by fans of the visiting team.

Gurley is Gone

The Rams went against the league trend and awarded running back Todd Gurley with a massive contract in 2018, and it didn’t take them long to regret it.

Gurley was coming off the best season of his career, so the Rams awarded him a four-year, $60 million contract, making him the highest-paid running back in NFL history, when the position had long been devalued. But the Rams hooked him up in a big way, and regretted it soon after.

Fast-forward to now, with the Rams having cut Gurley last week. And while it wasn’t a big surprise to those in the NFL world that understand how contracts are structured, Gurley sure wasn’t expecting it.

“I didn’t see it coming, but obviously I’ve seen the process over the years, so I understand the business and I understand how it goes,” Gurley said, via ESPN’s Vaughn McClure. “But I’m also the same type of person like when someone else is getting cut, I’m joking on them. So I can’t get mad if somebody jokes on me. I joke on myself all the time. If you knew me, you know that’s me. And it’s all jokes. It’s some truth to every little joke.

“But I’m still just having fun with it. And that’s the only thing I can do. Stuck in the house all day. I know people are drinking and having fun, so I’m going to have fun with y’all.”

Gurley went on to sign with the Falcons for roughly half the annual contract value. He’ll be entering a make-or-break season in 2020, needing to show he still has some of the burst that once made him so tough to tackle in the open field.

Stop… Brady Time

Tom Brady may be 42 years old, but he eats clean and works out often, to make sure he remains in peak shape, so he’s not just the immobile signal-caller he’s sometimes mislabeled as.

Brady has always been a pocket passer, so mobility has never really been a part of his game, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s not quick on his feet.

Former teammate Rob Gronkowski learned that lesson, when Brady put the moves on him and shook him for a would-be touchdown grab. Brady was lined up opposite Gronk while the two were having some fun working out, and he got the separation needed to haul in a pass.

All Gronk could do was watch, after Brady shook him.

Following Cam

It was only year ago when Cam Newton — the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft — was the Panthers’ franchise quarterback, as the team looked to build on its previous success and make a playoff run.

Instead, however, Newton suffered a Lisfranc injury in August, having to undergo surgery, and missing the entire 2019 season. The Panthers then fell apart, going 5-11, and firing longtime head coach Ron Rivera.

And now, in just the last week, the Panthers have signed Teddy Bridgewater, and also released Newton. He’s currently attempting to join a contending team in the need for a signal-caller, but the quarterback carousel came and went so quickly last week, that only a few squads still fit that bill.

It’s no surprise that the Redskins remain as the favorite to sign Newton, potentially reuniting him with Rivera. The Patriots make sense as well, having lost Tom Brady in free agency.

However, all of a sudden, the Broncos have shot up the odds board to land Newton, being tied with the Patriots at +300.

It sounds crazy at first glance, but the Broncos do make sense, as they have a lot of talent on their roster, and a general manager squarely on the hot seat, in John Elway. Drew Lock showed some promise in his rookie season, but it’s unlikely that he’s ready to start and play an entire season, if the team wants to win. Signing Newton and allowing Lock to sit and watch for a full season makes sense.